O&M Manager/Commissioning Manager

Ultiwiseconsult; Sharjah; On-site; AED 260,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Ultiwiseconsult is seeking an experienced O&M Manager with additional responsibilities as Commissioning Engineer to lead end-to-end plant operation, maintenance, and commissioning of water and wastewater treatment facilities in the UAE. You will oversee KPI performance, safety, and client handover, and manage multi-disciplinary teams to deliver uptime and reliability.

The role requires deep process knowledge in STP, MBR, UF, RO and a proven track record in commissioning from mechanical

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of experience in O&M roles, with leadership responsibilities.
• Hands-on experience with water/wastewater treatment technologies (STP, MBBR, MBR, UF, RO).
• Strong knowledge of safety, QA/QC, and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of 24x7 plant operation and KPI monitoring.
• Lead commissioning activities from design validation to final handover.
• Manage maintenance programs, spares, and safety leadership on-site.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Water treatment engineering

Communication

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Troubleshooting

Tools

PLC/SCADA systems

HART/Modbus protocols

Job description

Role Summary:

The O&M Manager with additional responsibility as Commissioning Engineer is a strategic leadership position that demands technical depth, operational maturity, and execution excellence. This role is accountable for the end-to-end lifecycle ownership of plant operations, maintenance, and successful commissioning of water and wastewater treatment plants. The position requires the ability to orchestrate multi-disciplinary teams, maintain high standards of compliance, safety, and performance, and ensure flawless handover to clients or asset owners.

The incumbent shall act as the single point of accountability for uptime, operational efficiency, and performance reliability of all assigned assets, while simultaneously delivering commissioning excellence during new project rollouts.

Primary Responsibilities:

A. Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Management – Full Ownership of Plant Performance

• 1. Operational Excellence & Uptime Assurance
  • I. Take full ownership of the 24x7 plant operation, ensuring uninterrupted treatment processes across STP, MBR, MBBR, UF, RO, and other process technologies.
  • II. Drive KPI-based monitoring including throughput, recovery ratio, energy consumption, chemical usage, and OPEX per m³ of water treated.
  • III. Identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and non-conformities in real-time and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to optimize process performance.
  • IV. Maintain consistent process quality output aligned with statutory compliance and client service level agreements (SLAs).
• 2. Preventive and Predictive Maintenance
  • I. Develop and implement comprehensive maintenance programs including preventive, predictive, and condition-based strategies for all mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation assets.
  • II. Monitor asset health and schedule planned shutdowns with minimal impact on operations.
  • III. Ensure availability and stock management of critical spares, consumables, and chemicals through digitalized inventory systems.
• 3. Manpower Leadership & HSE Compliance
  • I. Lead a multi-disciplinary team of operators, technicians, supervisors, and engineers, ensuring their roles are well-defined, trained, and monitored.
  • II. Conduct performance evaluations, on-site coaching, technical trainings, and team motivation to foster ownership at all levels.
  • III. Ensure 100% compliance to all local and international HSE standards, implementing zero-incident culture, near-miss tracking, and safety drills.
  • IV. Serve as the HSE custodian on-site, enforcing permit-to-work systems, confined space entry, lockout-tagout procedures, and MSDS adherence.
• 4. Process Data Reporting & Client Interaction
  • I. Generate daily, weekly, and monthly plant performance dashboards, highlighting key trends, deviations, and improvement areas.
  • II. Present O&M results in structured formats to senior management and external stakeholders.
  • III. Serve as the client-facing technical lead, attending review meetings, audits, and progress reviews with a proactive problem-solving mindset.

Job Role: O&M Manager with Additional Responsibility as Commissioning Engineer

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B. Commissioning Engineering – Accountability from Mechanical Completion to Final Handover

• 1. Project Transition and Design Validation
  • I. Act as the first technical point of contact during project transition from engineering to commissioning.
  • II. Validate P&IDs, GA drawings, BOQs, and process design documents for constructability and operability gaps.
  • III. Provide inputs to PLC/SCADA programmers to ensure control philosophy aligns with operational practicality and safety.
• 2. Pre-Commissioning & Mechanical Completion
  • I. Preparation of commissioning documents, commissioning checklists, inspection test plans (ITPs), calibration reports, and quality dossiers.
  • II. Lead pre-commissioning activities including loop testing, pressure testing, flushing, alignment checks, leak tests, and documentation verification.
  • III. Coordinate with QA/QC, safety, and civil teams to certify readiness for commissioning with comprehensive checklists and ITPs.
• 3. Cold & Hot Commissioning Activities
  • I. Execute cold commissioning to verify mechanical and electrical integrity.
  • II. Conduct hot commissioning with actual loading, operational tuning, and chemical dosing to meet design KPIs (TSS, COD, BOD, turbidity, recovery %, etc.).
  • III. Ensure adherence to process manuals, equipment O&M manuals, and commissioning protocols.
• 4. Performance Testing & Client Acceptance
  • I. Run Performance Guarantee Tests (PGT) and operational demonstrations with calibrated instruments and validated analyzers.
  • II. Prepare and submit commissioning dossiers including signed test sheets, punch point closures, DLP schedules, and as-built documentation.
  • III. Obtain Provisional and Final Acceptance Certificates from the client with zero disputes or liquidated damages.
• 5. Knowledge Transfer & Post-Handover Support
  • I. Conduct training sessions for client teams on plant operations, maintenance procedures, HMI/SCADA usage, and emergency handling.
  • II. Maintain support during Defects Liability Period (DLP) and continue monitoring until stable handover.

6. Core Competencies Required:

• I. Process Mastery: Deep knowledge of treatment technologies – MBBR, MBR, SWRO, BWRO, HBRO, UF, Filtration, DEMIN, Brine Recovery, etc.
• II. Control & Instrumentation: Proficiency in PLC/SCADA systems, loop diagrams, HART/Modbus protocols, and cause-effect matrices.
• III. Multi-Project Handling: Proven experience managing multiple concurrent projects across international geographies under pressure.
• IV. Documentation & QA/QC: Expertise in commissioning checklists, inspection test plans (ITPs), calibration reports, and quality dossiers.
• V. Client Management: Professional in handling high-stakes technical meetings, audits, and authority approvals with tact and credibility.
• VI. Leadership & Ownership: A proactive leader who assumes complete responsibility and ownership for O&M and commissioning success.

Experience:

• Accumulated 8-12 years of experience in O&M roles, with a significant portion dedicated to managerial or leadership responsibilities.
• Demonstrated expertise in water treatment or related industries, emphasizing hands‑on experience in detailed design for projects such as Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs), pumping stations, Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO)/Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis (BWRO) plants, and Demineralization plants.
• Preferred experience in water construction, Oil & Gas projects, providing an additional advantage.

Skills & Abilities:

• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Excellent project management skills with a focus on delivering results.
• Technical proficiency in water treatment engineering.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Problem‑solving and decision‑making abilities.

Personal Qualities:

• Visionary leader with a strategic mindset.
• Commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
• Results‑oriented with a focus on achieving tangible outcomes.
• Adaptable to changing industry dynamics.

Job Role: O&M Manager with Additional Responsibility as Commissioning Engineer