Senior Software Engineer

About the Role
AIQ is building RoboWell APC, the autonomous execution layer of its production platform: a model-predictive control (MPC) engine that runs on edge hardware inside the operator’s OT environment and closes the loop on wells in real time. The first target is smart completions—wells equipped with downhole inflow control valves (ICVs), permanent downhole gauges, and surface chokes—where the APC will continuously re-optimize zonal inflow and lift settings against reservoir, well-integrity and facility constraints, with the control room supervising rather than driving.
We are looking for a hands-on technical lead who can take this from control-algorithm design and simulator validation all the way to a hardened, containerized, cyber-compliant deployment on field edge devices, integrated with the DCS/SCADA and with AIQ’s IT layer (NextGenCCR, AiPSO, the IT/OT bridge). You will own the software architecture of the edge controller and be the engineer who makes it run safely on real wells.

Responsibilities

1. Key Responsibilities
   Control & Optimisation

   • Design and implement MPC / constrained-optimisation controllers for multi-zone smart-completion wells (ICV position, choke, gas-lift, or ESP set-points), including the process models, constraint handling, disturbance estimation, and objective functions they rely on.
   • Build the supervisory logic around the controller: operating envelopes, well-integrity and equipment limits, mode management (auto/advisory/manual), bumpless transfer, fallback, and safe-state behaviour.
   • Work with production and reservoir engineers to translate operating philosophy and constraints into controller behaviour, and to define the KPIs the APC is judged on.

   Edge Software & Deployment

   • Own the edge software architecture: soft-real-time execution in C++ / Python on industrial edge hardware (Linux), containerized (Docker / OCI), with deterministic scheduling, watchdogs, state persistence, and remote updates.
   • Implement the southbound integration to the control system—OPC UA, Modbus/TCP, DNP3 or vendor protocols—with read-back verification, write-permission handling, and full change traceability.
   • Implement the northbound integration to the company IT layer through the IT/OT bridge (policy-enforced fetcher, DMZ/containment zone): model and configuration distribution, telemetry, and observability from every hop back to the control centre.
   • Meet operator OT cybersecurity requirements (IEC 62443 zoning, hardening, signed artefacts, secrets handling, audit logging) and support site surveys, FAT/SAT, and cyber approvals for deployment.

   Verification & Field Delivery

   • Build and maintain the SIL/HIL test environment: closed-loop testing of the APC against well and network simulators and against physical controllers before anything is written to a live well.
   • Lead the field pilots on smart-completion wells with the operator’s control room and production teams: commissioning, tuning, performance monitoring, and hand-over to operations.
   • Establish CI/CD-to-device pipelines, release management, and documentation (SDDs, interface control documents, test reports) to the standard expected by the operator’s architecture and cyber teams.

   Technical Leadership

   • Set the technical direction of the edge/APC workstream and mentor developers and data engineers working on it; review designs and code.
   • Represent the edge architecture in front of operator architects, OT/cybersecurity teams, and AIQ leadership; contribute to proposals and roadmaps for RoboWell APC across ESP, gas-lift, and natural-flow wells.

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications and Experience

  • MSc (or equivalent) in Control Engineering, Robotics, Electronic/Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or a related field.
  • 8+ years building software for autonomous or mission-critical control systems, with a track record of taking a system from concept through simulation and HIL to real-hardware deployment and field validation.
  • Strong practical MPC/optimal-control background: formulating and solving constrained MPC problems, state estimation (Kalman/MHE), model identification, and controller tuning on real plant.
  • Expert C++ (C++17 or later) and Python on Linux, including multithreading, soft-real-time design, memory and latency optimization, and profiling on constrained edge hardware.
  • Hands-on with industrial/field communication protocols (OPC UA, Modbus, DNP3, MQTT) and with interfacing software to PLC/DCS/SCADA or flight-controller-class hardware.
  • Experience with containerized on-device deployment, CI/CD pipelines, Git-based workflows, and observability (structured logging, metrics, telemetry).
  • Experience designing and using SIL/HIL test environments and simulators for closed-loop verification.
  • Fluent English; able to write clear architecture and interface documents and present to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Desirable

  • Exposure to oil & gas production operations—smart completions / ICVs, artificial lift (ESP, gas lift), well and network simulators (e.g., PIPESIM, OLGA, Prosper/GAP)—or willingness to learn the domain quickly.
  • Familiarity with OT cybersecurity practice: IEC 62443, DMZ/data-diode architectures, device hardening, signed and verified software distribution.
  • Applied reinforcement learning or learning-based control and experience combining ML models with classical controllers in a safe, supervised manner.
  • Experience with NVIDIA Jetson or similar accelerated edge platforms, and with ROS 2 / DDS middleware.
  • Prior experience in a lead or architect role delivering software into a regulated or safety-critical environment (aerospace, defence, energy, utilities).

What Success Looks Like in the First 12 Months

• An APC edge stack that passes closed-loop SIL/HIL validation against the smart-completion well simulator and the operator’s cyber and architecture review.
• RoboWell APC running in closed loop on a first set of smart-completion wells, with measured production uplift or constraint-compliance improvement and a documented hand-over to the control room.
• A reusable, documented edge platform (deployment, protocol adapters, observability, update path) that the wider RoboWell team can extend to ESP and gas-lift wells.

What Working at AIQ Offers

• Culture: Encouraging initiative, work in an environment that is fast-paced and varied, surrounded by talented peers from around the world, who are similarly attracted to applying their skills to solve transformational challenges.
• Career: Join a team in which your contribution is recognized and rewarded, while you are supported to operate at your peak performance.
• Rewards: An attractive remuneration package that includes healthcare, education support for dependents, leave benefits, and more.