Principal Electrical Engineer - Design

Mc Dermott; Dubai; On-site; AED 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

McDermott in Dubai is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer – Design to lead major oil and energy electrical design activities, including FEED, detailed design and offshore hook‑up support. You will coordinate multi‑discipline teams, ensure quality and compliance with project standards, and guide engineering deliverables for Aramco and KJO projects.

The role requires 15–20 years in oil & gas electrical design, strong leadership, and extensive procurement coordination.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering is required.
• 15 to 20 years of oil and gas experience with major contractors or consultants, mainly in detailed electrical design.
• Demonstrated leadership experience on Aramco or KJO projects.
• Strong technical background in electrical engineering for offshore, onshore, fabrication and hook‑up projects.
• Strong procurement support and vendor coordination experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform conceptual, FEED and detailed electrical engineering design activities in line with design basis, project specifications, codes, standards and approved procedures.
• Prepare, review and approve detailed electrical calculations, design analyses, design reports, procedures, philosophies, specifications and technical deliverables.
• Lead assigned electrical engineering scope within the planned schedule, budget, MDR requirements, project procedures and professional quality standards.
• Direct small or medium electrical engineering teams, assign tasks, monitor progress and support resource forecasting when acting as Lead Engineer.
• Coordinate with process, piping, structural, instrumentation, safety, fabrication, marine, procurement, planning, quality and project management teams.
• Interface with all engineering disciplines to support clash‑free designs and timely inputs.

Skills

Electrical engineering

FEED engineering

Detailed electrical design

Offshore electrical systems

Leadership

Vendor coordination

Project execution

Procurement support

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Master’s degree in Engineering

Job description

Principal Electrical Engineer – Design (Dubai, UAE)

Overview

Principal Electrical Engineer – Design in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a senior Oil and Energy opportunity for an experienced electrical engineering specialist with strong FEED, detailed design, offshore project, procurement support, commissioning, and discipline leadership expertise. This role is suited for a highly capable engineer who can lead complex electrical design work, support Aramco and KJO project requirements, coordinate with multi‑discipline teams, and ensure engineering deliverables meet project, client, safety, quality and international standards.

Job Details

Country: United Arab Emirates
City: Dubai
Industry: Oil and Energy
Function: Electrical‑Electronics Engineering
Salary: 55,000–75,000 (estimated, final offer confirmed with employer)
Gender: Any
Nationality: Any
Job Type: Full‑time

