Motiva Enterprises
Lead Strategist - Transaction Origination
Motiva Enterprises, Houston, Texas, United States, 77246
At Motiva, our employees' energy, passion, and dedication to excellence are what make us who we are and what allows us to generate energy that makes a house a home, gets us from point A to point B, and enables our health and wellbeing. We invest in every aspect of our employees' lives because, at Motiva, our people matter.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products throughout the Americas. The company's Port Arthur Manufacturing Complex in Port Arthur, TX, is comprised of North America's largest refinery with a total throughput of 720,000 barrels per day, the largest base oil plant in the western hemisphere, and an integrated chemical plant. Under exclusive long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76® brand), Motiva's commercial operations supply more than 12 billion gallons of fuel to customers annually. Motiva is wholly owned by Aramco, one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemicals companies.
Position Overview:
The Lead Strategist - Transaction Origination will play a strategic role in Motiva's Strategy and Mergers & Acquisition team. The Lead Strategist - Transaction Origination is responsible for sourcing, screening, and shaping Motiva's pipeline of inorganic growth opportunities. This role bridges Strategy and M&A by translating corporate priorities, market insights, and business line objectives into actionable opportunities. Working closely with the M&A Lead, Strategy, and functional stakeholders, the Lead Strategist develops investment theses, evaluates strategic fit, and prepares opportunities for Gate 1 governance review.
Responsibilities:
Lead market scanning and opportunity identification efforts, developing a pipeline of strategic opportunities aligned with Motiva's growth priorities. Coordinate with Strategy, Finance, and Business Lines to evaluate the strategic and commercial fit of potential transactions prior to diligence. Synthesize market intelligence and competitor activity to identify potential acquisition, partnership, or divestiture opportunities. Coordinate internal deal teams, managing timelines, issue resolution, and approvals across Finance, Legal, Risk & Compliance, Strategy, Business Units, and external advisors. Prepare early-stage summaries and recommendations for review by governance bodies (e.g., Executive Governing Body, Executive Leadership Team) prior to formal Gate 1 consideration. Lead the preparation of investment committee materials, approval requests, and internal presentations for M&A forums to support pre-Gate 1 governance reviews. Ensure deal structures and documentation comply with commercial, legal, Aramco, and internal governance standards. Support transition of approved opportunities to the Transaction Execution team, ensuring knowledge continuity. Support negotiation strategy and execution activities alongside internal and external legal advisors and Finance, validating bid assumptions, capital planning, and modeling inputs. Partner with Legal and Risk & Compliance teams to coordinate transaction documentation, terms, and approvals. Manage coordination with external counsel on deal structuring, contracting, and reviews. Ensure timely engagement with Aramco for compliance, stage-gated approvals, and review processes. Prevent advancement of deals without alignment on critical financial, legal, or risk inputs. Influence the structure of legal documentation, negotiation strategy, stakeholder resourcing, and alignment on timing, sequencing, and next steps. Experience and Qualifications:
Required Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Economics, Accounting, or a related field. 7+ years of experience in corporate development, investment banking, private equity, consulting, or financial/strategic analysis. Strong financial modeling and valuation skills, with proficiency in Excel and presentation tools (e.g., PowerPoint). Familiarity with early-stage evaluation, screening, and partner assessment processes. Experience working with Treasury or Strategic Finance teams to validate bid assumptions, capital planning, and modeling inputs. Ability to coordinate legal, risk, and compliance requirements, including transaction documentation, approvals, and governance standards. Experience evaluating deal logic, integration implications, and synergy delivery plans with strategy teams and business units. Familiarity with managing external advisors, including counsel, for deal structuring, contracting, and reviews. Strong communication and collaboration skills to engage internal stakeholders and external partners, including Aramco, for timely reviews and approvals. Preferred Education and Experience:
MBA, CFA, or other advanced credential. Experience in mergers & acquisitions, inorganic growth strategy, portfolio optimization, or corporate development within the energy or downstream oil & gas sectors. Familiarity with due diligence processes, deal execution, and post-merger integration. Demonstrated ability to translate complex financial and strategic analysis into actionable recommendations for senior leadership. Prior experience in a downstream refining, trading, or marketing environment.
We reserve the right to amend or withdraw Motiva jobs at any time, including prior to the closing date. Depending on qualifications, the successful candidate may be offered a position at a more appropriate level and/or grade.
