Senior Principal Engineer - Piping

Mc Dermott

Dubai

On-site

AED 502,200 - 725,400

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

McDermott in Dubai is seeking a Senior Principal Engineer - Piping to lead large engineering teams and solve technical problems in major energy developments. The role involves performing conceptual engineering, detailed piping design, and ensuring engineering integrity across projects.

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in piping engineering within oil and gas, a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, and proven technical authority in the field.

Qualifications

Extensive senior-level piping engineering experience within oil and gas or EPC projects.
Proven experience as Senior Principal Engineer or technical authority.
Strong understanding of piping codes and material management systems.

Responsibilities

Perform conceptual engineering and detailed piping design.
Direct large piping engineering teams on EPC projects.
Prepare piping specifications and technical requirements.

Skills

Piping engineering

Conceptual engineering

FEED engineering

Critical piping systems

Project execution

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline

Job description

Senior Principal Engineer - Piping

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Industry: Oil and Energy; Function: Mechanical Engineering; Job Type: Full-time; Salary: 45,000-65,000 (estimated range based on similar jobs in the city; confirm final offer with the employer).

McDermott International, Ltd is hiring a highly experienced piping specialist to solve difficult technical problems, direct large engineering teams, improve project execution, and maintain engineering integrity across major energy developments.

Key Responsibilities

Perform conceptual engineering, FEED studies, technical assessments, and detailed piping design.
Complete engineering work in accordance with the design basis, project specifications, applicable codes, and recognized standards.
Apply specialist knowledge to complex, unusual, and high-impact piping engineering problems.
Develop innovative, reliable, constructible, and cost-effective technical solutions.
Communicate highly complex engineering concepts clearly to customers, project teams, and senior stakeholders.
Anticipate technical objections and influence decisions through evidence-based recommendations.
Develop discipline plans aligned with project and business objectives.
Forecast and plan engineering resources when acting as Lead Engineer.
Direct large piping engineering teams on technically demanding EPC projects.
Lead discipline execution within approved budgets, schedules, procedures, and quality requirements.
Plan piping scope, deliverables, engineering interfaces, manpower, and work priorities.
Agree resource allocations with the Discipline Manager.
Maintain responsibility for discipline progress, productivity, and corrective action.
Represent the piping discipline during meetings with customers, project management, auditors, certifying authorities, and third parties.
Train and mentor engineers, designers, material specialists, and developing lead engineers.
Supervise assigned piping engineers and designers.
Support and monitor international engineering offices involved in project execution.
Coordinate with process, mechanical, civil, structural, instrumentation, electrical, safety, construction, fabrication, and project control teams.
Maintain a practical understanding of fabrication yard, construction site, and customer requirements.
Apply commercial judgment when selecting technical solutions and evaluating project changes.
Maintain discipline information and technical guidance within approved company systems.
Define scopes of work for engineering, construction, fabrication yards, and specialist services.
Prepare piping specifications, technical requirements, and engineering procedures.
Develop the technical content of piping subcontracts.
Review vendor drawings, calculations, data sheets, manuals, and technical submissions.
Prepare technical bid evaluations and supplier recommendations.
Provide engineering support during procurement, fabrication, construction, installation, testing, and project closeout.
Support the development of discipline standards, tools, procedures, and engineering practices.
Identify changes to scope and communicate their effect on cost, schedule, manpower, and project execution.
Promote the use of technology, digital systems, automation, and engineering innovation.
Maintain organized engineering records and ensure controlled filing of discipline documentation.
Provide relevant technical and performance feedback to the department.
Monitor industry policies, market developments, engineering standards, and emerging technologies.

Piping Materials Responsibilities

Select piping materials and components based on process conditions, corrosion risks, design requirements, project specifications, and applicable codes.
Prepare and maintain piping material specifications and related technical documentation.
Provide preliminary piping material information to relevant engineering disciplines.
Prepare piping component, valve, fitting, flange, and specialty item requisitions.
Review supplier bids for completeness, technical compliance, deviations, exclusions, and scope coverage.
Evaluate technical offers and recommend suitable manufacturers or suppliers.
Review vendor documents against requisitions, specifications, and purchase order requirements.
Resolve supplier comments, deviations, incomplete submissions, and technical clarifications.
Prepare inputs and generate reports through computerized piping material management systems.
Maintain accurate material information covering classes, commodity codes, quantities, procurement status, and project allocation.
Coordinate piping material requirements with procurement, project controls, fabrication, construction, warehouse, and logistics teams.
Support technically compliant and commercially effective material selection throughout the project lifecycle.

