Principal Mechanical Engineer - HVAC

Mc Dermott; Dubai; On-site; AED 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Mc Dermott in Dubai is looking for a Principal Mechanical Engineer with a strong emphasis on HVAC systems. This role encompasses leading engineering teams, interpreting project requirements, and ensuring compliance across various engineering disciplines.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in mechanical engineering within the oil and gas sector and will possess strong technical knowledge of HVAC systems. The position combines project execution oversight with technical leadership, providing a clear path for career advancement.

Qualifications

• Extensive senior-level experience in mechanical engineering within oil and gas, offshore, onshore, or energy projects.
• Proven experience as a Principal Engineer or Lead Engineer.
• Strong understanding of HVAC systems and mechanical equipment.

Responsibilities

• Act as a senior technical authority for mechanical engineering disciplines.
• Perform conceptual engineering, FEED studies, and detailed mechanical design.
• Manage assigned responsibilities within approved objectives, schedules, and budgets.

Skills

HVAC engineering

Mechanical engineering

Conceptual engineering

FEED engineering

Detailed design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline

Job description

Principal Mechanical Engineer - HVAC

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Oil and Energy

Function: Mechanical Engineering

Experience: Extensive senior‑level mechanical engineering experience

Job Type: Full‑time

Role Context

The Principal Mechanical Engineer – HVAC acts as a senior technical authority within the mechanical engineering discipline. The role interprets project, contractual, operational, and customer requirements and converts them into reliable HVAC and mechanical engineering solutions that support procurement, fabrication, construction, installation, pre‑commissioning, and commissioning. When assigned as Lead Engineer, the position takes responsibility for discipline scope, manpower, budget, schedule, technical quality, productivity, and project interfaces. The engineer will coordinate with customers, certifying authorities, vendors, subcontractors, designers, project management, and other engineering disciplines to ensure that mechanical systems are safe, functional, constructible, and compliant.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform conceptual engineering, FEED studies, technical assessments, and detailed mechanical design.
• Prepare mechanical analyses, calculations, technical reports, engineering procedures, and design documentation.
• Apply advanced engineering judgment to complex and nonstandard project situations.
• Manage assigned responsibilities within approved objectives, schedules, and budgets.
• Forecast resource requirements when acting as Lead Engineer.
• Explain complex technical concepts clearly and influence engineering decisions.
• Lead small or medium mechanical engineering teams when assigned.
• Direct discipline engineering activities for the assigned work area.
• Ensure deliverables are completed to the required technical standard within planned schedules and budgets.
• Plan and control discipline scope, deliverables, resources, interfaces, and execution priorities.
• Maintain responsibility for engineering progress, productivity, and corrective action.
• Represent the mechanical discipline in meetings with customers, project teams, auditors, certifying authorities, and third parties.
• Maintain detailed knowledge of project scope, specifications, schedules, milestones, and multidisciplinary requirements.
• Identify technical, schedule, cost, and interface concerns at an early stage.
• Interpret contractual requirements related to mechanical engineering execution.
• Identify scope changes and prepare change notifications, supporting estimates, and variation order documentation.
• Coordinate with all disciplines to develop integrated and clash‑free designs.
• Obtain design inputs from engineering, planning, project management, procurement, and other supporting functions.
• Record communications that result in major decisions, commitments, or assigned actions.
• Prepare technical and commercial estimates for proposals and project bids.
• Review technical queries, prepare execution statements, and estimate required man‑hours.
• Identify required engineering software, resources, and project‑specific technical needs.
• Raise technical queries to clarify missing information and incomplete scope.
• Ensure compliance with company procedures, customer specifications, project standards, and operational requirements.
• Prepare, review, and approve mechanical design bases, engineering philosophies, specifications, and procedures.
• Finalize discipline deliverable registers and verify compliance with functional and contractual requirements.
• Review engineering and fabrication schedules in relation to construction sequence and project milestones.
• Attend project kickoff meetings, design reviews, engineering meetings, vendor discussions, and site surveys.
• Provide technical direction to designers producing mechanical and HVAC drawings and deliverables.
• Prepare, review, and approve calculations, reports, technical procedures, and discipline documents.
• Provide mechanical design information required by piping, electrical, instrumentation, structural, and other disciplines.
• Support procurement of mechanical equipment, materials, systems, and specialist services.
• Prepare, review, and approve equipment requisitions and purchase requisitions.
• Evaluate technical quotations and prepare supplier clarification queries.
• Compile technical bid evaluations, tabulations, recommendations, and procurement documentation.
• Coordinate with procurement personnel to expedite vendor drawings, calculations, manuals, and technical data.
• Update project weight reports following receipt of vendor information.
• Review and approve vendor and subcontractor technical submissions.
• Confirm compliance with project specifications and issue clear technical comments where required.
• Perform and approve single‑discipline and inter‑discipline design checks.
• Provide technical support for fabrication queries and equipment‑related concerns.
• Keep discipline and project management informed of technical, budgetary, schedule, and workforce matters.
• Provide inputs for actual progress, planning reports, forecasts, and productivity assessments.
• Verify final vendor and subcontractor data manuals for completeness and approval status.
• Present technical issues to customers and support the negotiation of acceptable resolutions.
• Conduct technical quality audits in accordance with company procedures.
• Respond to customer, auditor, certifying authority, and third‑party comments.
• Capture lessons learned and enter approved findings into the company knowledge system.
• Guide junior engineers in procedures, standards, software, calculations, requisitions, and technical evaluations.
• Supervise assigned engineers and coordinate deliverables with project lead designers.
• Monitor the cost and efficiency of mechanical engineering work processes.
• Maintain departmental technical guidance and engineering practices.
• Contribute to global procedures, software tools, and discipline standards.
• Participate in technical committees or standards development groups where required.
• Prepare technical papers, presentations, seminars, and internal knowledge‑sharing sessions.
• Identify staff training needs and provide coaching in specialist methods and proprietary software.
• Provide performance feedback to the Discipline Manager.
• Support technical interviews and candidate evaluations.

