Project Manager - AI & Automation Strategy

Group: PR Jindal Group of Companies

Location: Primary - Houston, TX; Need Basis - Baytown, TX / BSL, Mississippi 

Primary Office: 1201 Louisiana Street, Houston, Texas 77002

Reporting: Lead — Smart Manufacturing & Corporate Strategy

Work Arrangement: In-person, Houston-based, with travel to Baytown, TX / BSL, Mississippi as needed, potentially up to multiple times per week depending on active projects.

Compensation: Competitive; As per industry standards.

Work Authorization: Authorized to work in the US without employer sponsorship .

About the PR Jindal Group

The PR Jindal Group is a major business conglomerate into manufacturing iron and steel pipes that include Line Pipe, OCTG, Standard Pipe, Structural Pipe, Helical Seam (Spiral) and SAW Pipes, and providing anti-corrosion coating to API, ASTM, CSA, NACE & AWWA specifications. The Group has manufacturing facilities located in Baytown, Texas & BSL, Mississippi, and a Sales & Marketing Office located in Downtown Houston at 1201 Louisiana Street. The Group serves key markets across energy, infrastructure, and industrial sectors.

About the Role

The PR Jindal Group is looking for a Project Manager - AI & Automation Strategy to support the Group’s digital transformation, automation, and AI initiatives across its manufacturing and business operations. This is an in-person, Houston-based role, with the candidate primarily working from the Group’s Sales & Marketing Office in Downtown, Houston.

This role is designed for someone who can combine technical understanding with structured business thinking. The ideal candidate will help evaluate technology opportunities, assess feasibility, compare vendors, define implementation requirements, and support the development of a practical roadmap for automation and digital transformation. They will work closely with the Lead — Smart Manufacturing & Corporate Strategy, and collaborate with internal teams across production, safety, sales, IT, HR, and management. This is a high-impact role for someone who wants to help build systems, processes, and technology roadmaps from the ground up.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are looking for someone who is technically capable, analytically strong, and comfortable working in an industrial environment. The ideal candidate should be able to operate between business and technology teams, helping leadership understand what is possible, what is practical, and what should be prioritized when it comes to AI, automation, and digital strategy. This person should be curious, structured, proactive, and comfortable with ambiguity. They should be able to take a broad problem, break it down, evaluate options, and help move projects toward execution.

Key Responsibilities 

● Develop and support a practical roadmap for AI, automation, and digital transformation across the organization.

● Identify and prioritize technology opportunities that improve operational efficiency, safety, visibility, workflow management, and decision-making.

● Support initiatives related to manufacturing process optimization, predictive maintenance, quality inspection, inventory visibility, production analytics, and automated reporting.

● Evaluate the technical feasibility, business value, cost, implementation requirements, and potential impact of proposed initiatives.

● Research and assess vendors, platforms, newest developments, and implementation partners, including preparing comparisons and recommendations for leadership.

● Work with internal teams to understand current processes and translate business or operational challenges into clear technology requirements and project plans.

● Support execution of digital initiatives, including vendor demos, pilots, proof-of-concepts, testing, rollout planning, milestone tracking, and post-implementation review.

Required Qualifications

● Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. Jindal Pipe USA / PR Jindal Group will not provide visa sponsorship now or in the future for this role.

● Bachelor’s degree in Business Analytics, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, or a related field.

● 4–8 years of experience in AI, automation, digital transformation, technology consulting, industrial technology, manufacturing systems, business systems, data analytics, or a related field.

● Strong understanding of how software, data, automation, and AI can be applied to business or operational problems, with a willingness to apply it to energy and manufacturing setups.

● Knowledge of, training in, or certifications related to Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, industrial automation, digital manufacturing, or connected factory systems.

● Ability to evaluate vendors, technology platforms, implementation partners, and software solutions.

● Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

● Ability to translate ambiguous business needs into structured requirements, recommendations, and implementation plans.

● Comfortable working with cross-functional teams, including both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

● Strong written and verbal communication skills.

● Ability to prepare clear presentations, project documentation, and leadership-facing summaries.

● Familiarity with AI, machine learning, computer vision, IoT, ERP, CRM, workflow automation, analytics dashboards, or industrial software platforms.

● Proficiency with Excel, PowerPoint, and project management/documentation tools.

Preferred Qualifications 

● 1-2+ years of experience in a leadership/managerial-level role is preferred.

● Master’s degree in a relevant field/MBA is valuable.

● Working knowledge of Python, SQL, APIs, cloud platforms, BI tools, or low-code/no-code automation tools is a plus.

● Experience supporting vendor evaluations, technology pilots, digital transformation roadmaps, or software implementation projects.

● Exposure to tools such as Power BI, Tableau, Azure, AWS, LLM platforms, ERP systems, CRM platforms, or automation platforms is helpful.

● Knowledge of relevant industry standards and compliance frameworks, including API, ISO, ASTM, ASME, or other customer-specific quality and manufacturing standards.

Why Join Us

This is a unique opportunity to work directly on the early stages of AI, automation, and digital transformation inside a real industrial manufacturing business. The role offers direct exposure to manufacturing operations, executive decision-making, technology strategy, vendor evaluation, and practical implementation challenges. The work will be hands-on, strategic, and closely connected to measurable business impact. The selected candidate will have the opportunity to help shape how AI, automation, and digital systems are introduced and scaled across the organization.

Please note: This role is only open to candidates who are legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis without current or future employer sponsorship. Candidates requiring visa sponsorship now or in the future will not be considered.

Eligible and interested candidates MAY ALSO send their resumes to View email address on click.appcast.io , IN ADDITION to submitting on LinkedIn.