Material Take-Off and Quantity Control

Lead and supervise material take-off and material control engineers.
Maintain the accuracy and quality of piping material take-offs across assigned projects.
Take responsibility for quantity development, checking, reconciliation, forecasting, and reporting.
Ensure an approved Material Take-Off Planning Form is prepared before MTO activities begin.
Confirm that quantity extraction follows approved drawings, specifications, material classes, and project procedures.
Monitor preliminary, intermediate, bulk, and final piping material take-offs.
Review quantity changes resulting from design development, vendor information, construction requirements, or scope growth.
Prepare an MTO Close-Out Report after completion of bulk material take-off activities.
Develop material control reports and communicate quantity trends to project management.
Analyze shortages, surpluses, abnormal consumption, design growth, and potential procurement risks.
Coordinate corrective action where material forecasts or quantities may affect fabrication and construction.
Maintain traceable records supporting material quantity decisions and project reporting.

Pipe Stress and Support Engineering

Perform advanced pipe stress analyses for critical piping systems.
Evaluate sustained, thermal, occasional, dynamic, displacement, and equipment nozzle loads.
Use recognized pipe stress analysis software and manual calculation methods where appropriate.
Assess piping systems for flexibility, thermal expansion, vibration, support loading, and operational reliability.
Coordinate required layout modifications with plant design teams.
Develop technically suitable and cost-effective pipe support arrangements.
Design anchors, guides, line stops, restraints, spring supports, and special support systems.
Prepare pipe support calculations, technical specifications, and engineering documentation.
Coordinate pipe-supporting structures with civil and structural engineering teams.
Prepare and manage pipe support requisitions.
Review vendor information relating to engineered supports and specialist restraint systems.
Confirm that support designs consider fabrication, installation, inspection, access, and maintenance requirements.
Provide technical support for piping and support issues identified during fabrication or construction.

Lead Engineering Responsibilities

Serve as Lead Engineer for large, unique, and technically complex EPC projects.
Assume full responsibility for piping engineering and design execution.
Control discipline work hours, resources, materials, deliverables, and progress.
Develop project execution strategies and recommend best practices.
Explain discipline plans, priorities, risks, and technical decisions to engineers, project management, and customers.
Coordinate closely with design coordinators, area leads, project engineering management, and other discipline leaders.
Coach engineers being developed for future lead positions.
Prepare and maintain deliverable control registers.
Develop discipline schedules aligned with the overall project execution plan.
Prepare progress reports, forecasts, recovery plans, and productivity assessments.
Develop man‑hour and capital expenditure estimates.
Coordinate discipline activities with project management.
Allocate engineering and design work and monitor timely completion.
Train personnel under direct or functional supervision.
Maintain accountability for piping engineering performance within the project group.
Identify, evaluate, and manage scope changes.
Explain how changes will affect the team, project, customer, and business.
Recommend measures to improve execution, productivity, quality, and cost performance.
Ensure that discipline responsibilities and technical interfaces are clearly defined.
Monitor engineering and design quality throughout project execution.
Provide engineering support to fabrication yards and construction sites.
Maintain awareness of customer expectations, industry policies, and market developments.
Encourage design innovation, standardization, automation, and effective use of technology.

Ideal Profile

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Piping Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
Extensive senior-level piping engineering experience within oil and gas, offshore, onshore, energy, or EPC projects.
Proven experience as a Senior Principal Engineer, Lead Engineer, piping specialist, or technical authority.
In‑depth expertise in piping design, materials engineering, material control, pipe stress analysis, and support engineering.
Strong background in conceptual design, FEED, detailed engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction support.
Demonstrated ability to direct large engineering teams on complex and high-value projects.
Advanced knowledge of piping codes, material standards, project specifications, and recognized industry practices.
Experience preparing piping specifications, requisitions, subcontracts, technical bid evaluations, and vendor reviews.
Strong knowledge of piping material management systems and quantity control processes.
Ability to lead material take-off planning, checking, reconciliation, reporting, and closeout.
Advanced capability in critical pipe stress analysis and support design.
Ability to coordinate piping requirements with civil, structural, process, mechanical, plant design, and construction teams.
Strong understanding of fabrication yard practices and construction requirements.
Experience controlling discipline scope, manpower, schedule, budget, productivity, and technical quality.
Commercial awareness with the ability to assess procurement, cost, schedule, and change impacts.
Ability to communicate and influence decisions involving highly complex technical matters.
Strong mentoring, team development, stakeholder management, and conflict‑resolution skills.
Experience coordinating with international engineering offices is advantageous.
Professional Engineer registration or membership in a recognized engineering institution is preferred.
Strong commitment to safety, engineering integrity, quality, innovation, and cost‑effective project delivery.