Pipeline Welding Supervisor - Offshore Operations

Mc Dermott; Dubai; On-site; AED 201,000 - 312,000; Full time

Job summary

McDermott International, Ltd is seeking a Pipeline Welding Supervisor for offshore operations in Dubai. The role oversees welding production, station readiness, weld integrity, and KPI delivery across offshore and onshore sites.

The ideal candidate has 5–10 years of piping welding experience, with supervisory exposure and strong knowledge of Welding Procedure Specifications, shielding gases, and consumables management. A high school diploma is the minimum requirement.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–10 years of hands-on pipeline welding experience, preferably offshore.
• Two years of supervisory experience expected.
• Read and apply Welding Procedure Specifications and inspection plans.
• Understand pipeline materials such as carbon steel and CRA clad steel.

Responsibilities

• Supervise offshore and onshore pipeline welding activities across firing line.
• Ensure welding aligns with WPS, inspection plans and project procedures.
• Coordinate with engineers, QC, NDT and other disciplines for readiness and quality.
• Monitor cycle times, station performance, and production continuity.
• Maintain weld records, consumables, and equipment readiness.

Skills

Pipeline welding

Offshore construction

Automatic welding

Welding procedures

NDT coordination

Welding supervision

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Welding equipment

Welding software

Inspection tools

Job description

Pipeline Welding Supervisor - Offshore Operations Job Snapshot Role: Pipeline Welding Supervisor - Offshore Operations Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Industry: Oil and Energy Function: Metal Fabrication and Welding Experience: Minimum 5-10 years Job Type: Full-time

Position Overview Pipeline Welding Supervisor - Offshore Operations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is an Oil and Energy opportunity with McDermott International, Ltd for an experienced pipeline welding professional responsible for supervising offshore and onshore welding production, welding station readiness, weld integrity, personnel performance, consumables, equipment, and production KPIs. The role coordinates automatic and semi-automatic pipeline welding activities with engineering, quality, NDT, marine, coating, and construction teams to achieve safe production continuity, consistent weld quality, controlled cycle times, and scheduled pipeline installation.

Job Details Country: United Arab Emirates City: Dubai Industry: Oil and Energy Function: Metal Fabrication and Welding Salary: 18000-28000 Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer. Gender: Any Candidate Nationality: Any Job Type: Full-time

Role Context The Pipeline Welding Supervisor has direct responsibility for welding station performance during pipeline construction, from initial readiness and qualification activities through start-up, production welding, inspection coordination, repair management, and final project close-out. This position protects one of the most critical elements of pipeline installation: weld integrity. The Supervisor must ensure that qualified personnel, approved Welding Procedure Specifications, suitable welding equipment, shielding gases, consumables, spares, correct fit-up conditions, and inspection resources are available before production begins and remain available throughout execution. Production performance is equally important. By monitoring welding cycle times, station timing, repair rates, equipment downtime, and actual pipelay progress against plan, the Supervisor helps maintain firing line continuity while ensuring productivity improvements never compromise HSE requirements or weld quality.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise pipeline welding activities across firing line and onsite construction stations during offshore and onshore pipeline installation.
• Ensure welding is performed in accordance with approved Welding Procedure Specifications, inspection plans, project procedures, technical requirements, and applicable international standards.
• Establish welding readiness before production by confirming approved procedures, functional welding stations, qualified welders, competent personnel, consumables, shielding gases, spares and equipment availability.
• Coordinate welding execution with Field Engineers, Production Engineers, the Barge Superintendent, Quality Control, NDT personnel, PPG Welding Lead, Equipment Lead, FJC Supervisor, and other relevant disciplines.
• Maintain effective interfaces with Certifying Authorities and inspection stakeholders where production clearance is required.
• Review planned welding cycle times and monitor actual station performance against established targets.
• Investigate deviations from expected cycle times and guide personnel in resolving operational or technical constraints.
• Support firing line continuity by identifying welding-related bottlenecks before they cause production downtime.
• Compare actual pipelay rates with planned production and provide welding support where performance is affected.
• Participate in project kick-off meetings, construction readiness reviews, and welding preparation activities.
• Contribute lessons learned from previous operations during project setup and incorporate relevant improvements into execution.
• Support Welding Procedure Qualification and welder qualification activities before pipeline production.
• Coordinate welding requirements during pipeline installation and contribute to structured close-out at project completion.
• Capture operational and technical lessons learned for use on future pipeline projects.
• Monitor inventory levels for welding consumables, shieldinhg gases, replacement components, and critical spares.
• Raise requisitions early enough to prevent shortages from interrupting welding production.
• Coordinate with the Welding Lead on system setup, welding parameters, production welding, fit-up, inspections, and technical matters.
• Troubleshoot welding problems affecting production quality or station performance.
• Review automatic welding parameters through applicable software and support controlled adjustments within approved requirements.
• Maintain strict attention to bevel geometry where dimensional conditions can influence weld quality.
• Verify appropriate preheat and inter-pass temperature controls throughout relevant welding operations.
• Monitor welding variables and intervene when production conditions deviate from approved procedures.
• Manage welding personnel and assign daily activities according to construction priorities.
• Track workforce productivity and ensure personnel use welding equipment, consumables, and resources correctl.
• Maintain traceable records for welders, welding qualifications, completed welds, repairs, downtime, and station timing.
• Record equipment breakdowns and their effect on welding production.
• Maintain daily welding reports covering joints completed, repair statistics, welding consumable usage,weld suit technology and etc.
• Submit required daily production information to the PPG team.
• Verify materials and welding consumables as part of first-line inspection activities.
• Check shielding gas quality upon arrival and ensure suitable gas remains available for production.
• Verify welder qualifications or coordinate with the PPG Welding Engineer and onboard QCI for qualification confirmation.
• Conduct or oversee fit-up and visual inspections in accordance with project requirements.
• Coordinate with the NDT team to obtain inspection results promptly and correctly identify welds requiring repair.
• Ensure repair location are accurate and present through applicable repair process.
• Analyze repair trends and work w/technical and quality personnel to prevent recurring welding defects.
• Maintain compliance with McDermott HSE requirements throughout welding operations.
• Participate in daily coordination meetings and safety and quality toolbox talks with Construction and QHSES teams.
• Support audits and inspections involving client representatives, Certifying Authorities, or third-party inspectors.
• Assess competency of welders and bevel operators before assigning critical production responsibilities.
• Arrange practical training where skill gaps are identified.
• Mentor welding personnel in improved welding methodology and workmanship practices.
• Coordinate workforce development initiatives that strengthen consistency, productivity, and technical capability.
• Promote disciplined welding execution where safety, quality traceability, and production performance are treated as interconnected requirements.

