Product Development Manager – Drilling Automation

Patterson-UTI’s Drilling Automation team is a growing group of energetic, passionate individuals working to improve our operations through automation. The Product Development Manager will be involved in all aspects of the product life cycle, including interviewing stakeholders, drafting requirements, defining test criteria, supporting field deployments, and managing the iterative improvement process and performance analysis. The preferred candidate should have strong knowledge of directional drilling, drilling dynamics and controls and automation systems.

This role will be the direct report to the Sr. Product Development Manager, and consistently collaborate with controls & automation developers, data scientists, operations, technical services teams, and marketing.

Detailed Description:

• Understand and influence the strategic vision of the Company’s automation and controls development roadmap; assist in prioritizing development efforts and report progress to stakeholders
• Act as the subject matter expert (SME) for functional specifications of drilling automation products; continuously improve existing products, expand on market requirements, and advance development based on industry research and the needs of customers
• Collaborate with Marketing and Contracts Managers to translate technical specifications into marketing and branding materials and manage overall product launch
• Oversee development of supporting technical documentation, including design specifications, test procedures, commissioning procedures, training materials, and technical presentations
• Define test acceptance criteria and conduct adequate manual and simulated testing in a laboratory environment with a test and quality engineer
• Coordinate test programs, including rig selection, program alignment with internal and external stakeholders, software/hardware installation and commissioning
• Work with analysts and data scientists to compile and analyze data from field tests, be able to translate results to prepare recommendations for further testing or development
• Meet with customers to provide technical information on automation products; 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 new areas to invest in R&D

Job Requirements:

• Excellent analytical skills, able to think strategically and translate concepts into action plans and track results
• Able to work both independently and as part of a team, managing multiple tasks and projects simultaneously to meet challenging deadlines
• Able and willing to visit a drilling rig location on a semi-regular basis to gain subject matter knowledge
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Have excellent soft skills to gain rapport within the organization and seek out buy-in for our products
• 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 an engineering discipline, or an equivalent level of industry-related experience
• 5+ years of experience in the oil & gas drilling industry, with significant exposure to downhole drilling dynamics and/or automated directional steering

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in product development of control system applications
• 5+ years of experience in analyzing and improving drilling performance
• 5+ years of experience in project management

Additional Details:

This position requires the person to be able to work in a time sensitive, high visibility role and regularly travel as needed to support business units and to 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 holidays, and hours to travel within and outside of the assigned region. The Engineer 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, working at heights, etc., during normal operating conditions (day/night, outdoor hot/cold weather) and while utilizing designated personal protective equipment (PPE).

Patterson-UTI Drilling