Principal Process Engineer - Oil and Gas

Mc Dermott; Dubai; On-site; AED 502,200 - 725,400; Full time

Job summary

McDermott in Dubai is seeking a Principal Process Engineer to lead process engineering activities for oil and gas projects. This senior role requires an experienced engineer who can guide multidisciplinary teams, ensuring projects meet safety, quality, and budget standards.

The ideal candidate has 15-20 years of experience with major engineering firms, strong process engineering skills, and a proven ability to manage complex technical challenges.

Qualifications

• 15–20 years of oil and gas engineering experience with a major engineering contractor or consultancy.
• Proven experience directing process engineering teams.
• Strong command of process engineering principles and calculations.

Responsibilities

• Perform engineering studies and detailed process engineering design.
• Lead medium or large process engineering teams.
• Ensure projects are completed within the approved schedule and budget.

Skills

Conceptual process design

FEED engineering

Detailed engineering design

Process simulation

HAZID and HAZOP participation

Education

Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree in Engineering

Job description

Principal Process Engineer - Oil and Gas

Position Overview

Principal Process Engineer - Oil and Gas in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a senior oil and energy opportunity for an experienced engineering professional capable of leading conceptual, FEED, and detailed design activities for complex offshore and onshore projects. McDermott International, Ltd is hiring a process engineering specialist to provide technical leadership, solve nonstandard design challenges, manage discipline deliverables, and ensure projects are completed safely, accurately, and within approved schedules and budgets.

Job Details

Country: United Arab Emirates | City: Dubai | Industry: Oil and Energy | Function: Process | Salary: 45,000–65,000 (per month) | Gender: Any | Nationality: Any | Job Type: Full‑time

Role Context

The Principal Process Engineer will lead and support process engineering execution across major oil and gas developments. The position combines advanced technical analysis with discipline leadership, project coordination, customer engagement, resource planning, and design assurance. The successful candidate will be accountable for the engineering integrity of assigned work areas and will guide multidisciplinary teams through design development, technical reviews, safety studies, vendor coordination, audits, and project delivery. When appointed as Lead Engineer, the role will also control discipline scope, manpower, productivity, schedule, cost, interfaces, and change management.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform conceptual studies, FEED activities, and detailed process engineering design in accordance with project specifications, approved design bases, industry codes, and company standards.
• Apply extensive process engineering expertise to resolve complex technical issues and nonstandard project situations.
• Prepare, review, and approve engineering calculations, technical reports, design procedures, process philosophies, and project specifications.
• Lead medium or large process engineering teams when assigned as Discipline Lead Engineer.
• Plan and direct discipline execution, including scope, deliverables, schedules, work‑hour budgets, manpower requirements, and resource allocation.
• Ensure process engineering work is completed within the approved schedule and budget while maintaining professional, safety, and quality standards.
• Identify design interfaces, technical dependencies, project risks, and missing information at an early stage.
• Interpret contractual requirements and translate them into practical engineering execution plans.
• Identify scope changes and prepare change notifications, technical justification, cost estimates, and supporting documentation for variation orders.
• Coordinate with piping, mechanical, instrumentation, electrical, civil, structural, safety, fabrication, procurement, planning, and project management teams.
• Act as the process discipline representative during customer meetings, vendor discussions, technical audits, certification reviews, and third‑party engagements.
• Prepare discipline inputs for proposals, technical queries, execution statements, work‑hour estimates, software requirements, and bid budgets.
• Develop project process engineering execution plans and update them as project requirements evolve.
• Raise technical queries to clarify scope, obtain missing data, and maintain compliance with preferred engineering procedures and operational requirements.
• Finalize discipline deliverable registers and verify that all documents meet project specifications and functional requirements.
• Review project and fabrication schedules against construction sequences, engineering milestones, and discipline dependencies.
• Attend project kickoff meetings, design reviews, vendor meetings, engineering workshops, and offshore site surveys as required.
• Provide technical direction to engineers and designers producing process engineering drawings, calculations, and documentation.
• Review and approve vendor and subcontractor submissions for compliance with technical specifications.
• Present technical concerns to customers promptly and support the negotiation of practical resolutions.
• Mentor senior engineers, engineers, and designers in engineering procedures, calculation methods, software, technical bid evaluations, and project standards.
• Monitor engineering productivity, forecast resource needs, and initiate corrective actions when cost or schedule deviations occur.
• Maintain complete records of technical decisions, agreed actions, customer communications, and engineering changes.
• Coordinate procurement activities for discipline‑managed equipment and expedite vendor documentation when necessary.
• Support performance reviews, manpower planning, quarterly forecasting, and development of project engineering personnel.

