Automation And Digitalization Research Senior Consultant

IPMC is one of Nigeria oilfield service companies providing innovative solutions, technology, and services to the oil and gas industry.
The Company operates in Nigeria and has a network of, manufacturing, service, research and development, and training facilities.

It delivers innovative technologies and services designed to meet the world's current and future energy needs in a safe, ethical, and sustainable manner.
Grounded by our core values and inspired by our world-class people, we are committed to being a trusted business partner to those we serve.


Position Description:

 The Senior Research Consultant will lead the growth and strategic development of our existing Intelligent Systems, Advanced Sensors, and Modelling & Prediction R&D teams, which will focus on cross-Company challenges related to IR4.0 with initial emphasis on asset integrity. Additionally, this role may be responsible for onsite leadership and oversight of multiple research teams, as well as interactions with strategic university partners. The role will have significant exposure to the CTO, and the selected candidate will be expected to contribute to and deliver presentations to the Board of Directors and corporate leadership.

Minimum Requirements:
• M.S. in science or engineering (a Ph.D. is preferred)
• 20+ years of progressive professional experience, including at least 10 years as a specialist with full responsibility for supervising major technical work, gaining recognition as a leading expert in IR4.0-enabling fields, such as digitalization, modeling, machine learning, programing, prototyping, AR/VR, mobile development, and/or AI.
• Must have patents and/or publications in any of the above areas, and preferably have served as an expert reviewer for journals and scientific societies.
• Industry experience with a major technology developer in the above fields or with technology licensing and/or oil company.
• Strong technical background in the above IR4.0-enabling fields, including a portfolio of delivered technologies/products including projects in which contributions were technical as well as projects where contributions were primarily related to leadership and direction.
• Experience in project economics, licensing, and commercialization.
• Must have experience leading research in IR4.0-enabling fields, including developing research projects to be carried out by junior specialists.
• Must have experience in rapid prototyping and accelerated technology development and deployment.
• Sound knowledge and experience working in and developing technologies for industrial environments, ideally in a large company with diverse operations and/or in oil and gas operations.
• Must have understanding, and ideally experience, of how to develop and deploy electronics in hazardous/potentially explosive environments.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead cross-functional research teams to successful project completion.
• Demonstrated ability to provide onsite leadership and oversight over a multidisciplinary set of teams in coordination with off-site leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively represent an organization in high-level interactions with strategic partners, including excellent communications skills as well as credibility as a leader.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively interact with all organizational functions, including senior leadership, bringing credibility to the position.
• Must have demonstrative ability to effectively mentor and coach multinational scientists and researchers.

Duties & Responsibilities:
• Conceives, designs, leads and successfully delivers a balanced portfolio of short-, medium- and long-term applied industrial research studies to resolve complex technical problems or to enhance the Company's operation factoring business sustainability.
• Directs, guides and counsels other researchers and specialists in successful project execution while maintaining and building R&D talent through recruitment and training.
• Determines areas of research based upon advanced technologies and business alignment expectations of a variety of customers and proponents across the Company
• Applies best practices and emerging technologies to help advance innovation in the domains of digitalization and IR4.0, with an initial emphasis on asset integrity, but spanning broad, cross-Company opportunities to deliver high-impact solutions
• Develops, directs, and delivers Digital Transformation (DT) roadmaps and strategies across a wide variety of business lines in both the local and global environment
• Takes a leading role in forming successful research partnerships with leading academic and industrial collaborators, as well as effectively leverages existing innovation ecosystems
• Discusses, develops, and defends major research proposals with line management and management of proponent organizations
• Acts as a key facilitator with internal and external organizations on matters relating to digitalization, IR4.0, modeling, machine learning, and AI.
• Ensures that relevant research and development capital investments meet specific value targets and align with R&D business plans
• Develops potentially patentable new equipment and processes
• Acts as a professional mentor to leaders and specialists within own organization
• Conducts technical presentations and writes papers for peer-reviewed journals
• Seeks opportunities to become global authority in the subject of specialty
• Evaluates major long-term trends and advises management on the application of new technologies