IT Business Operations Lead

Surge Energy (Surge) is seeking a leader-in-progress to join our upstream exploration and production company as the IT Business Operations Lead—a high‑impact leadership role with significant enterprise visibility. This position partners closely with IT senior leadership to shape how technology investments are planned, governed, and delivered across the organization.

Designed for a leader who thrives on ownership and influence, this role is ideal for someone motivated to operate at both strategic and operational levels while building the foundation for broader leadership responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Own IT financial governance and investment discipline, leading budget planning, forecasting, management reporting, and performance management to ensure technology spend delivers measurable business value.
• Partner closely with accounting, finance, supply chain, and operations organizations to align IT priorities with broader business objectives.
• Lead and evolve the IT Project Management Office (PMO) by setting delivery standards, coaching project, and program leaders, and ensuring consistent execution of strategic initiatives.
• Act as the facilitator of strategic IT vendor partnerships, including vendor onboarding, contract negotiation, performance management, and long‑term sourcing strategy.
• Support IT executive reporting and organizational alignment, enabling clear communication of priorities, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership.
• Coordinate strategic IT programs that enable digital transformation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and operational efficiency across field and corporate operations.
• Execute and continuously improve IT governance processes, including management of change, software evaluation and selection, audit compliance, and technology risk assessment.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to IT and business leaders, translating strategy into execution and proactively identifying opportunities to strengthen operational effectiveness.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strategic, enterprise‑oriented mindset with demonstrated leadership maturity and accountability.
• Proven experience managing IT budgets, forecasting, and financial performance for a technology organization.
• Strong capability in managing IT asset portfolios and complex vendor ecosystems.
• Applied project and program management experience delivering high‑impact initiatives, such as:
• Software implementation rationalization
• Digital transformation
• Data center orchestration
• Enterprise content management
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to influence cross‑functional stakeholders and lead through collaboration.
• Familiarity with key operational systems across E&P functions, including Production Accounting, Financial Accounting, Exploration, Drilling, Land, Marketing, and Reserves.
• Working knowledge of OT, cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and integrated cross‑functional workflows within E&P operations.

Competencies

• Business Insight
• Strategic Mindset
• Manages Ambiguity and Complexity
• Financial Acumen
• Decision Quality
• Collaborates
• Organizational Savvy
• Drives Results
  
  

Required Qualifications

• 10 years of progressive experience in IT and business operations in complex, asset-intensive environment (upstream oil and gas or energy sectors preferred).
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to develop people, processes, and operating models within an IT organization.
  
  

Who We Are

Surge is an agile, asset‑driven E&P company committed to operational excellence, safety, and organizational efficiency. How this position delivers results is as important as what is achieved. Every employee is expected to demonstrate these behaviors to be considered an effective performer. This role offers meaningful exposure to executive leadership and the opportunity to shape how IT operates across the enterprise.

• Safety – We conduct our work in a way that ensures EVERYONE SAFELY RETURNS TO FAMILY and friends every single day
• Integrity – We do THE RIGHT THING with high ethics and standards in compliance with laws, regulations, and policies
• Teamwork – We work together collaboratively creating SUCCESS AS ONE TEAM
• Excellence – We always STRIVE FOR INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT using our mistakes as positive learning experiences
• Transparency – We work with OPENESS AND CANDOR creating an atmosphere of strong communication, trust, and credibility