Director- Research & Development at Nabors in Houston, Texas

Job Description:

Company Overview

Nabors is a leading provider of advanced technology for the energy industry. With operations in about 20 countries, Nabors has established a global network of people, technology and equipment to deploy solutions that deliver safe, efficient and responsible hydrocarbon production. By leveraging its core competencies, particularly in drilling, engineering, automation, data science and manufacturing, Nabors aims to innovate the future of energy and enable the transition to a lower carbon world.

Nabors is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibiting discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, religion, age, color, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.  This applies to all terms and conditions of employment including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.  To learn more about our Fair Employment practices, please refer to the Nabors Code of Conduct.

JOB SUMMARY

Nabors is seeking a highly skilled Research & Development Lab Director with experience in hydrogen, carbon nanomaterials and in carbon capture. In charge of running Lab R&D operations including but not limited to carbon material characterization and functionalization, and development and testing of proton exchange membranes, hydrides, electrolyzes and fuel cells. Will be responsible of leading multiple and cross-functional teams on their research, identifying the key characteristics for a minimum viable products for commercialization. The position is based in Houston but could involve field or yard visits. The position is high visibility in the organization with regular meetings with senior leadership for which executive summaries and data will need to be presented on a regular basis.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide leadership and technical direction to all stages of interdisciplinary R&D projects to reach milestones and targets in a timely manner. Advance competitiveness of technology fields of business division. Lead and support project teams, communicate and document results, focus resources to meet priorities, survey IP landscape and generate IP, coordinate/align with internal stakeholders as needed

• Lead a team of 10+ scientists: help foster a high-performance organization by setting an example in scientific excellence, work ethic, leadership, safety and training. Support recruiting and onboarding, conduct performance reviews, and drive professional development of team members


• Contribute to a creative R&D environment in internal and external innovation discovery discussions and develop and evaluate and new ideas. Collaborate with internal partners to translate market needs into future projects.


• Manage all aspects of an advanced laboratory setting, with emphasis on EHS excellence. Plan, purchase and maintain laboratory equipment and instrumentation. Further strengthen safety protocols and practices


• Initiate and direct external testing and scientific collaborations

 R&D Supervisor job description

• Coordinates workflow and oversees quality assurance, compliance and regulatory activities in the specialized areas of the laboratory.


• Assist in the development of new protocols. Reviews and updates existing controlled documents (procedures, forms, guidelines, processes).


• Provides technical guidance and training to employees. Oversees training of technical staff to ensure technical employees are trained and competent prior to performing testing. Provides guidance and feedback to laboratory personnel. 


• Recognizes causes and implements corrective action solutions for all quality events. 


• Monitors PM and maintenance schedules as needed. 


• Maintains current technical knowledge and skills of oil & gas chemistry and nanomaterials industries


• Adheres to administrative policies


• Lead team and schedule required testing


• Ensure adherence to highest quality and efficiency standards in laboratory operations


• Ensure coverage and performance


• Foster morale and teamwork


• Work on assay validation (writing of protocols, SOPs)


• Novel R&D projects (must be able to keep a lab notebook, prepare experiments on her own, conduct experiments as instructed, and create overall experimental reports which include data analysis)


• Manage technicians (long-term once the R&D lab grows over time)


• Additional duties include project-specific tasks

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

• Master of Science in Chemistry, Polymer Science, or related field, PhD preferred.


• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in a relevant field, including 3 years of technical supervisory or leadership experience


• Expert knowledge of Chemistry, Polymer Science, or related field; knowledge of Silicone Chemistry is a plus


• Strong technical leadership and project management skills proven by successful completion of multiple R&D programs


• Strong verbal and written communication skills - excellent scientific writing skills demonstrated by multiple technical publications and patents


• Excellent organizations and interpersonal skills; ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities. Must be able to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a global setting


• Strong background in R&D processes and IP related aspects required


• Supervisory or team lead experience within a laboratory setting is required


• Strong commitment to HSE excellence

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of experience in similar role


• Experience in oil and gas industry preferred

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS / WORKING CONDITIONS

• While this position is primarily based in a professional office environment, travel to yards and rigs maybe required