Applicants for regular U.S. positions must be authorized to work in the United States for Motiva Enterprises LLC without the need for sponsorship of an immigration authorization or visa (for example, TN, H-1B, or other employment-based immigration authorization or visa).
Motiva participates in E-Verify.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information, or other protected status under federal, state, or local laws.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products throughout the Americas. The company's Port Arthur Manufacturing Complex in Port Arthur, TX, is comprised of North America's largest refinery with a total throughput of 720,000 barrels per day, the largest base oil plant in the western hemisphere, and an integrated chemical plant. Under exclusive long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76® brand), Motiva's commercial operations supply more than 12 billion gallons of fuel to customers annually. Motiva is wholly owned by Aramco, one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemicals companies.
Position Overview:
The Lead Strategist - Transaction Origination will play a strategic role in Motiva's Strategy and Mergers & Acquisition team. The Lead Strategist - Transaction Origination is responsible for sourcing, screening, and shaping Motiva's pipeline of inorganic growth opportunities. This role bridges Strategy and M&A by translating corporate priorities, market insights, and business line objectives into actionable opportunities. Working closely with the M&A Lead, Strategy, and functional stakeholders, the Lead Strategist develops investment theses, evaluates strategic fit, and prepares opportunities for Gate 1 governance review.
Responsibilities:
Lead market scanning and opportunity identification efforts, developing a pipeline of strategic opportunities aligned with Motiva's growth priorities. Coordinate with Strategy, Finance, and Business Lines to evaluate the strategic and commercial fit of potential transactions prior to diligence. Synthesize market intelligence and competitor activity to identify potential acquisition, partnership, or divestiture opportunities. Coordinate internal deal teams, managing timelines, issue resolution, and approvals across Finance, Legal, Risk & Compliance, Strategy, Business Units, and external advisors. Prepare early-stage summaries and recommendations for review by governance bodies (e.g., Executive Governing Body, Executive Leadership Team) prior to formal Gate 1 consideration. Lead the preparation of investment committee materials, approval requests, and internal presentations for M&A forums to support pre-Gate 1 governance reviews. Ensure deal structures and documentation comply with commercial, legal, Aramco, and internal governance standards. Support transition of approved opportunities to the Transaction Execution team, ensuring knowledge continuity. Support negotiation strategy and execution activities alongside internal and external legal advisors and Finance, validating bid assumptions, capital planning, and modeling inputs. Partner with Legal and Risk & Compliance teams to coordinate transaction documentation, terms, and approvals. Manage coordination with external counsel on deal structuring, contracting, and reviews. Ensure timely engagement with Aramco for compliance, stage-gated approvals, and review processes. Prevent advancement of deals without alignment on critical financial, legal, or risk inputs. Influence the structure of legal documentation, negotiation strategy, stakeholder resourcing, and alignment on timing, sequencing, and next steps. Experience and Qualifications:
Required Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Economics, Accounting, or a related field. 7+ years of experience in corporate development, investment banking, private equity, consulting, or financial/strategic analysis. Strong financial modeling and valuation skills, with proficiency in Excel and presentation tools (e.g., PowerPoint). Familiarity with early-stage evaluation, screening, and partner assessment processes. Experience working with Treasury or Strategic Finance teams to validate bid assumptions, capital planning, and modeling inputs. Ability to coordinate legal, risk, and compliance requirements, including transaction documentation, approvals, and governance standards. Experience evaluating deal logic, integration implications, and synergy delivery plans with strategy teams and business units. Familiarity with managing external advisors, including counsel, for deal structuring, contracting, and reviews. Strong communication and collaboration skills to engage internal stakeholders and external partners, including Aramco, for timely reviews and approvals. Preferred Education and Experience:
MBA, CFA, or other advanced credential. Experience in mergers & acquisitions, inorganic growth strategy, portfolio optimization, or corporate development within the energy or downstream oil & gas sectors. Familiarity with due diligence processes, deal execution, and post-merger integration. Demonstrated ability to translate complex financial and strategic analysis into actionable recommendations for senior leadership. Prior experience in a downstream refining, trading, or marketing environment.
We reserve the right to amend or withdraw Motiva jobs at any time, including prior to the closing date. Depending on qualifications, the successful candidate may be offered a position at a more appropriate level and/or grade.
Applicants for regular U.S. positions must be authorized to work in the United States for Motiva Enterprises LLC without the need for sponsorship of an immigration authorization or visa (for example, TN, H-1B, or other employment-based immigration authorization or visa).
Motiva participates in E-Verify.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information, or other protected status under federal, state, or local laws.