Mechanical and HVAC Deliverables

• Prepare, review, and approve mechanical equipment lists.
• Develop spare parts lists and special tools schedules.
• Prepare and approve mechanical equipment specifications and data sheets.
• Develop HVAC equipment requirements for project facilities and packaged systems.
• Review mechanical handling philosophy documents and associated equipment requisitions.
• Evaluate consultant‑prepared noise reports for compliance with project requirements.
• Prepare lubrication schedules and equipment spare parts schedules.
• Support equipment inspections, testing activities, and quality verification.
• Participate in factory acceptance testing for assigned mechanical and HVAC equipment.
• Identify vendor support requirements for installation, pre‑commissioning, and commissioning.
• Update electrical load lists using confirmed mechanical equipment data.
• Review and update piping and instrumentation diagrams following receipt of vendor information.
• Maintain current mechanical equipment lists throughout the project lifecycle.
• Participate in HAZOP meetings and provide mechanical engineering input.
• Attend 3D model reviews and identify access, maintainability, layout, and constructability concerns.
• Provide package and equipment supplier information required by piping design teams.
• Verify equipment access, lifting, maintenance clearance, and handling requirements.
• Review HVAC system interfaces with electrical, instrumentation, fire protection, architectural, and structural systems.
• Confirm that equipment selections meet capacity, reliability, safety, environmental, and operational requirements.

