Industries / Energy, Oil and Gas

Energy, Oil and Gas Executive Search

Energy companies are running leaner after a wave of mergers, while power demand from data centers is pulling the same people in new directions. Here's what makes each leadership search hard right now, what to look for, and what to watch out for.

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Across our careers, we've recruited for roles like these.

A refinery's stacks lit at dusk
OPERATIONS · ENGINEERING · HSE · PROJECTS · POWER

Our placements include organizations like

The White House · NASA · Google · Boeing · Lockheed Martin · Big 4 firms · Fortune 100 companies · DoD programs · Oil and gas · Startups

The market right now

Leaner teams, and the same people pulled in new directions.

114,500

Oil and gas extraction employment was 114,500 in June 2026, down 2.8% from a year earlier.

BLS data via Rigzone, July 2026

28%

When WTI jumped from $63 to $106 between February and April 2026, only 28% of producers expected to add staff.

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, June 2026

76%

76% of fuels employers, 70% in electric generation and 67% in transmission and distribution report difficulty hiring.

US Department of Energy, 2026 US Energy and Employment Report

64%

From 2023 to 2025, power-sector job postings rose 20% and data center postings rose 64%, and more than a third of those postings target the same workers.

Deloitte, March 2026

655

US petroleum engineering bachelor's degrees fell from 2,615 in 2017 to about 655 in 2023.

Journal of Petroleum Technology, March 2023

HIRING IN ENERGY?

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Leadership roles we recruit

The leaders energy companies need most.

Every role links to our guide: why it's hard to hire right now, what to look for and what to watch out for.

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In demand now

  • Director of Grid Interconnection
  • Director of Gas-Fired Generation Development
  • Head of Power Trading and Origination
  • Director of Carbon Capture (CCUS)
  • Director of Emissions and Methane Compliance
  • Director of Digital Operations and AI
  • Director of Nuclear Operations and Engineering

How every search starts

We define what great looks like before we contact anyone.

Every search starts with an intake that goes deeper than the job description. Here's how a search brief reads for a VP of Operations in energy, oil and gas, built from our role guide below.

Start a Search See a candidate website
Search brief · private

Search brief

VP of Operations

Energy, Oil and Gas

Must-haves

  • Personal ownership of cost per foot and lease operating expense.
  • Results in the same basin.
  • More output with a flat headcount.
  • Remote operations and automation.

Screen out

  • Staff roles at super-majors with no field or P&L accountability.
  • Results described only as "the team's."
  • Experience only in up-cycles.

Where we'll look

Operators in your basinOilfield servicesMidstream and LNGPower generation and utilitiesEPC contractors and project ownersLeaders who aren't looking
Pay dataIn oil and gas extraction, the BLS mean is $194,910 for general and operations managers (May 2024 data, published May 2026).

Sample search brief, for illustration

Role guides

What to look for in every energy leadership hire.

VP of Operations and Directors of Engineering

Why it's hard right now

Mergers removed management layers, strong directors often hold retention packages, and service companies are competing for the same people. In the Dallas Fed's Q2 2026 survey, one executive said "customers are hiring our people." (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Q2 2026)

What to look for

  • Personal ownership of cost per foot and lease operating expense.
  • Results in the same basin.
  • More output with a flat headcount.
  • Remote operations and automation.
  • A PE license for facilities roles.

Watch out for

  • Staff roles at super-majors with no field or P&L accountability.
  • Results described only as "the team's." Experience only in up-cycles.

Pay dataIn oil and gas extraction, the BLS mean is $169,280 for petroleum engineers and $194,910 for general and operations managers (May 2024 data, published May 2026).

Start a search for this role Or talk it through first with TAP
Plant and Refinery Manager

Why it's hard right now

There are fewer sites and higher stakes. US refining capacity fell by more than 250,000 barrels per calendar day in 2025 after three closures (Oil & Gas Journal with EIA data, June 2026), and wider refining margins in 2026 make every hour of downtime more expensive (EIA, July 2026).

What to look for

  • Ownership of Process Safety Management.
  • Turnarounds delivered on budget.
  • Union relations.
  • Credibility with regulators and the community.

Watch out for

  • Only wind-down experience.
  • Turnaround overruns blamed on contractors.
  • Process safety events they can't explain.

Pay dataIn petroleum and coal products manufacturing, the BLS mean is $149,230 for industrial production managers and $176,140 for general and operations managers (May 2024 data).