Context

The Principal Electrical Engineer – Design provides technical authority for electrical engineering activities across conceptual, FEED, detailed design, fabrication support, procurement, pre‑commissioning, commissioning and offshore hook‑up phases. The position directly supports engineering integrity by ensuring electrical systems, studies, specifications, layouts, schedules and vendor deliverables are technically sound and aligned with project execution requirements. As a lead engineer, the role guides discipline teams, manages interfaces, supports customer communication and helps deliver safe, reliable and cost‑conscious electrical solutions for major oil and gas projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform conceptual, FEED and detailed electrical engineering design activities in line with design basis, project specifications, codes, standards and approved procedures.
• Prepare, review and approve detailed electrical calculations, design analyses, design reports, procedures, philosophies, specifications and technical deliverables.
• Lead assigned electrical engineering scope within the planned schedule, budget, MDR requirements, project procedures and professional quality standards.
• Direct small or medium electrical engineering teams, assign tasks, monitor progress and support resource forecasting when acting as Lead Engineer.
• Interpret contractual requirements and translate project scope, specifications, schedules and inter‑discipline needs into disciplined engineering execution plans.
• Coordinate with process, piping, structural, instrumentation, safety, fabrication, marine, procurement, planning, quality, certification and project management teams.
• Interface with all engineering disciplines to support clash‑free designs, accurate deliverables and timely design inputs.
• Prepare and review electrical design basis, technical specifications, datasheets, requisitions, technical bid evaluations, bid tabulations and purchase requisitions.
• Review vendor and subcontractor documents, confirm compliance with project specifications and provide clear technical comments.
• Assist procurement teams with electrical equipment, materials, services, vendor document expediting, quotation reviews and technical clarifications.
• Prepare, review and approve electrical system studies, single‑line diagrams, schematic diagrams, interconnection drawings, troubleshooting drawings and design verification checks.
• Review and approve electrical equipment building layouts, electrical equipment lists, material lists, cable drum schedules, spare parts lists and preservation reports.
• Prepare and review lighting calculations, illumination studies, lighting layouts, hazardous area classification drawings and electrical load lists.
• Review C and E charts, ESD logic diagrams, F and G detector layouts, electrical studies, specifications, datasheets, requisitions and key discipline deliverables.
• Participate in HAZOP and SIL studies and provide electrical and instrumentation input to safety, pre‑commissioning, commissioning and offshore hook‑up activities.
• Support design verification through single‑discipline checks and interdisciplinary checks to maintain functional integrity and design quality.
• Review project schedules and fabrication schedules in relation to construction sequence, milestones, engineering scope and electrical deliverable priorities.
• Provide technical support for fabrication queries, defect identification, rectification requirements and site‑based electrical engineering issues.
• Coordinate equipment inspection, FAT participation, punch list preparation, punch list resolution and vendor follow‑up for electrical equipment and skids.
• Review pre‑commissioning and commissioning indexes and provide technical assistance during site pre‑commissioning, start‑up and hook‑up activities.
• Prepare and review hook‑up installation procedures, special tools, commissioning requirements and work content split between onshore fabrication and offshore installation.
• Provide installation guidance for small electrical and instrumentation equipment where details are not fully shown in AFC drawings.
• Raise technical queries to clarify missing information, define scope and maintain preferred McDermott standards, procedures, specifications and operational requirements.
• Identify changes to scope early and support change notifications, variation orders, estimates, supporting documentation and change management records.
• Prepare bid proposal inputs, execution statements, man‑hour estimates, technical query reviews, software requirements, project budgets and discipline execution plans.
• Monitor costs, productivity, KPI results, engineering progress, manpower requirements and discipline performance, taking corrective action where needed.
• Represent the electrical discipline in meetings with project teams, customers, certifying authorities, auditors, third parties, vendors and subcontractors.
• Document important technical communications and ensure decisions, actions and customer comments are properly recorded and shared with discipline leadership.
• Guide less experienced engineers on MDR procedures, electrical standards, worksheets, calculations, software, requisitions, technical bid evaluations and technical queries.
• Supervise senior electrical engineers and electrical engineers while coordinating with lead designers for design deliverables.
• Support technical quality audits, internal reviews, customer audits, third‑party reviews, design reviews and lessons learned capture.
• Assist in maintaining departmental guidelines, calculation notes, global procedures, software and engineering standards.
• Support discipline manager activities including manpower planning, quarterly forecasts, staff training, interview support and employee performance feedback.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering is required.
• Master’s degree in Engineering is preferred.
• 15 to 20 years of oil and gas experience with major contractors or consultants, mainly in detailed electrical design.
• Demonstrated leadership experience on Aramco or KJO projects.
• Strong technical background in electrical engineering for offshore, onshore, fabrication, hook‑up and energy infrastructure projects.
• Detailed knowledge of design techniques, analysis methods, international codes, standards, guidelines and electrical engineering practices.
• Experience preparing and reviewing electrical studies, load lists, single‑line diagrams, schematics, equipment layouts, cable schedules, lighting calculations and technical specifications.
• Strong understanding of procurement support, vendor document review, FAT participation, material requisitions, technical bid evaluation and vendor coordination.
• Practical experience supporting fabrication, commissioning, pre‑commissioning, offshore hook‑up and site technical queries.
• Capable of leading discipline teams, assigning work, reviewing deliverables, monitoring progress and managing engineering priorities under demanding schedules.
• Strong project coordination and execution skills with the ability to manage interfaces across engineering, fabrication, marine, procurement, quality, planning and project management teams.
• Preferably a Registered Professional Engineer or member of a recognized professional engineering society.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to explain complex technical matters clearly to customers, project teams and engineering stakeholders.
• Able to support technical papers, engineering presentations, design solution discussions, seminars and knowledge‑sharing sessions.
• Strong judgment, cost awareness, safety focus and commitment to engineering integrity.
• Able to work independently with minimal guidance while supporting team development and discipline‑level performance improvement.

Skills Set

• Electrical engineering
• Electrical detailed design
• FEED engineering
• Conceptual design
• Oil and gas projects
• Aramco projects
• KJO projects
• Offshore electrical systems
• Electrical system studies
• Single‑line diagrams
• Schematic diagrams
• Electrical load lists
• Electrical equipment lists
• Cable drum schedules
• Cable routing
• Lighting calculations
• Illumination studies
• Hazardous area classification
• C and E charts
• ESD logic diagrams
• F and G detector layout
• Electrical specifications
• Electrical datasheets
• Material requisitions
• Technical bid evaluations
• Vendor document review
• FAT participation
• Punch list resolution
• Pre‑commissioning support
• Commissioning support
• Offshore hook‑up support
• Technical queries
• IDC review
• Design verification
• Procurement coordination
• Fabrication support
• Electrical equipment layouts
• Project execution planning
• Man‑hour estimation
• Discipline leadership
• KPI monitoring
• HAZOP participation
• SIL study participation
• Technical quality audits
• Lessons learned
• Customer coordination

Why Join Us

This opportunity is ideal for a senior electrical engineering professional who wants to lead technically demanding Oil and Energy projects from Dubai. The role offers exposure to major offshore and onshore engineering work, Aramco and KJO project environments, advanced electrical design deliverables, vendor coordination, fabrication support, commissioning activities and multi‑discipline project execution. It gives experienced engineers the platform to influence design quality, strengthen discipline performance, mentor teams and contribute to reliable energy infrastructure built to international standards.

About the Company

McDermott International, Ltd is a global engineering, procurement, construction and installation company delivering complex energy infrastructure projects across offshore, subsea, onshore, fabrication and energy transition markets. With more than 100 years of experience, McDermott supports major Oil and Energy developments through advanced engineering capability, integrated project delivery, fabrication expertise, marine operations and safety‑focused execution. Its Dubai operations support regional and international energy projects where electrical engineering quality, technical assurance and disciplined execution are essential to successful delivery.