Lead Engineering Responsibilities

• Identify discipline staffing requirements based on workload and individual engineering competencies.
• Submit resource requests to the Discipline Manager.
• Act as the project‑based mechanical discipline contact for customer representatives.
• Ensure that substantive technical communications are documented.
• Prepare discipline budgets, bid estimates, and execution plans.
• Assign tasks, responsibilities, deadlines, and man‑hour budgets to engineers and designers.
• Verify that assigned activities are completed within approved budgets and schedules.
• Develop and maintain the discipline Level 4 deliverable schedule and register.
• Prepare working forecasts, recovery actions, change plans, and real‑time schedule updates.
• Provide discipline inputs for progress, planning, productivity, and forecasting reports.
• Alert project management to scope deviations and requirements for change orders.
• Monitor progress measurement results and implement corrective actions.
• Coordinate with discipline leads and designers to obtain necessary design inputs.
• Approve requisitions, technical quotation evaluations, bid recommendations, and purchase requisitions.
• Coordinate with procurement teams to expedite vendor documentation.
• Lead the discipline team during internal, customer, and third‑party audits.
• Direct mechanical participation in design reviews.
• Resolve customer and external agency comments on discipline documents and drawings.
• Support quarterly forecasting and workforce planning.
• Anticipate future engineering requirements and plan resources accordingly.
• Coordinate with vendors supplying discipline‑managed equipment and systems.
• Support performance evaluations of assigned project team members.
• Approve final mechanical equipment, spare parts, and special tools lists.
• Approve mechanical specifications, data sheets, handling philosophies, noise reports, and lubrication schedules.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Extensive senior‑level experience in mechanical engineering within oil and gas, offshore, onshore, energy, or EPCI projects.
• Strong technical background in HVAC engineering and mechanical equipment systems.
• Proven experience as a Principal Engineer, Lead Engineer, discipline specialist, or technical authority.
• In‑depth knowledge of conceptual design, FEED, detailed engineering, and project execution.
• Ability to prepare and approve technical calculations, specifications, data sheets, reports, and procedures.
• Strong understanding of HVAC equipment, ventilation systems, mechanical packages, noise control, and equipment handling.
• Experience leading engineering teams and controlling scope, schedule, manpower, cost, and productivity.
• Practical experience supporting procurement, vendor evaluation, fabrication, installation, testing, and commissioning.
• Strong knowledge of engineering codes, industry standards, project procedures, and customer specifications.
• Ability to interpret contractual obligations and manage scope changes.
• Experience reviewing vendor submissions, requisitions, technical bids, and equipment documentation.
• Familiarity with HAZOP reviews, 3D model reviews, equipment layouts, and multidisciplinary coordination.
• Strong leadership, communication, mentoring, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and resolve complex technical challenges.
• Professional Engineer registration or membership in a recognized engineering institution is advantageous.
• Experience contributing to technical committees, industry standards, publications, or technical seminars is beneficial.
• Strong commitment to engineering integrity, quality assurance, cost control, safety, and timely delivery.

Skills Set

• HVAC engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Conceptual engineering
• FEED engineering
• Detailed design
• Mechanical equipment specifications
• Equipment data sheets
• HVAC system design
• Ventilation systems
• Mechanical equipment lists
• Spare parts schedules
• Special tools schedules
• Mechanical handling philosophy
• Noise assessment review
• Lubrication schedules
• Equipment inspection
• Factory acceptance testing
• Vendor assistance planning
• Electrical load list coordination
• Piping and instrumentation diagrams
• HAZOP participation
• 3D model reviews
• Equipment layout coordination
• Package supplier data
• Procurement engineering
• Technical bid evaluation
• Vendor document review
• Design verification
• Inter‑discipline checks
• Technical quality audits
• Fabrication support
• Pre‑commissioning support
• Commissioning support
• Scope change management
• Variation orders
• Engineering budget control
• Man‑hour planning
• Resource forecasting
• Team leadership
• Technical mentoring

Why Join Us

This role offers the opportunity to lead technically complex HVAC and mechanical engineering activities across major energy developments. The position combines advanced design responsibility with team leadership, procurement involvement, customer engagement, vendor coordination, and project execution oversight. McDermott International, Ltd provides exposure to offshore, subsea, onshore, fabrication, and energy transition projects supported by international engineering and construction teams. The role offers a strong career path toward discipline management, project engineering leadership, global technical authority, or senior mechanical governance responsibilities.

About the Company

McDermott International, Ltd delivers engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, installation, commissioning, and project management services across the global energy value chain. Its multidisciplinary teams support complex offshore, subsea, onshore, and energy transition projects through integrated technical expertise and international execution capabilities.