Chief Autonomy & AI Systems Architect

Nabors Industries; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Nabors Industries, Canrig division, seeks a Director of Autonomy & Intelligent Systems to lead strategy and execution of autonomous drilling technologies. You will align AI-enabled controls, perception, and digital-twin capabilities with safety and reliability across rigs and tubular-handling operations.

This role drives product differentiation, guides prototype-to-production transitions, and partners with engineering, field operations, and management to deliver scalable autonomy solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 12+ years in controls, automation, robotics or related industrial systems.
• 5+ years leading engineering teams and programs.
• Hands-on depth in PLCs, real-time controls, sensors, actuators, and automation.
• Experience integrating AI/ML into production systems.
• Strong communication to engineers, operators and executives.

Responsibilities

• Lead autonomy, AI-enabled controls, and simulation across drilling systems.
• Define roadmaps, investments, and delivery governance for autonomy platforms.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate requirements into production-ready solutions.
• Own safety analyses, verification, validation, and lifecycle ownership.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Autonomy architecture

AI/ML in controls

Industrial automation

HMI/UX design

Systems integration

Safety-critical systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master’s preferred in related field

Tools

Rockwell

Siemens

Beckhoff

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Nabors Industries, Canrig division, seeks a Director of Autonomy & Intelligent Systems to lead strategy and execution of autonomous drilling technologies. You will align AI-enabled controls, perception, and digital-twin capabilities with safety and reliability across rigs and tubular-handling operations.

This role drives product differentiation, guides prototype-to-production transitions, and partners with engineering, field operations, and management to deliver scalable autonomy solutions.