Red Willow Production Company has created a Landman I Trainee Program for a Southern Ute tribal member. This unique opportunity is designed to provide training and experience for up to two years; when the trainee has successfully completed the trainee program the tribal member will move into the Landman I position at the starting salary. “They will have someone mentoring them every step of the way,” Red Willow Production Company Senior Landman, Art Vermillion said, “I really hope that tribal members will see what a great opportunity is being offered here.”

Once successfully working in a Landman I position, further training, experience and certification can lead to a career that is both fulfilling and profitable. “Historically, we have had to hire people from the outside that already have experience,” Vermillion explained. “This is a unique opportunity for a Southern Ute tribal member to stay in the community and give back to the Tribe,” he said.

The program is broken into three levels. Level I has a starting salary of $23 per hour and can last up to 6 months. The trainee will should become proficient and gain an understanding of different Land Department processes including: how to review titles and other land documents, and land concepts. Level II starts at $26 per hour and can also last up to 6 months. The trainee will progress to more advanced job requirements such as: how to draft documents relating to purchase and sale of interests, the process to prepare reports, and will perform duties related to what they learned in level I. Level III starts at $31 per hour and can last up to 12 months. At this level the trainee should be proficient in both levels I and II and participate in further development of their skill set to include: how to communicate with other interest owners regarding land issues, how to review and prepare oil and gas related contracts.

A landman’s job covers many different areas; they are responsible for leases, surface agreements, titles and deal making with other companies. “That’s what makes a landman’s career so interesting,” Vermillion said, adding that working with land maps is a huge component of the job, reviewing leaseholds from across the region and as far north as Wyoming. A landman’s office is filled with maps. “I’m a second generation landman, my father started with Amoco. Working with Red Willow, and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe has been one of the best opportunities in my career,” Vermillion said, adding that, “everyday is a little different than the other.”

 

Any Southern Ute tribal members that are interested in this amazing opportunity need to contact Snowbird Frost at 970-563-5067 or email her at sfrost@sugf.com. This position is on the tribal member website, therefore you need to contact her for the link to apply. Some of the minimum requirements include: be an enrolled Southern Ute tribal member, have a Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field, basic computer skills in a Windows environment, strong organizational skills, valid driver’s license and be insurable, and pass a criminal history background check and pre-employment drug test.