Principal Structural Engineer - EPC Projects

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

Job summary

McDermott in Dubai is seeking a Principal Structural Engineer to lead and manage structural engineering on medium and large EPC projects. The role involves advanced technical guidance, analysis, design work, and coordination with various project stakeholders, ensuring safety, reliability, and compliance with industry standards.

The ideal candidate will possess extensive structural engineering experience and a degree in Civil or Structural Engineering, contributing to offshore and onshore projects while mentoring junior engineers.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in structural engineering for oil and gas and EPC projects.
• Advanced expertise in structural analysis and design calculations.
• Knowledge of international structural design standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead structural engineering activities on medium and large EPC projects.
• Perform conceptual engineering and detailed structural analysis.
• Manage assigned priorities and complete engineering activities.

Skills

Structural engineering

Conceptual design

FEED engineering

Detailed EPC design

Steel structure design

Reinforced concrete design

Hydrodynamic analysis

Education

Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Civil or Structural Engineering

Job description

Principal Structural Engineer - EPC Projects

Job Snapshot:Role: Principal Structural Engineer - EPC ProjectsLocation: Dubai, United Arab EmiratesIndustry: Oil and EnergyFunction: StructuralExperience: Extensive structural engineering experienceJob Type: Full-time

Role Context

The Principal Structural Engineer will provide advanced technical guidance for structural engineering activities across medium and large EPC projects. The position covers engineering analysis, structural design, technical verification, subcontract management, fabrication support, material take-offs, bid preparation, and coordination with project stakeholders. Working independently with minimal supervision, the engineer will evaluate nonstandard technical situations and recommend practical solutions based on design codes, project requirements, constructability, operational needs, and commercial considerations. When assigned as Lead Engineer, the role will assume responsibility for discipline resources, scope, schedules, budgets, productivity, technical integrity, and team performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform conceptual engineering, FEED, and detailed structural analysis in accordance with the approved design basis, project specifications, engineering codes, and industry standards.
• Develop accurate design calculations, technical reports, engineering procedures, and structural design documentation.
• Apply broad technical knowledge and specialist judgment to resolve complex and nonstandard structural engineering problems.
• Evaluate design options against safety, reliability, cost, fabrication, installation, operation, and maintenance requirements.
• Manage assigned priorities and complete engineering activities within agreed schedules.
• Forecast discipline resource requirements when acting as Lead Engineer.
• Explain complex structural concepts clearly and influence technical decisions through evidence-based recommendations.
• Direct medium or large engineering teams on assigned EPC projects.
• Lead structural engineering and design activities within approved project schedules and budgets.
• Plan discipline scope, deliverables, workforce allocation, engineering interfaces, and execution priorities.
• Maintain accountability for engineering progress, productivity, technical quality, and corrective action.
• Represent the structural discipline during meetings with project teams, customers, certifying authorities, auditors, vendors, and third parties.
• Train and mentor engineers, designers, and developing technical specialists.
• Coordinate and monitor structural work completed by other McDermott operating offices.
• Maintain a working understanding of piping, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, safety, architectural, and project engineering requirements.
• Initiate interdisciplinary coordination to obtain essential design inputs.
• Consider fabrication yard, construction site, installation, and customer requirements during design development.
• Apply commercial awareness when recommending structural concepts, materials, subcontracts, and execution methods.
• Maintain approved engineering information within company systems.
• Prepare bid engineering inputs using available sketches, technical data, project requirements, and previous experience.
• Supervise structural engineers and designers producing calculations, models, drawings, reports, and material quantities.
• Define structural engineering, construction, and fabrication yard scopes of work.
• Provide engineering assistance during procurement, fabrication, construction, installation, and project closeout.

Structural Analysis and Design

• Prepare and review structural calculations for steel, concrete, offshore, onshore, and marine structures.
• Perform specialist assessments for complex structures, topsides, jackets, FPSOs, underground systems, and architectural components.
• Conduct finite element analysis for structures requiring advanced numerical evaluation.
• Perform static, dynamic, fatigue, seismic, blast, and hydrodynamic calculations when required.
• Evaluate structural behavior under operating, environmental, transportation, lifting, installation, and accidental load conditions.
• Prepare and review weight control reports and center of gravity calculations.
• Analyze foundation and geotechnical inputs in coordination with specialist teams.
• Design and assess structural systems using applicable international and project-specific codes.
• Apply relevant standards including EC, ACI, AISC, API, GOST, and other approved design codes.
• Verify designs for strength, stability, fatigue life, serviceability, durability, and functional integrity.
• Check structural arrangements for operational suitability, constructability, accessibility, and maintainability.
• Develop project-specific engineering guides, design criteria, and calculation procedures.
• Provide technical assistance for unusual structural configurations and critical design conditions.
• Conduct peer reviews and independent technical checks when requested.

