Automation Project Manager

Location

Onsite in Houston, TX - a vibrant city known for its diverse culture, booming energy sector, and rich history. Enjoy working in a dynamic environment where innovation meets opportunity, and experience the unique blend of urban sophistication and Southern hospitality.

Full-time direct hire

$100,000 to $125,000 plus benefits

Our Drilling Controls & Automation team is where innovation meets impact. We're a dynamic, forward‑thinking group driven by a shared mission‑to revolutionize drilling operations through cutting‑edge control and automation technologies. If you're passionate about tech, energized by solving complex problems, and ready to lead high‑impact projects, we want to hear from you. We're currently looking for someone to lead a major initiative: the full‑scale modernization of the Human Machine Interface (HMI) systems used across our extensive rig fleet.

In this pivotal role, you'll shape the future of our drilling control systems—taking ideas from concept through development, rigorous testing, deployment, and ongoing support.

• Drive the vision and execution of next‑gen HMI applications that power our rigs.
• Manage a technically complex, high‑visibility project with direct impact on field operations.
• Collaborate across departments to ensure seamless integration of control and data acquisition systems.
• Take on additional project opportunities within the Controls & Automation team as we continue to expand our digital capabilities.

You thrive in fast‑paced, highly technical environments. You set the bar high—for yourself and your team—and you bring structure, organization, and clear communication to every project. You're equally at home diving into the technical details and presenting big‑picture strategies.

• Brings expert knowledge in control and data acquisition systems.
• Has a proven track record of managing complex technical projects.
• Communicates professionally and clearly—whether writing, presenting, or collaborating.
• Thinks analytically and finds innovative, data‑driven solutions.
• Stays curious, constantly learning and adapting to new challenges and technologies.

This position reports to the Sr. Manager, Controls & Automation, and offers a unique opportunity to grow with a team that's transforming how we drill.

• Lead the drilling controls HMI development project through initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, controlling, and deployment of the product.
• Develop supporting technical documentation, including design specifications, test procedures, commissioning procedures, training materials, and technical presentations.
• Determine the required resources, coordinate with internal departments and third‑party companies to assemble the project team.
• Define clear deliverables, roles, and responsibilities required for specific tasks or initiatives; allocate tasks and resources among team members.
• Create project timelines with regularly established milestones, provide updates to stakeholders.
• Coordinate regular technical team meetings to determine progress and address any questions or challenges regarding projects.
• Identify potential risks; be proactive in mitigating risk; develop and execute contingency plans when necessary.
• Act as the subject matter expert (SME) for drilling control HMI design, including system architecture, device communication, user experience, and data logging functionalities.
• Develop and manage a quality assurance program; develop test plans to ensure applications undergo adequate manual and simulated testing in a laboratory environment prior to being deployed to the field.
• Assist with coordinating beta (field) test programs, including rig selection, program alignment with internal and external stakeholders, software/hardware installation, and commissioning.
• Define beta test acceptance criteria; partner closely with developers and operations teams to ensure proper measurement and variable control.
• Develop recommendations for further testing or application development as part of the product development cycle; manage product backlog; prioritize and schedule development cycles.
• Understand industry…