Project Quality Assurance Manager

ADNOC Abu Dhabi UAE; Al Ruways Industrial City; On-site; AED 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

ADNOC Group in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates seeks a Project Quality Assurance Manager to lead quality governance across the full project lifecycle, from Pre‑FEED to handover, ensuring compliance with standards, specs and approvals.

The role requires extensive oil and gas project exposure, audits, third‑party inspection management, and strong QA leadership to prevent defects and support safe delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in quality assurance, inspection, or project quality management.
• Experience in oil and gas, petrochemicals, refining or large industrial organisations.
• PMP certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate project quality assurance and quality control activities across all project phases.
• Develop project‑specific quality management requirements according to scope and risk.
• Review contractor quality plans, inspection and test procedures, and QA documentation.
• Ensure quality systems meet ISO standards and contract requirements.

Skills

Quality Assurance

Quality control

Project management

Inspection

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Project Quality Assurance Manager – Job Snapshot

Location: Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Oil and Energy

Function: Quality Assurance

Experience: Minimum 10 years

Job Type: Full-time

Overview

Project Quality Assurance Manager in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates is a senior Oil and Energy hiring opportunity responsible for developing, implementing, and governing project quality management requirements across Pre‑FEED, FEED, procurement, construction, commissioning and EPC execution phases. The role ensures that contractors, consultants, vendors, subcontractors and inspection providers comply with approved quality plans, contractual specifications, international standards and company requirements.

This position is suited to an experienced quality assurance professional with extensive oil and gas project exposure, contractor auditing expertise, third‑party inspection management, quality surveillance, non‑conformance control, testing oversight, mechanical completion review and handover documentation experience.

Role Context

The Project Quality Assurance Manager will lead quality assurance and quality control activities throughout the complete project lifecycle. The role will establish project‑specific quality requirements, evaluate contractor and vendor capabilities, approve quality plans, oversee audits and surveillance, manage third‑party inspection services, and ensure that engineering, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning and handover activities satisfy contractual and technical standards.

