What are the responsibilities and job description for the AI Manager position at Walker Elliott?
Our client, an independent exploration and production company, is adding a technical leader to drive their Automation and Generative AI initiatives. This leader will be accountable for executing the organization's AI and automation strategy while keeping development roadmaps aligned with broader IT objectives.
All digital products delivered by this team, from intelligent enterprise assistants to robotic workflow automation, must meet business requirements and, where applicable, audit standards. This leader will maintain a consistent focus on code quality, security governance, end-user experience, and the ability to scale solutions across the enterprise. This role also serves as a bridge across disciplines, coordinating delivery between automation developers, data scientists, and front-end engineers. Responsibilities include hands-on technical mentorship, code reviews, input on staffing decisions, and building a culture of AI fluency across the team. Deep familiarity with automation and front-end development lifecycles, as well as current AI frameworks, is essential.
Responsibilities
- Translate company objectives into actionable development priorities; stay ahead of shifts in the Generative AI space and identify opportunities to evolve from basic automation to sophisticated agentic workflows; help the team make architectural choices that support the organization's long-term technology vision.
- Attract, develop, and retain strong technical talent across both employees and consultants, building a team culture grounded in accountability, curiosity, and continuous growth; deliver meaningful performance feedback and individualized development support; maintain cohesion across teams with different technical backgrounds such as RPA specialists and full-stack developers.
- Cultivate productive working relationships with business groups including Land, Finance, and Operations, as well as other areas within IT, to deliver integrated solutions; encourage transparency and information sharing across the custom development, generative AI, and automation groups; stay flexible when navigating shifting priorities or technology stacks.
- Apply sound, evidence-based thinking to decisions that weigh technical ambition against security requirements and business value; remain alert to the risks inherent in AI systems such as hallucination or process failure; frame technical trade-offs and architecture options clearly.
- Define and uphold rigorous standards for software quality, code traceability, and DevSecOps practices; look for opportunities to build reusable components and apply modern technologies to address legacy challenges.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM area is required.
- 8 years of related experience in the upstream oil and gas industry is required, with at least 2 years spent in a direct supervisory or team-leadership capacity within a technology or software development organization.
- Automation: RPA platforms such as UiPath or Power Automate
- Generative AI & Data: Python, LLM frameworks such as LangChain, vector databases
- Custom Development: JavaScript, React, SQL
- DevOps/Management: Azure DevOps, Git, Jira
- Hands-on experience leading cross-functional initiatives and guiding technical decisions within an agile delivery model.
- Strong software engineering fundamentals with the ability to participate directly in code reviews and solution design.
- Solid grasp of how Robotic Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence are converging, and experience designing agentic workflow architectures.
- Proven ability to assess and manage risk associated with emerging technologies, including data privacy considerations and model governance frameworks.
- This role is mostly remote (some meetings as needed) in Denver, CO. Preference is for residence in Colorado.
Do not apply unless you are authorized to work in the United States for any employer as client company cannot sponsor or transfer visas at this time.
Walker Elliott is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
For additional information, please email your resume to resumes@walker-elliott.com or apply online.