Program Manager

Position Overview

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is seeking to hire a Program Manager for the Office of Oil and Gas Resource Management.  This position will direct activities related to the administrative hearing process for abandoned and leaking wells; serve as liaison between PRF Program and office of Legal Counsel; review applications from potential plugging and restoration contractors; initiate and direct Department cost recovery actions for plugging and restoration work paid out of the PRF; act as liaison with Illinois Petroleum Resources Board (IPRB) in joint PRF projects; and observe abandoned well sites and tank battery sites to determine location, assess conditions, compliance with applicable regulations and completion of plugging and restoration work conducted by contractors.  The Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Office of Oil and Gas Resource Management ensures the protection and proper development of Illinois' oil and gas resources, while protecting the state's environment, land, and water resources.  We welcome qualified and interested applicants who would like to be part of this team to apply today.

Essential Functions

• Under general direction, serves as statewide Program Manager of the Well Site Plugging and Restoration Fund (PRF) Program and working supervisor to the PRF staff. 
• Serves as working supervisor.
• Monitors PRF reimbursement activities and serves as Department liaison. 
• Oversees abandoned well sites and analyzes ownership information.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to completion of four years of college, preferably with courses in business or public administration. 
• Requires prior experience equivalent to three years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a public or business organization. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) years of experience in preparing documents and presenting information required for administrative hearings and evaluating well sites and production facilities to determine if they meet the definition of abandoned well.
• Two (2) years of experience interpreting and applying the Illinois Oil and Gas Act and associated regulations and/or the Illinois Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act and associated regulations.
• Two (2) years of experience working with the Microsoft Office Suites (including Excel, Access and Word) and working with the Docuware imagining or similar system.
• Two (2) years of experience with BidBuy or similar procurement systems as it pertains to letting of contracts
• Working knowledge of state laws, rules and regulations governing the production of oil and gas.
• Two (2) years of experience in preparing, tracking, and managing Plugging and Restoration Fund, or similar state government-type contracts.
• Two (2) years of experience in monitoring activities authorized by Plugging and Restoration Fund, or similar state government-type contracts to ensure compliance with such contracts.
• Two (2) years of experience in maintaining effective business relationships with external stakeholders, such as private entities, federal and municipal officials, and the public, for accomplishing a common goal and providing superior public
  service.
• Two (2) years of experience in the manipulation of data, including writing queries and generating ad hoc reports within the Corel Paradox or other database management systems.

Special Skills

• Two (2) years of experience in preparing documents and presenting information required for administrative hearings and evaluating well sites and productions facilities to determine if they meet the definition of abandoned well.
• Two (2) years of experience interpreting and applying the Illinois Oil and Gas Act and associated regulations and/or the Illinois Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act and associated regulations.
• Two (2) years of experience working with the Microsoft Office Suites (including Excel, Access and Word) and working with the Docuware imagining database system.
• Two (2) years of experience with the BidBuy procurement system as it pertains to letting of Plugging and Restoration Fund (PRF) Program contracts.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires completion of a background check and self-disclosure of criminal history.
• Requires appropriate, valid driver’s license
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.
• Ability to walk considerable distance over uneven terrain and plowed fields to observe well sites and production facilities
• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.     

The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Agency and Division Statement

Agency Statement 
Charged with preserving, protecting and promoting Illinois’ natural and cultural resources, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) employees oversee water, wildlife, wetlands and oil wells, parks, historic sites – and everything in between. Employment opportunities vary greatly, often providing employees the chance to work indoors and out in a dynamic yet relaxed environment. Working for the State of Illinois, IDNR employees receive excellent benefits, including, vision health and dental insurance; a retirement plan and deferred compensation options; state holidays and other time off; as well as pre-tax benefit programs.

Office of Oil and Gas Resource Management

The Office of Oil and Gas Resource Management (OOGRM) is the regulatory authority in Illinois for permitting, drilling, operating, and plugging oil and gas production wells. The Office implements the Illinois Oil and Gas Act and enforces standards for the construction and operation of related production equipment and facilities.  In addition, the Office regulates the injection of fluids into underground injection wells, through the UIC Program, and cleans up abandoned well sites through the PRF and Landowner Grant Programs.