Senior Manager – Controls and Automation Software Development
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- Houston, TX, United States
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Senior
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- 10+ years
- Category
- Not specified
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Automation Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience developing industrial controls software, preferably PLC- and HMI-based systems.
- Demonstrated experience leading software engineering teams responsible for industrial automation or mission-critical control systems.
- Strong understanding of industrial communication protocols.
- Demonstrated ability to lead multiple engineering programs while managing competing priorities and delivery schedules.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Nice to have
- Fifteen or more years of experience developing industrial control systems within drilling, rig equipment, oil and gas, or other heavy industrial automation industries.
- Previous leadership experience managing multidisciplinary software engineering organizations.
- Experience with industrial automation platforms such as Omron, Siemens TIA Portal, WinCC, Ignition or equivalent.
- Experience with HMI development, simulation environments, automated software testing, and software quality systems.
- Working knowledge of VFD systems, motion control, and industrial networking technologies.
- Experience supporting field commissioning, troubleshooting, and deployment of industrial automation systems.
Full description
The Senior Manager – Controls and Automation Software Development is responsible for leading Patterson-UTI’s Controls and Automation Development team, providing the technical leadership, engineering governance, and organizational capability required to deliver safe, reliable, and scalable drilling control systems across the company’s fleet.
This role is accountable for engineering execution, software development processes, architecture governance, software quality, release management, engineering standards, and the continuous development of a high-performing software engineering organization. The Senior Manager leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for PLC software, HMI applications, simulation, quality assurance, and software platform development.
Working closely with Product Management, Sustaining Engineering, and New Projects teams, this leader ensures engineering execution aligns with business priorities while maintaining the highest standards for software quality, technical excellence, and predictable delivery.
This position reports to the Director, Controls & Automation.
Detailed Description
Engineering Leadership
- Build and lead a high-performing Controls Software Engineering organization responsible for delivering safe, reliable, and scalable control software across Patterson-UTI’s drilling fleet.
- Establish a culture of technical excellence, accountability, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Lead Technical Leads, Senior Engineers, Quality Engineering, and third-party engineering resources responsible for software development and validation.
- Develop organizational capability through structured coaching, mentorship, succession planning, and leadership development.
- Define and maintain engineering career ladders and technical competency expectations across all engineering levels.
- Develop and maintain the Principal Engineer pipeline by identifying, mentoring, and growing future technical leaders.
- Own workforce planning, future staffing strategy, and hiring plans aligned with the Controls & Automation technology roadmap.
- Establish and maintain the technical hiring bar for the organization and participate in final technical interviews for senior engineering positions.
- Lead the performance management process, ensuring evaluations are based on measurable performance, technical contribution, leadership, and organizational impact.
- Promote a diverse and inclusive work environment where employees feel respected, supported, and empowered to contribute their best work.