Principal Instrumentation Engineer - Controls

Mc Dermott; Dubai; On-site; AED 132,207 - 198,310; Full time

Job summary

Mc Dermott is looking for a Principal Instrumentation Engineer - Controls in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This role demands extensive experience in oil and gas instrumentation and controls detail design, with responsibilities spanning from engineering strategy to project leadership.

The ideal candidate should possess a Bachelor's degree in relevant engineering fields and have strong experience in the discipline. Join a team focused on engineering integrity and complex global energy projects.

Qualifications

• 15-20 years of oil and gas experience with major contractors or consultants, mainly performing detail design.
• Detailed knowledge of instrumentation and controls design techniques and standards.
• Proven ability to lead medium or large engineering teams and maintain deliverable quality.

Responsibilities

• Perform conceptual engineering and detailed analysis according to design specifications.
• Coordinate with project teams and lead discipline engineering activities.
• Prepare bid proposal inputs and provide technical direction to designers.

Skills

Instrumentation engineering

Controls engineering

Oil and gas detail design

FEED

Automation systems

Safety drawings

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's Degree

Job description

Principal Instrumentation Engineer - Controls

Job Snapshot

Role: Principal Instrumentation Engineer - Controls

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Oil and Energy

Function: Electrical-Electronics Engineering

Experience: 15-20 years in oil and gas instrumentation and controls detail design