Start a search for this role Or talk it through first with TAP
Director of Health, Safety and Environment

Why it's hard right now

Methane compliance deadlines keep moving (Harvard Environmental and Energy Law Program, June 2026), and the role needs both process safety and occupational safety depth. Transportation incidents caused 38.2% of US work deaths in 2024. (BLS, February 2026)

What to look for

  • CSP, plus CIH or ASP where relevant.
  • Serious injury and fatality prevention using leading indicators.
  • Contractor safety management.
  • Incident investigation and root cause analysis.
  • Permitting.

Watch out for

  • A safety story told only through injury rates.
  • A "compliance cop" style.
  • Credentials without field time.

Pay dataThe median safety professional salary was $105,000, and $120,000 for CSP holders, across industries. (BCSP, December 2023)

Start a search for this role Or talk it through first with TAP
VP and Director of Supply Chain

Why it's hard right now

Tariffs and long lead times. 26% of exploration and production executives said tariffs raised drilling costs by 4% to 6% (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, July 2025), transformer lead times reach up to four years (PwC via pv magazine, May 2026), and combined-cycle gas plant lead times reached five years (Oilprice.com, February 2026).

What to look for

  • Category strategy for tubulars, sand and rotating equipment.
  • Trade and tariff compliance.
  • Frame agreements and reserved manufacturing slots.
  • CPSM or CSCP.

Watch out for

  • Purely transactional purchasing.
  • Savings claims with no total-cost view.
Start a search for this role Or talk it through first with TAP
Director of Capital Projects and Project Director

Why it's hard right now

80% of contractors struggle to fill salaried roles and 82% struggle to fill craft roles (Associated General Contractors via Utility Dive, January 2026), and LNG and power projects compete for the same project leaders.

What to look for

  • Owner-side leadership through the full stage-gate process.
  • Sanctioned versus actual cost and schedule on large projects.
  • EPC contracting strategy.
  • PMP and PE.

Watch out for

  • Only contractor-side experience when you need an owner's lead.
  • Can't give sanctioned-versus-actual numbers.
Start a search for this role Or talk it through first with TAP
Director of Asset Management, Maintenance and Reliability

Why it's hard right now

There are shortages of mechanics, maintenance workers and technicians, and nearly 60% of the workforce will need upskilling over the next decade. (Deloitte, May 2025) Long equipment lead times make spares strategy critical.

What to look for

  • ISO 55001, reliability-centered maintenance, risk-based inspection (API 580 and 581), disciplined maintenance-system data (SAP PM or Maximo), CMRP, and measured gains in uptime.

Watch out for

  • A reactive firefighter.
  • A maintenance-system rollout with no uptime result.
Start a search for this role Or talk it through first with TAP
Land, Geoscience and Reservoir Engineering leaders

Why it's hard right now

About 27% of US geoscientists may retire by 2029 (Latitude Media, March 2025), geoscience enrollment is down nearly 30% since 2015 (AAPG, December 2025), and lithium, geothermal and carbon storage compete for the same people.

What to look for

  • For land, CPL, M&A diligence, joint operating agreement negotiation, federal leasing, and the SR/WA right-of-way credential for power and transmission work.
  • For geoscience and reservoir, a PG license where required, reserves booked under PRMS or SEC rules, and well results compared with pre-drill forecasts.

Watch out for

  • No M&A diligence experience.
  • Reserves never audited.

Pay dataThe BLS mean for geoscientists in oil and gas extraction is $170,930 (May 2024 data).

Start a search for this role Or talk it through first with TAP
VP of Business Development and Commercial

Why it's hard right now

Prices are volatile, with Brent swinging between $118 and $72 in Q2 2026 (EIA, July 2026), and there are new buyers: data center power demand is projected to grow from 47 GW in 2025 to more than 176 GW by 2035. (Deloitte, March 2026)

What to look for

  • Closed deals with value and structure.
  • LNG and gas offtake.
  • Acquisitions and divestitures.
  • Risk management.
  • Relationships with hyperscalers and utilities.

Watch out for

  • Pipeline talk with no closed deals.
  • Relationships that belong to a big brand, not the person.
Start a search for this role Or talk it through first with TAP
Director of Renewables, Energy Transition and Power

Why it's hard right now

Policy has shifted. Wind and solar projects must start construction by July 4, 2026 or be placed in service by the end of 2027 to keep federal tax credits (Bipartisan Policy Center, January 2026). The interconnection queue holds 2,061 GW, and projects take more than five years to reach commercial operation (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, July 2026).