Process Engineering Deliverables

• Process simulations
• Heat and material balances
• Process flow diagrams
• Piping and instrumentation diagrams
• Equipment process datasheets
• Instrument process datasheets
• Process design specifications
• Operating philosophies
• Startup and operating manuals
• Equipment lists
• Line lists
• Equipment sizing calculations
• Line sizing calculations
• Flare radiation calculations
• Dispersion assessments
• Depressurization studies
• Flare network studies
• Process design studies
• Technical reports and engineering procedures

Multidisciplinary and Safety Support

• Provide process engineering inputs for plant layout reviews and equipment arrangement studies.
• Support preparation and review of hazardous area classification drawings.
• Contribute process data to electrical load lists, equipment datasheets, and instrument datasheets.
• Review emergency shutdown logic, fire and gas logic diagrams, and control narratives.
• Participate in HAZAN, HAZID, HAZOP, reliability, operability, and technical safety workshops.
• Assist project teams in resolving and closing HAZOP recommendations and action items.
• Lead the process discipline during internal, customer, and third‑party technical audits.
• Coordinate interdisciplinary design reviews to achieve safe, functional, and clash‑free engineering solutions.

Leadership Accountabilities

• Act as the main process discipline contact for customer representatives and project stakeholders.
• Determine staffing requirements based on project workload and individual engineering competencies.
• Assign tasks, responsibilities, deliverables, and work‑hour budgets to discipline team members.
• Develop and maintain the detailed discipline deliverable schedule.
• Prepare forecasts covering engineering progress, productivity, change management, and corrective actions.
• Monitor key performance indicators and implement improvements where discipline performance falls below expectations.
• Review and approve requisitions, technical quotation evaluations, bid tabulations, purchase recommendations, and vendor queries.
• Coordinate responses to customer, certifying authority, auditor, and third‑party comments.
• Anticipate future engineering requirements and arrange appropriate resources before they affect project delivery.
• Support the Discipline Manager and Project Engineering Manager with workforce planning and team performance evaluations.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree in Engineering from a recognized institution.
• 15–20 years of oil and gas engineering experience with a major engineering contractor or consultancy.
• Extensive experience performing detailed design for offshore or onshore energy projects.
• Demonstrated capability in conceptual engineering, FEED, and detailed process design.
• Strong command of process engineering principles, calculations, simulation methods, and design documentation.
• Detailed understanding of applicable engineering codes, standards, guidelines, and project specifications.
• Proven experience directing process engineering teams and coordinating multidisciplinary project execution.
• Ability to independently solve complex technical problems using sound engineering judgment.
• Experience managing discipline scope, engineering schedules, budgets, manpower, productivity, and deliverables.
• Strong background in customer meetings, technical audits, vendor coordination, and design reviews.
• Registered Professional Engineer status or membership in a recognized professional engineering society is preferred.
• Effective technical writing, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder communication skills.
• Ability to mentor engineers and communicate complex engineering concepts clearly.

Skills Set

• Conceptual process design
• FEED engineering
• Detailed engineering design
• Process simulation
• Heat and material balance
• Process flow diagrams
• Piping and instrumentation diagrams
• Equipment sizing
• Line sizing
• Flare system design
• Depressurization studies
• Dispersion analysis
• Process safety engineering
• HAZID and HAZOP participation
• Operating philosophy development
• Startup and operating manuals
• Technical specification preparation
• Vendor document review
• Technical bid evaluation
• Engineering change management
• Discipline resource planning
• Project cost forecasting
• Engineering schedule control
• Multidisciplinary coordination
• Customer technical interface
• Offshore site surveys
• Technical auditing
• Team leadership and mentoring

Why Join Us

This role offers the opportunity to influence technically demanding oil and gas projects from early design through detailed engineering and execution. The Principal Process Engineer will work with experienced international teams, advanced engineering systems, major customers, specialist vendors, and complex energy infrastructure. The position provides a strong platform for technical leadership, project responsibility, professional visibility, and continued career development within a global engineering and construction organization supporting both conventional energy projects and the wider energy transition.

About the Company

McDermott International, Ltd is a global engineering and construction organization serving the energy industry. With more than a century of project experience, the company delivers engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and technology solutions across offshore, subsea, onshore, and emerging energy markets. Its international workforce supports customers in developing complex infrastructure safely, efficiently, and sustainably.