Sr. Manager– AI Products & Solutions

Patterson-UTI Drilling Company is seeking a strategic and innovative leader to define, develop, and drive the adoption of AI-powered products and digital solutions that improve drilling performance, operational efficiency, equipment reliability, HSE, and customer value.

Reporting to the Vice President of Digital Solutions, the Director of AI Products & Solutions will own the AI product strategy and roadmap for the Drilling Company, partnering with Operations, Product Management, Software Engineering, Data Science, and strategic technology partners to deliver innovative, production-ready AI solutions.

The successful candidate will identify opportunities to leverage Generative AI, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, intelligent automation, and modern data platforms to solve operational challenges and create differentiated products. This role focuses on product strategy, solution delivery, and organizational adoption while collaborating closely with the Data Science organization responsible for physics-based models, predictive analytics, and control-system integration.

Detailed Description:

• Partner with Drilling Operations, Engineering, HSE, Maintenance, and Commercial organizations to identify high-value opportunities where Artificial Intelligence can improve operational performance, safety, efficiency, customer experience, and create new digital products.
• Lead the vision, strategy, execution, and lifecycle management of AI-enabled products supporting drilling operations, drilling optimization, HSE, equipment reliability, and customer-facing digital solutions.
• Develop and execute a multi-year AI product roadmap aligned with Patterson-UTI's Digital Solutions strategy and business objectives.
• Identify opportunities where AI can deliver measurable business value by integrating operational, engineering, and business data. Define product requirements for consuming telemetry, sensor data, drilling reports, downhole data, equipment diagnostics, maintenance information, HSE events, ERP data, customer systems, and third-party service provider data into AI-enabled products.
• Manage the complete product lifecycle from ideation through deployment, commercialization, and continuous improvement.
• Build, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing AI Products & Solutions organization, including Product Managers, Product Owners, Data Analysts, UX professionals, AI Specialists, and other technical resources as the organization grows.
• Recruit, coach, conduct performance reviews, establish development plans, and build future leadership capability within the organization.
• Provide organizational leadership across multiple concurrent AI initiatives, product portfolios, and strategic programs.
• Champion the adoption of Generative AI technologies including OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Azure OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, Snowflake Cortex AI, and other emerging AI platforms.
• Evaluate and establish standards for AI platforms, orchestration frameworks, and emerging technologies including LangChain, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, Semantic Kernel, MCP, agentic AI architectures, and commercial foundation models.
• Define AI-enabled capabilities such as natural language search, AI copilots, document intelligence, computer vision, workflow automation, predictive analytics, and operational decision support.
• Partner closely with the Data Science organization to integrate predictive models, optimization algorithms, and physics-based AI into customer-facing products and operational workflows.
• Collaborate with Software Engineering and Data Engineering teams to design and deliver secure, scalable, cloud-native AI solutions.
• Develop strategic relationships with AI technology providers, cloud vendors, software partners, and system integrators.
• Drive organizational change management, rollout strategies, training, and adoption across the Drilling organization.
• Represent Patterson-UTI with customers, strategic partners, and industry organizations.

Job Requirements

• Proven experience leading and managing multidisciplinary technical teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated success building, mentoring, and retaining high-performing product and technology organizations.
• Strong executive presence with exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence Operations, Engineering, Data Science, Commercial, and Executive Leadership without direct authority.
• Strategic thinker capable of translating business opportunities into executable product roadmaps and measurable business outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to build business cases, prioritize investments, and manage an AI product portfolio.
• Excellent organizational and program management skills.
• Passionate product leader willing to spend time on drilling rigs and customer locations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Business, or related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in drilling technology, AI products, industrial software, digital solutions, or product management.
• Proven track record delivering business value through experience with an E&P operator, drilling contractor, or oilfield service company supporting drilling operations.
• Experience leading software, AI, or digital product initiatives from concept through commercial deployment.
• Strong understanding of drilling operations, rig workflows, drilling performance, and well construction.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating, designing, or delivering AI-enabled products utilizing Generative AI, LLMs, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, intelligent automation, and modern AI frameworks.
• Experience integrating operational, telemetry, equipment, reporting, and third-party data using APIs, cloud platforms, data warehouses, and time-series databases.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Azure OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, Snowflake Cortex AI, LangChain, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, Semantic Kernel, MCP, or similar frameworks.
• Experience launching AI-enabled SaaS or industrial software products.
• Experience defining AI governance, responsible AI practices, security considerations, and AI adoption strategies.
• Experience working directly with customers and executive leadership.

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