What to look for

  • Megawatts brought to commercial operation, not just pipeline.
  • Tax-credit safe harbor and foreign-entity compliance.
  • Interconnection experience.
  • Storage and gas hybrid projects.

Watch out for

  • Gigawatts of pipeline with few projects actually built.
  • A plan that hasn't adapted to the 2025 tax law changes.
Start a search for this role Or talk it through first with TAP

How TAP runs this search

Where we find energy leaders.

We start with an intake that goes deeper than the job description, then map who is doing this job today at companies like yours, including leaders in adjacent sectors like power, LNG and oilfield services who've solved the same problems. Every candidate is interviewed in depth before you meet them, and you get a private website on each finalist: interview video, a rating on each of your requirements, compensation, timing and why we recommend them. Our goal is your hire from the first two candidates we present.

See how every search runs What's on a candidate website
Your roleVP of OperationsAdjacent sectorsCompanies like yours
  • Oilfield services
  • Midstream and LNG
  • Power and utilities
  • EPC contractors
  • Renewables developers
  • Refining and chemicals

Leaders who aren't looking

  1. 01

    Intake

    Deeper than the job description.

  2. 02

    Map

    Who is doing this job today at companies like yours.

  3. 03

    Interview

    Every candidate, in depth, before you meet them.

  4. 04

    Candidate website

    Video, ratings on your requirements, pay and timing.

  5. 05

    Hire

    Our goal: your hire from the first two candidates we present.

A refinery's stacks lit at dusk

Talk with TAP

Hiring for one of these roles, or want a second opinion on how to recruit for it?

Across our careers, we've recruited for roles like these. Tell us what you're hiring for and we'll share what we'd look out for, whether or not you start a search with us.

Start a Search Talk With TAP
Jonathan Tureau

Jonathan Tureau

Founder & Principal Recruiter

Founder-led, on every search. 17 years in recruiting, and a third-generation recruiter.

FAQ

Questions about energy leadership searches.

Still have a question? Talk With TAP

Do you recruit for both oil and gas and power and renewables?

Yes. Many of the hardest searches now sit where the two overlap: gas-fired generation, grid interconnection, carbon capture and power for data centers.

How long does an energy leadership search take?

Most of our searches take 4 to 10 weeks, depending on the role and the market.

What does TAP charge for an energy leadership search?

25% of the new leader's first-year compensation. On most packages, an engagement fee paid at the start is credited toward it, and the placement fee is invoiced on your new leader's start date. See the full fee guide.

Industries

Other industries we recruit for.

All Industries and Roles
A data center corridor lined with server racks

Technology and AI

CTOs, AI leaders, product, security and revenue executives.

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Manufacturing and Industrial

Plant managers, operations, quality, supply chain and EHS leaders.

A jet climbing through a dark blue sky

Aerospace, Defense and Government

Program, engineering, contracts, capture and cleared leaders.

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Healthcare and Life Sciences

CEOs, CMOs, CNOs, revenue cycle, regulatory and IT leaders.

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Hospitality, Travel and Luxury

General managers, guest experience, revenue, brand and luxury retail leaders.

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Construction, Infrastructure and Real Estate

Construction directors, superintendents, heavy civil and highway operators, development and estimating leaders.

Sources 21 citedLast reviewed September 2026
  1. Rigzone, US oil and gas workforce (BLS data), July 2026
  2. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, June 2026
  3. US Department of Energy, 2026 US Energy and Employment Report
  4. Deloitte, data centers and power companies compete for workforce, March 2026
  5. Journal of Petroleum Technology, March 2023
  6. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Energy Survey, Q2 2026
  7. BLS Monthly Labor Review, oil and gas industries wages, May 2026
  8. Oil & Gas Journal, US refinery capacity, June 2026
  9. EIA, Today in Energy, July 2026
  10. Harvard Environmental and Energy Law Program, methane standards tracker, June 2026
  11. BLS, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, February 2026
  12. BCSP, safety manager salary, December 2023
  13. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Energy Survey, July 2025
  14. pv magazine, US transformer market, May 2026
  15. Oilprice.com, gas turbine shortage, February 2026
  16. Utility Dive, labor and tariffs, January 2026
  17. Deloitte, energy and chemicals workforce, May 2025
  18. Latitude Media, geologist shortage, March 2025
  19. AAPG, geoscience enrollment, December 2025
  20. Bipartisan Policy Center, 2025 reconciliation energy provisions, January 2026
  21. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, interconnection queues, July 2026