Ideal Profile

A high school diploma is the minimum educational requirement, while a relevant technical qualification or trade certificate is preferred. Candidates should bring approximately 5-10 years of hands‑on pipeline welding experience, preferably involving offshore pipeline construction. At least two years of supervisory experience is expected. Practical knowledge of automatic or semi-automatic pipeline welding machines is important because the role involves both production supervision and troubleshooting of welding parameters and station performance. The preferred candidate can confidently read technical drawings, Welding Procedure Specifications, inspection plans, and associated pipeline construction documentation. In‑depth understanding of pipeline materials is required, particularly carbon steel and CRA clad steel used in oil and gas pipeline applications. Candidates should understand the working principles relevant to ILUC operations as well as Argon purging requirements associated with CRA applications. Knowledge of copper shoe wear monitoring and its potential effect on welding performance is also important. The role requires strong familiarity with weld fit‑up, bevel geometry, preheat, inter‑pass control, shielding gases, consumable management, weld repairs, visual inspection, and NDT coordination. Because welding performance directly affects firing line production, candidates should be capable of balancing weld quality with cycle‑time discipline and production continuity. Experience supervising welders and other specialist personnel is required, together with the ability to assess competency, allocate work, mentor teams, and respond quickly to technical problems offshore or onsite.

Skills Set

• Pipeline welding
• Offshore pipeline construction
• Onshore pipeline construction
• Automatic welding
• Semi-automatic welding
• Welding Procedure Specifications
• WPS compliance
• Welding Procedure Qualification
• Welder qualification
• Firing line operations
• Welding station management
• Welding cycle time
• Pipeline installation
• Weld integrity
• Welding parameters
• Welding software
• Bevel geometry
• Fit‑up inspection
• Visual welding inspection
• Preheat control
• Inter‑pass temperature control
• Carbon steel pipelines
• CRA clad steel
• Argon purging
• ILUC principles
• Copper shoe wear monitoring
• Shielding gases
• Welding consumables
• Consumable inventory
• Welding equipment
• Equipment troubleshooting
• Equipment downtime
• Weld repair management
• Repair statistics
• Welder traceability
• NDT coordination
• Quality control
• Inspection plans
• International welding standards
• Pipelay productivity
• Production KPIs
• Daily welding reports
• Resource utilization
• Barge operations
• PPG coordination
• QHSES compliance
• Client inspections
• Third-party inspections
• Welding workforce supervision
• Welder competency assessment
• Technical mentoring
• Pipeline construction

Why Join Us

McDermott International, Ltd offers pipeline welding professionals exposure to technically demanding offshore and onshore construction where welding performance directly influences installation speed, asset integrity, and project economics. Supervising these operations provides valuable experience across automated welding systems, firing line production, specialist pipeline materials, NDT interfaces, quality assurance, and multidisciplinary offshore execution. The continuing demand for reliable energy infrastructure, alongside new offshore and energy‑transition developments, creates sustained value for specialists who understand how to deliver high‑integrity pipeline welds while maintaining production efficiency. This position provides the opportunity to apply that expertise within complex international EPCI execution environments.

About the Company

McDermott International, Ltd is a global engineering and construction organization with more than 100 years of experience turning complex energy concepts into operating infrastructure. Its work spans subsea pipelines, offshore platforms, onshore developments, and offshore wind infrastructure, supported by engineering and construction professionals operating internationally. McDermott combines technical expertise, fabrication capability, and project execution experience to deliver critical energy assets with a strong emphasis on safety, quality, and sustainable performance.