Job Type: Full-time

Job Details

Country: United Arab Emirates

City: Dubai

Industry: Oil and Energy

Function: Electrical-Electronics Engineering

Salary: 36000-54000

Gender: Any

Candidate Nationality: Any

Job Type: Full-time

Context

The Principal Instrumentation Engineer - Controls provides specialist technical authority across instrumentation and controls engineering for offshore, onshore, fabrication, and energy infrastructure projects. The position covers engineering strategy, detailed design, technical assurance, procurement support, vendor coordination, automation system definition, safety systems, construction support, pre-commissioning, commissioning, and project leadership. Strong delivery in this role helps protect engineering integrity, reduce interface risk, maintain schedule control, improve discipline productivity, and ensure control system design supports safe and reliable project operation.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform conceptual engineering, FEED, detailed analysis, and instrumentation and controls design according to design basis, project specifications, codes, standards, and customer requirements.
• Apply advanced engineering judgment to solve complex instrumentation and controls problems across standard, nonstandard, and multidisciplinary project situations.
• Prepare, review, and approve detailed calculations, design reports, procedures, engineering philosophies, technical specifications, and discipline design basis documents.
• Lead discipline engineering activities when assigned, including scope control, deliverables, schedules, manpower planning, productivity, budget monitoring, and technical quality.
• Act as the discipline representative in project meetings with project teams, customer discipline leads, certifying authorities, auditors, vendors, and third-party agencies.
• Review project scope, contract requirements, specifications, schedules, construction sequence, fabrication milestones, and inter-discipline dependencies to identify concerns early.
• Identify scope changes and prepare supporting documentation, estimates, change notifications, and variation order inputs.
• Interface with engineering disciplines to develop clash‑free designs and ensure required discipline inputs are received on time.
• Coordinate with planning, fabrication, marine, offshore, safety, project management, document control, project controls, QC, certification, procurement, subcontractors, vendors, and customers.
• Prepare bid proposal inputs including technical query reviews, execution statements, manhour estimates, software requirements, and project‑specific discipline assumptions.
• Raise technical queries to clarify missing information, resolve scope uncertainty, and maintain alignment with McDermott procedures, specifications, standards, and operational requirements.
• Finalize discipline deliverable lists and ensure instrumentation and controls outputs meet project specifications, functional integrity, and technical quality expectations.
• Provide technical direction to designers and review design products related to instrumentation and controls engineering.
• Prepare, review, and approve automation system definitions including control philosophy, system specifications, safety drawings, and system architecture.
• Prepare, review, and approve ESD logic, cause and effect diagrams, F and G logic, instrumentation data sheets, control equipment specifications, and I and C spare parts lists.
• Review and approve P and ID inputs, markups, vendor information updates, I and C equipment testing procedures, and automation testing requirements.
• Attend I and C equipment FATs, vendor meetings, engineering reviews, offshore site surveys, kickoff meetings, design reviews, and technical audits as required.
• Participate in HAZOP, SIL, classification studies, and related safety reviews, including follow‑up support for HAZOP action closeout.
• Provide construction, pre‑commissioning, and commissioning support for instrumentation and controls systems when required.
• Assist procurement teams by preparing and approving requisitions, technical quotation evaluations, bid tabulations, purchase requisitions, and vendor document follow‑up.
• Review vendor and subcontractor submittals for compliance with project specifications and provide clear technical comments.
• Update weight reports based on vendor information and ensure final vendor or subcontractor data manuals contain all required approved data.
• Perform and approve design verification through single‑discipline checks and inter‑discipline checks.
• Provide technical support to fabrication teams, including clarification of design issues, defect review, and rectification requirements.
• Capture lessons learned, support knowledge sharing, and contribute to global procedures, software tools, technical guidelines, and standard calculation notes.
• Guide senior engineers, engineers, and designers on MDR procedures, standards, worksheets, calculations, software, requisitions, technical bid evaluations, and technical queries.
• Monitor discipline KPIs, workhour performance, cost impact, forecast requirements, change management actions, and corrective measures.
• Support discipline management with manpower planning, staff development, performance feedback, training needs, and interview support when required.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering.
• Master's Degree is preferred.
• 15-20 years of oil and gas experience with major contractors or consultants, mainly performing detail design.
• Detailed knowledge of instrumentation and controls design techniques, analysis methods, standards, codes, and industry guidelines.
• Strong experience with FEED, detailed engineering, automation systems, control philosophies, system architecture, ESD systems, F and G systems, cause and effect diagrams, SIL studies, HAZOP support, and FAT participation.
• Proven ability to lead medium or large engineering teams, assign work, manage discipline budgets, monitor productivity, and maintain deliverable quality.
• Practical exposure to procurement support, vendor document review, fabrication queries, construction support, pre‑commissioning, commissioning, and technical audits.
• Strong project coordination and execution skills across engineering, fabrication, offshore, marine, procurement, QC, certification, and customer interfaces.
• Preferably registered as a Professional Engineer or member of a professional engineering society.
• Ability to explain difficult technical concepts clearly and persuade stakeholders toward practical engineering solutions.
• Strong communication, presentation, mentoring, organization, forecasting, and decision‑making skills.
• Cost‑conscious, quality‑focused, HSE‑aware, and committed to engineering integrity and continuous improvement.

Skills Set

• Instrumentation engineering
• Controls engineering
• Oil and gas detail design
• FEED
• Conceptual design
• Detailed engineering
• Automation systems
• Control philosophy
• System architecture
• Safety drawings
• ESD logic
• Cause and effect diagrams
• F and G logic
• SIL studies
• HAZOP
• Classification studies
• I and C equipment specifications
• Instrument datasheets
• Spare parts lists
• P and ID markups
• FAT participation
• Automation testing
• Construction support
• Pre-commissioning support
• Commissioning support
• Vendor document review
• Subcontractor submittal review
• Technical quotation evaluation
• Requisition approval
• Purchase requisitions
• Procurement coordination
• Weight report updates
• Technical audits
• Design reviews
• Single‑discipline checks
• Inter‑discipline checks
• Fabrication query support
• Defect rectification support
• Discipline leadership
• Manhour planning
• KPI monitoring
• Forecast reporting
• Change management
• Variation order support
• MDR procedures
• Engineering integrity
• Technical mentoring
• Project coordination

Why Join Us

This role offers a senior technical leadership opportunity within Dubai's Oil and Energy sector, where instrumentation and controls engineering is central to safe operation, reliable automation, and successful project delivery. The position provides exposure to major offshore, onshore, fabrication, and energy infrastructure projects, with responsibility for discipline strategy, technical assurance, team guidance, vendor coordination, and customer‑facing engineering decisions. It is a strong fit for a principal engineer who wants to influence engineering quality, strengthen safety‑critical systems, and support complex global energy projects.