The jobholder will work closely with project management teams, engineering disciplines, contractors, consultants, vendors, inspection agencies, construction teams, commissioning specialists and client representatives. Effective quality governance helps prevent defects, reduce rework, strengthen technical compliance and support safe and successful project delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate project quality assurance and quality control activities across all project phases.
• Ensure project work processes are implemented as designed and remain compliant with approved standards, procedures and contractual requirements.
• Develop project‑specific quality management requirements according to scope, complexity, criticality, risk and execution strategy.
• Establish quality objectives, responsibilities, controls, reporting arrangements and verification requirements.
• Integrate quality requirements into project execution plans, contracts, tenders and technical documentation.
• Review project quality risks and define preventive controls before work begins.
• Evaluate the quality management capability of contractors, consultants, vendors and subcontractors.
• Conduct quality assessments, site visits, pre‑qualification reviews and technical bid evaluations.
• Review organisational structures, quality resources, procedures, certifications, audit records and previous performance.
• Identify capability gaps and recommend actions or additional controls.
• Support contractor and vendor selection through objective quality evaluations.
• Supervise development of contractor and consultant project quality plans.
• Review and approve quality plans covering engineering, procurement, manufacturing, construction, testing, commissioning and handover.
• Ensure quality plans define appropriate inspection points, witness points, hold points, records and responsibilities.
• Verify that contractor quality systems prevent defects rather than relying only on final inspection.
• Confirm that approved plans remain current and reflect project changes.
• Review contractor document control systems and project documentation procedures.
• Assess numbering structures, review workflows, revision control, distribution, retention and document traceability.
• Define additional company requirements where contractor systems are insufficient.
• Coordinate implementation of document controls with engineering disciplines and project stakeholders.
• Verify approved drawings, procedures, specifications and records are available at the point of use.
• Participate in project management and coordination meetings.
• Report quality status, risks, non‑conformities, inspection concerns and required management decisions.
• Integrate quality activities with engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and schedule priorities.
• Coordinate quality actions among project management, technical departments, contractors and inspection agencies.
• Prepare and issue quality control specifications for project works.
• Coordinate technical review of inspection, testing, verification and acceptance requirements.
• Agree quality checks with technical departments, project teams and client representatives.
• Ensure QC specifications are aligned with applicable codes, standards and contractual requirements.
• Define quality requirements for inclusion in vendor, subcontractor, consultant and construction contracts.
• Review scopes of work to ensure inspection, testing, certification, documentation and audit requirements are clearly stated.
• Ensure contract documents define responsibilities for non‑conformance, corrective action, records and final acceptance.
• Review quality assurance documentation issued by contractors for engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction and commissioning.
• Confirm that inspection and test plans, procedures, method statements, and quality records are technically adequate.
• Act as the focal point for third‑party inspection service evaluation and mobilisation.
• Assess inspection agencies, technical inspectors, certifications, experience and proposed resources.
• Coordinate third‑party inspection coverage for source inspection, fabrication facilities, construction sites and project locations.
• Ensure inspectors are mobilised according to approved schedules and criticality requirements.
• Monitor third‑party inspection effectiveness, reporting quality and contractual performance.
• Develop and apply project criticality assessment criteria.
• Classify equipment, materials, systems and activities according to technical and operational risk.
• Define inspection levels, surveillance intensity, testing requirements and vendor oversight based on criticality.
• Document and consistently apply criticality decisions.
• Lead development and implementation of project quality programmes.
• Establish audit schedules, surveillance plans, quality performance measures and reporting requirements.
• Review quality procedures related to non‑destructive testing, civil works, welding, coatings, materials, pre‑qualification and specialist inspection.
• Advise contractors on required revisions to meet company and international standards.
• Verify competence and certification requirements for inspection and testing personnel.
• Confirm that proposed examination methods are suitable for the intended application.
• Plan and conduct focused quality audits during critical project stages.
• Audit engineering, procurement, manufacturing, construction, commissioning, documentation and management systems.
• Verify compliance with company requirements, project quality plans, ISO standards and approved procedures.
• Prepare clear audit reports identifying findings, risks, responsibilities and corrective actions.
• Track audit findings through verification and formal closure.
• Conduct regular quality surveillance to confirm approved systems and plans are fully implemented.
• Participate in contractor audits and perform independent system compliance audits.
• Verify work practices, inspection activities, documentation, material controls and record quality.
• Escalate significant weaknesses that could affect safety, integrity, schedule or handover.
• Lead and coordinate technical compliance audits performed by external bodies.
• Chair meetings involving contractors, project management consultants and audit teams.
• Arrange interviews, site visits, document reviews and physical verification activities.
• Ensure audit teams have access to relevant personnel, facilities, records and evidence.
• Coordinate responses and corrective action plans following external audits.
• Participate in reviews of specifications, material requisitions, purchase documents and execution procedures.
• Verify that appropriate quality assurance and quality control requirements are included.
• Review inspection, testing, certification, traceability, preservation and documentation obligations.
• Ensure technical requisitions reflect project criticality and service conditions.
• Initiate and supervise independent third‑party testing at project sites.
• Define testing scope, standards, sampling methods, acceptance criteria and reporting expectations.
• Coordinate civil, mechanical, material, welding, coating and other specialist testing.
• Review results and ensure failures or deviations are investigated promptly.
• Maintain independence and traceability of critical test evidence.
• Monitor non‑conformities, quality system deficiencies, defects and recurring failures.
• Review non‑conformance reports and confirm technical descriptions, dispositions and responsibilities.
• Recommend corrective and preventive actions that address root causes.
• Reject inadequate corrective actions or unsupported closure requests.
• Track non‑conformities until physical correction, documentation and effectiveness verification are complete.
• Analyse recurring quality issues and recommend systemic improvements.
• Supervise construction quality surveillance at site locations.
• Assign third‑party inspection teams according to work scope, risk and schedule requirements.
• Monitor inspection coverage for civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, piping, welding, coating and commissioning activities.
• Verify inspections are completed before work progresses beyond required hold points.
• Identify areas of concern and recommend timely management intervention.
• Control third‑party inspection expenditure against approved budgets.
• Monitor inspector deployment, timesheets, travel, service orders and utilisation.
• Optimise inspection coverage without compromising project quality.
• Forecast inspection resource needs and highlight potential budget variances.
• Coordinate with the project management team and third‑party inspection agency on mobilisation and demobilisation.
• Maintain an approved inspection resource plan aligned with fabrication, construction and commissioning schedules.
• Ensure qualified replacement resources are available when inspectors leave or assignments change.
• Coordinate source inspection activities at vendor and manufacturer facilities.
• Confirm that inspection visits take place according to purchase order and manufacturing schedules.
• Review source inspection reports for completeness, accuracy and technical compliance.
• Follow up unresolved findings, release notes, punch items and documentation deficiencies.
• Prevent non‑compliant materials or equipment from being released without proper approval.
• Advise on the establishment and administration of the project punch list system.
• Define punch categories, responsibilities, reporting requirements and closure controls.
• Monitor punch item status through mechanical completion, commissioning and handover.
• Prevent premature closure of items without adequate evidence.
• Review mechanical completion submissions.
• Verify that inspection, testing, certification, reinstatement and documentation requirements are complete.
• Confirm that quality records support system acceptance and readiness for commissioning.
• Identify missing dossiers, outstanding tests, incomplete punch items and unresolved non‑conformities.
• Provide technical advice to project teams regarding inspection levels, material testing, certification and handover records.
• Clarify applicable code, standard, contract and company requirements.
• Support resolution of quality‑related technical disputes.
• Ensure acceptance decisions are documented and technically justified.
• Confirm that final handover documentation contains all required contractual information.
• Review quality dossiers, inspection records, test certificates, material certificates, as‑built drawings and completion records.
• Ensure documentation is indexed, traceable, approved and suitable for operational use.
• Coordinate correction of incomplete or inconsistent handover packages.
• Lead and participate in the project change management process.
• Evaluate quality implications of design changes, material substitutions, deviations and execution modifications.
• Ensure changes are reviewed, approved, documented and implemented under controlled conditions.
• Verify that affected drawings, procedures, inspection plans and records are updated.
• Track project quality deficiencies and emerging quality risks.
• Develop and report quality performance indicators to project and senior management.
• Monitor audits, non‑conformities, inspection outcomes, punch items, testing failures, documentation and corrective action closure.
• Analyse trends and identify areas requiring leadership attention.
• Recommend actions to improve contractor quality performance and project outcomes.
• Prepare regular quality reports, dashboards and management presentations.
• Maintain complete and auditable records of reviews, approvals, inspections, audits and quality decisions.
• Support continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned and applying them to future project phases.
• Promote a preventive quality culture across project teams, contractors, vendors and inspection organisations.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or an equivalent engineering discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in quality assurance, inspection, quality auditing or project quality management.
• Previous experience within oil and gas, petrochemicals, refining, energy or another large industrial organisation is strongly preferred.
• Extensive knowledge of quality assurance principles, methods and preventive quality techniques.
• Strong understanding of Quality Management Systems and ISO standards.
• Knowledge of international codes and standards applicable to oil and gas engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction.
• Experience supporting projects during Pre‑FEED, FEED, EPC, construction, commissioning and handover.
• Proven ability to develop project‑specific quality management requirements and quality programmes.
• Experience evaluating contractors, consultants, vendors and inspection agencies.
• Strong capability in reviewing and approving project quality plans, inspection and test plans and quality procedures.
• Experience conducting quality audits, system compliance audits, focused audits and technical compliance reviews.
• Knowledge of non‑destructive testing, civil testing, welding inspection, coatings, material certification and pre‑qualification requirements.
• Experience supervising third‑party inspection services at source and site locations.
• Ability to manage inspection budgets, mobilisation plans and inspector performance.
• Strong understanding of document control, quality records, traceability and handover documentation.
• Experience managing non‑conformities, corrective actions, root‑cause investigations and quality deficiencies.
• Knowledge of mechanical completion, punch list management, commissioning quality and project closeout.
• Ability to review technical specifications, material requisitions, engineering drawings, and execution procedures.
• Experience leading change management reviews involving project quality requirements.
• Strong knowledge of quality KPIs, trend analysis and management reporting.
• Excellent planning, organising, scheduling, coordinating, checking, examining and recording skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and technical communication capability.
• Ability to lead meetings involving project teams, contractors, consultants, inspectors, vendors and auditors.
• Strong analytical judgment and attention to detail.
• Ability to identify quality risks early and recommend practical preventive controls.
• PMP certification is preferred.

