The different types of landman jobs include field landman or land professional, staff landman, land negotiator, and senior landman. For the higher levels of landman jobs, some firms require a bachelor's degree or an advanced post graduate degree such as an master's in business administration (MBA) or even a law degree. Unless formal training is acquired, most of these positions, even the entry-level field landman jobs require some previous experience. Some companies offering landman jobs require applicants to be a member of the American Association of American Landmen (AAPL). Oil and gas exploration companies may hire staff landmen, or landman jobs may be performed by individuals who work for companies on a contract basis as independent landmen.
Field landman is a position that is usually reports to a senior landman or land negotiator. Of all the landman jobs, this particular position requires the least amount of formal education, although some companies may require a college degree as a condition of employment. Responsibilities include working in the field away from home for weeks at a time, coordinating title opinions, performing curative title research, researching surface agreements or assignments, and researching documents relating to strategic land contracts. Field landmen need a working knowledge of computers and word processing programs
Land negotiators are also a landmen, and their responsibilities include interaction with state and local government, like the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. Land negotiators may also be required to interact with individual landowners or other oil and gas companies. These types of landman jobs require a person with a certain amount of finesse and charm in dealing with people. A land negotiator will typically work to acquire oil and gas leases and have the experience to perform the necessary analysis, negotiation preparation, and supervision of document collection. The land negotiator typically manages a team of field landmen who do all the necessary background title, lease, and document collection necessary for securing oil and gas leases.
A senior staff landman typically works for a large oil company or an oil and gas exploration company. Senior staff landmen usually supervise a team of field landmen and coordinate their activities in securing oil and gas leases. This position may require a bachelor's degree in petroleum land management and many years of experience in the oil and gas industry. A degree in or working knowledge of petroleum engineering, geology, real estate, and oil and gas law may also be required.
The term landman means different things to different companies and individuals. Landmen may simply be researchers who work in small town county government offices poring over land titles and legal documents all day. Landmen may also be executives with a law degree, working for a major oil company to secure mineral rights from landowners. Different companies also have different titles for landman jobs, so one should look into all the details and requirements before applying for a position as a landman.
