Patterson-UTI's Drilling Automation team is a growing group of energetic, passionate individuals working to improve our operations through drilling automation. The Technical Product Development Manager for Drilling Automation is responsible for the conception, development, testing, and continuous sustainment of drilling performance applications. The preferred candidate should have expert knowledge in drilling operations as well as downhole drilling dynamics. This role will work directly with control system, automation, and data science teams to develop products. The role will also coordinate with operations to test and deploy products, and marketing and sales to commercialize products.

Some example projects that are being developed, tested, and deployed include:

• Drilling optimization systems to improve drilling efficiency and mitigate dysfunction
• Automation of repetitive sequences in the drilling process such as connections, reaming, and tripping
• Integration of third-party applications into the control system such as power slips and adaptive auto driller controls

The successful candidate will: set high standards of performance for themselves and others, be highly organized and demonstrate strong project management skills, be professional in written, verbal and personal actions, seek new knowledge and experiences, have an analytical mindset that can utilize factual data to develop practical and business-oriented solutions, be self-aware and adjust accordingly to different environments and audiences.

This role will work under the direction of the Sr. Product Development Manager.

Detailed Description:

• Understand and influence the strategic vision of the Company's automation and controls development roadmap; assist in prioritizing development efforts and report to stakeholders on progress
• Act as the subject matter expert (SME) for functional specifications of drilling automation products including; enhance products from existing ideas, expand on market requirements, and help develop new concepts based on industry research and the needs of customers
• Develop supporting technical documentation, including design specifications, test procedures, commissioning procedures, training materials, and technical presentations
• Develop and manage a quality assurance program to ensure applications undergo adequate manual and simulated testing in a laboratory environment prior to being tested and deployed to the field
• Coordinate beta test programs, including rig selection, program alignment with internal and external stakeholders, software/hardware installation and commissioning, data export and analysis
• Define beta test acceptance criteria; partner closely with developers and operations teams to ensure proper measurement and variable control
• Work with data scientists to compile and analyze data from beta tests; translate results; prepare recommendations for further testing or application development as part of the product development cycle
• Manage product backlog; prioritize and schedule development cycles
• Liaise with marketing, translate technical specifications into marketing and branding materials; assist with overall product launch
• Meet with customers to provide technical information on controls applications; write white papers highlighting the technology and operational results; present at technical conferences and meetings
• Understand industry trends and emerging opportunities in controls technology, analyze viability of new products, recommend areas to invest in R&D

Job Requirements:

• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team, managing multiple tasks and working on multiple projects simultaneously to meet challenging deadlines.
• Demonstrate clear written and verbal communication skills and the ability to promptly give, and follow directions when working with others.
• Ability to safely navigate the yard and shop work sites with occasional walking, climbing, standing, stepping, etc. during normal operating conditions (day/night, outdoor hot/cold weather).
• Ability to safely navigate drilling rig work sites including regular walking, climbing, standing, stepping, etc. during various weather conditions (day/night, outdoor hot/cold weather).
• Ability to travel as needed with limited notices (~25%).
• Ability to proficiently use MS Office Suite to develop presentations, correspondence, reports, and schedules (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Physical ability to:
  • Lift and carry 50 pounds independently while walking on uneven surfaces
  • Bend, stoop, kneel, twist, and crawl occasionally during visits to the field and operational work areas.
  • Listen for unusual noises that signify equipment and or machinery problems.
  • Stay alert and focused including during occasional extended work periods.
  • Maintain spatial orientation and awareness to safely move around the work environment with many moving objects including overhead machinery.
  • Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at all designated times.
  • Ability to regularly travel as needed to visit worksites and support business units; may require extended travel to remote locations and/or overnight stay(s) outside normal office area.
  • Ability to work on weekends and be on call after hours as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in engineering or related discipline.
• 7 years professional experience.
• 5 years of experience in the oil & gas drilling industry, with significant exposure to drilling operations.
• Experience in product development.
• Experience managing projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10 years professional experience with:
  • 5 years developing control automation products
  • 5 years developing drilling automation products
  • 5 years experience in analyzing and improving drilling performance
  • 5 years of experience in project management
  • 5 years in a customer facing role
  • Experience writing and presenting technical papers
  • Experience testing products
  • Training experience

Certifications: None

Supervisory Responsibilities: Possible future requirement

Additional Details:

This position requires the person to be able to work in a time sensitive, high visible role and regularly travel as needed to support business units and visit work sites. It may also require extended travel to remote locations and/or overnight stay(s) during variable hours. Variable work hours include hours worked on the weekend, on holiday(s), and hours to travel within and outside of the assigned region. The Asset Manager must work with an emphasis on planning, multitasking and prioritization to maximize efficiency of the team. Must be able to work closely with others and manage customer interaction in a professional manner. Ability to safely navigate work sites with occasional walking, climbing, standing, stepping, etc., during normal operating conditions (day/night, outdoor hot/cold weather) and while utilizing designated personal protective equipment (PPE). The person must be able to work closely with others assigned to the rig construction process.