Skills Set

• Quality Assurance, Project quality management, Quality control, QA and QC
• Pre‑FEED quality, FEED quality, EPC quality, Project quality plans
• Quality Management Systems, ISO standards, Contractor quality evaluation, Vendor quality evaluation
• Technical bid evaluation, Inspection and test plans, Quality procedures, Document control
• Quality audits, Focused audits, Compliance audits, Technical compliance audits
• Third‑party inspection, Source inspection, Site inspection, Inspector mobilisation
• Criticality assessment, Non‑destructive testing, Civil testing, Welding inspection, Material certification
• Independent testing, Construction surveillance, Non‑conformance management, Corrective action, Preventive action
• Root cause analysis, Punch list management, Mechanical completion, Commissioning quality, Handover documentation
• Quality dossiers, Change management, Quality KPI reporting, Contractor surveillance, Vendor surveillance
• International codes and standards, Oil and gas projects, PMP

Why Join Us

This opportunity provides leadership responsibility for quality governance across complex capital projects within Abu Dhabi Emirate's established Oil and Energy sector. The Project Quality Assurance Manager will directly influence engineering quality, contractor performance, material compliance, construction integrity, commissioning readiness and successful project handover. It offers broad exposure to Pre‑FEED, FEED, EPC, vendor manufacturing, source inspection, site construction, third‑party testing, quality auditing and project closeout. It is well‑suited to an experienced quality professional seeking progression into senior project quality leadership, assurance management, technical governance or major projects management roles.

About the Company

ADNOC Group is a major integrated energy organization headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with operations spanning exploration, production, processing, refining, petrochemicals, logistics, trading and lower‑carbon energy solutions. Its major capital projects are supported by structured quality management systems, international engineering standards, rigorous contractor governance, independent inspection and disciplined project assurance practices designed to protect technical integrity, operational reliability and long‑term asset value.