Engineering Verification and Deliverables

• Perform engineering checks of structural drawings and drafting outputs.
• Review calculations, analyses, reports, and design documentation prepared by other engineers.
• Complete single-discipline design checks and support interdisciplinary design reviews.
• Confirm that structural drawings accurately reflect approved calculations and design requirements.
• Prepare structural material take-offs for procurement, estimating, fabrication, and project controls.
• Develop structural specifications and technical requisitions.
• Prepare technical content for engineering, design, and fabrication subcontracts.
• Review vendor and subcontractor calculations, drawings, reports, and technical data.
• Prepare technical bid evaluations and purchasing recommendations.
• Identify design discrepancies and coordinate required revisions.
• Maintain traceable records of calculations, reviews, approvals, comments, and technical decisions.
• Ensure final engineering files are complete and organized in accordance with project procedures.

Project Leadership

• Lead structural engineering activities on medium and large EPC projects.
• Assume responsibility for all structural engineering and design work within the assigned project scope.
• Control discipline work hours, material quantities, deliverable status, engineering progress, and technical performance.
• Coordinate closely with the Design Coordinator, Project Engineering Manager, and Project Manager.
• Establish structural engineering software, analysis models, project databases, and discipline working systems.
• Prepare and maintain deliverable registers and document control requirements.
• Develop engineering schedules aligned with procurement, fabrication, construction, and installation milestones.
• Prepare progress reports, productivity forecasts, man-hour estimates, and capital expenditure inputs.
• Coordinate structural engineering priorities with project management.
• Allocate work based on individual experience, technical ability, workload, and project requirements.
• Train and guide personnel assigned to the discipline team.
• Maintain discipline standards and consistent engineering practices across the project.
• Manage structural design and specialist engineering subcontracts.
• Identify scope changes and support the preparation of change notifications and variation orders.
• Ensure engineering work is properly reviewed, approved, issued, and filed.
• Provide relevant project and personnel feedback to departmental leadership.
• Implement corrective action where engineering performance, cost, or schedule deviates from plan.

Multidisciplinary and Fabrication Coordination

• Coordinate structural interfaces with process, piping, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, safety, architectural, marine, and construction teams.
• Obtain equipment loads, piping loads, support reactions, operating weights, environmental data, and installation requirements.
• Provide structural information needed for equipment layouts, support design, access platforms, lifting systems, and construction planning.
• Work with fabrication teams to resolve drawing queries, dimensional conflicts, material concerns, and constructability issues.
• Support construction and installation teams with temporary works, modifications, and field engineering requirements.
• Review designs against fabrication yard capability, welding practices, material availability, transportation limits, and installation methods.
• Participate in model reviews, constructability assessments, technical audits, and customer design reviews.
• Coordinate responses to comments from customers, certification bodies, subcontractors, and other engineering disciplines.
• Ensure design interfaces are clearly defined, documented, and closed within project deadlines.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Extensive experience in structural engineering for oil and gas, offshore, marine, construction, or major EPC projects.
• Strong background in conceptual engineering, FEED, detailed design, fabrication support, and construction engineering.
• Advanced expertise in structural analysis, design calculations, technical reports, and engineering verification.
• Experience with steel structures, reinforced concrete, jackets, topsides, FPSOs, foundations, complex structures, or architectural systems.
• Knowledge of finite element analysis, fatigue, dynamic, seismic, blast, hydrodynamic, and weight control calculations.
• Familiarity with international structural design standards including EC, ACI, AISC, API, and GOST.
• Proven ability to lead medium or large structural engineering teams.
• Experience managing engineering scope, deliverables, workforce, work hours, material quantities, progress, and productivity.
• Strong understanding of fabrication yard, construction site, installation, and customer requirements.
• Experience preparing structural specifications, material take-offs, subcontracts, and technical bid evaluations.
• Ability to perform independent technical reviews and peer checks.
• Strong project coordination, planning, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercial awareness when evaluating design alternatives, materials, execution strategies, and subcontracted work.
• Ability to mentor engineers and support departmental capability development.
• Strong commitment to engineering integrity, safety, quality, constructability, and cost-effective project delivery.

Skills Set

• Structural engineering
• Conceptual design
• FEED engineering
• Detailed EPC design
• Structural analysis
• Steel structure design
• Reinforced concrete design
• Offshore topside structures
• Jacket design
• FPSO structural engineering
• Finite element analysis
• Dynamic calculations
• Fatigue assessment
• Seismic analysis
• Blast analysis
• Hydrodynamic analysis
• Geotechnical coordination
• Weight control reports
• Center of gravity calculations
• Structural material take-offs
• Engineering specifications
• Technical bid evaluation
• Structural subcontract management
• Design verification
• Interdisciplinary checking
• Fabrication support
• Construction engineering support
• Constructability reviews
• Engineering schedule control
• Man-hour forecasting
• Change management
• Team leadership
• Technical mentoring

Why Join Us

This position offers the opportunity to lead technically demanding structural engineering work across major offshore, onshore, marine, and energy infrastructure projects. The Principal Structural Engineer will influence structural concepts, project execution strategies, fabrication readiness, engineering quality, and multidisciplinary design decisions. The role provides significant technical responsibility, international project exposure, and the opportunity to develop engineering teams while strengthening specialist expertise in complex structures, advanced analysis, and EPC project delivery.

About the Company

McDermott International, Ltd provides engineering, procurement, construction, fabrication, installation, and technology solutions across the global energy industry. With more than a century of project experience, the company supports offshore, subsea, onshore, and energy transition developments through international teams focused on safe engineering, technical innovation, and dependable project execution.