Technical Sales Engineer
Business Unit: Downhole
Location: Houston, TX
Reports To: Sales Director
Travel: Up to 25%
Position Summary
The Technical Sales Engineer (TSE) is a revenue-driving technical leader supporting the Downhole Drilling Tools rental business in the US Land market. This role plays a critical part in accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies, expanding NOV’s market presence, and delivering measurable performance improvements to customers.
The TSE owns technical engagement within assigned accounts while serving as a regional subject matter expert for new and advanced drilling solutions. Success in this role requires strong drilling expertise, commercial instinct, and the ability to influence decisions at both the rig site and customer management level.
Key Responsibilities Emerging Technology Commercialization & Market Expansion
- Lead field deployment and customer adoption of new and emerging drilling technologies.
- Drive commercialization efforts by demonstrating clear technical and economic value through field results and data-driven presentations.
- Identify early-adopter opportunities within assigned and target accounts.
- Accelerate revenue growth by expanding NOV’s footprint with integrated multi-product rental solutions.
- Provide structured field feedback to NOV Engineering to support rapid product refinement and competitive differentiation.
- Serve as the regional technical champion for advanced drilling solutions.
Revenue & Account Growth
- Drive revenue growth within assigned accounts through proactive technical engagement and opportunity identification.
- Identify and convert competitive displacement opportunities.
- Influence BHA design and tool selection to increase NOV product utilization.
- Support the Sales Director in executing account strategies and growth plans.
- Represent NOV at customer meetings, field visits, and technical reviews to strengthen long-term partnerships.
Technical Execution & Performance Leadership
- Serve as the primary technical advisor to customers on drilling tools and applications.
- Analyze drilling and tool performance data to identify optimization opportunities and communicate value.
- Deliver performance reports, run summaries, and technical presentations that clearly quantify results.
- Support rig-level execution to ensure optimal tool performance and customer satisfaction.
- Coordinate closely with NOV Operations and NOV Engineering to ensure technical alignment and rapid issue resolution.
Market Intelligence & Competitive Positioning
- Maintain strong awareness of competitive tools, technologies, and market activity.
- Provide actionable field intelligence to support pricing and product strategy.
- Anticipate customer technical challenges and proactively position NOV solutions.
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or related technical discipline required.
- Minimum 5 years of oilfield experience; 10+ years preferred.
- Strong US Land drilling experience required.
- Proven background in drilling motors, friction reduction tools, vibration mitigation tools, BHA design, drilling optimization, rental tool operations, and technical sales.
- Demonstrated experience supporting new product introduction or technology adoption.
Technical Expertise
- Advanced knowledge of drilling tools and BHA components
- Drilling dynamics and performance optimization
- Drill string systems and integrated tool solutions
- Drilling data analysis and performance interpretation
- Technical presentations and customer-facing reporting
- Microsoft Office Suite proficiency
Behavioral Profile
- Commercially driven with strong ownership mindset
- Technically credible and confident in customer-facing environments
- Innovative and adaptable with a growth-oriented mindset
- Composed under operational pressure
- Highly self-motivated and opportunity-focused
- Strong communicator with ability to influence at multiple levels
Working Conditions
- Up to 25% travel within US Land
- Field engagement required; schedule flexibility to support operations
Skills Required
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or related technical discipline
- Minimum 5 years of oilfield experience
- 10+ years of oilfield experience
- Strong US Land drilling experience
- Proven background in drilling motors, friction reduction tools, vibration mitigation tools, BHA design, drilling optimization, rental tool operations, and technical sales
- Demonstrated experience supporting new product introduction or technology adoption
- Microsoft Office Suite proficiency
- Ability to travel up to 25% and perform field engagement
NOV Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about NOV and has not been reviewed or approved by NOV.
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside life/disability insurance, a global EAP, wellness resources, and paid parental leave; the company also states it pays most U.S. health plan premiums, which bolsters perceived value.
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Retirement Support — The 401(k) program features auto‑enrollment, immediate vesting, and ongoing employer contributions; historical filings and comments point to a generally well‑regarded match even as exact formulas can change.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid parental leave and widely cited decent PTO at hire are complemented by options like experience‑based vacation credit and a flexible holiday, creating a rounded time‑off offering in many U.S. roles.
NOV Insights
What We Do
NOV delivers technology-driven solutions to empower the global energy industry. For more than 150 years, NOV has pioneered innovations that enable its customers to safely produce abundant energy while minimizing environmental impact. The energy industry depends on NOV’s deep expertise and technology to continually improve oilfield operations and assist in efforts to advance the energy transition towards a more sustainable future. NOV powers the industry that powers the world.
