Senior Principal Piping Designer

Mc Dermott; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

McDermott International in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, seeks a Senior Principal Piping Designer to lead complex piping design activities across major oil and gas projects. The role requires advanced process plant design, 3D modeling, and strong leadership within Pre-FEED, FEED, and Detailed Design phases.

The successful candidate will coordinate disciplines, manage design resources, and deliver high quality piping work while aligning with project specifications and McDermott procedures.

Qualifications

• High school graduate with a diploma in Mechanical Design, Drafting, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• 25 years of oil and gas experience with a major contractor.
• Experience as Lead Designer on medium or large projects.
• Proven capability to manage multiple projects.
• Strong leadership and management skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform piping design and engineering activities for process facilities within agreed schedules and budgets.
• Develop plant layouts and 3D models.
• Coordinate with all disciplines to maintain clash-free designs.
• Lead the piping design team to complete assigned work within planned schedules and budgets.
• Interface with Client representatives and vendors as needed.

Skills

Piping design

Project coordination

Leadership

Problem-solving

Education

High school diploma in Mechanical Design/Drafting or related

Tools

AutoCAD

E3D/SP3D

Job description

Senior Principal Piping Designer Job Snapshot Role: Senior Principal Piping Designer Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Industry: Oil and Energy Function: CAD-Drafting Experience: 25 years of oil and gas experience with a major contractor performing Pre-FEED, FEED, and Detailed Design Job Type: Not specified

Position Overview McDermott International, Ltd is seeking a Senior Principal Piping Designer in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to lead complex piping design activities across major oil and gas projects. The role is responsible for advanced process plant design, 3D modeling, multidisciplinary coordination, design team leadership, project execution, resource planning, change management, technical problem solving, and delivery of piping design work through Pre-FEED, FEED, and Detailed Design phases.

Job Details Country: United Arab Emirates City: Dubai Industry: Oil and Energy Function: CAD-Drafting Salary: Not disclosed Gender: No Preference Candidate Nationality: Not specified Job Type: Not specified

Job Overview The Senior Principal Piping Designer completes highly complex assignments and directs the work of others within the piping design discipline. The role functions as a subject matter expert, works autonomously within established procedures and practices, and applies advanced analytical judgment to solve unique technical, operational, and organizational problems. The position directly influences project delivery, customer objectives, team performance, service quality, and schedule achievement. When assigned as Lead Designer or Designers Coordinator, the role takes responsibility for design team performance, multidisciplinary coordination, technical interfaces, resource planning, and development of less-experienced designers.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• Perform piping design and engineering activities for process facilities within agreed schedules and budgets.
• Apply maintenance, safety, quality, constructability, operational, and economic considerations throughout Pre-FEED, FEED, and Detailed Design.
• Set priorities and organize work to achieve project objectives.
• Forecast and plan design resource requirements when acting as Lead Designer.
• Develop plant layouts and 3D models.
• Coordinate with all disciplines to maintain clash-free designs.
• Ensure piping design deliverables are completed and issued in accordance with project specifications.
• Apply McDermott and project Level 2 and Level 3 procedures.
• Perform complex piping design work requiring advanced technical expertise.
• Identify technical and execution issues early and initiate appropriate corrective actions.
• Resolve complex problems where limited precedent may exist.

Lead Piping Design Responsibilities

• Lead the piping design team to complete assigned work within planned schedules and budgets.
• Ensure work complies with applicable standards, McDermott procedures, and project-specific requirements.
• Act as the project discipline point of contact for piping design matters.
• Participate in communications and meetings with the Project Team.
• Interface with Client representatives.
• Coordinate with vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors.
• Ensure interdisciplinary aspects of design and deliverables are properly addressed.
• Support the Lead Piping Engineer in measuring project progress and productivity.
• Coordinate activities within the piping discipline.
• Manage interfaces with other engineering disciplines.
• Maintain effective communication between disciplines.
• Support effective management of design changes.
• Coordinate 3D model reviews.
• Ensure model review comments are resolved and closed.

Designers Coordinator Responsibilities

• Coordinate large design teams across project activities.
• Manage interdisciplinary design coordination.
• Ensure timely and organized distribution of project information among Lead Designers.
• Identify interfaces between design disciplines.
• Confirm that required design deliverables are clearly defined.
• Support coordinated execution across multiple design teams.
• Assist the Department Manager with designer performance appraisals.
• Support strategic development of the design organization.
• Provide guidance on training and technical development requirements for design personnel.

Plant Design and 3D Modeling

• Develop plant designs, 3D models, and piping drawings in accordance with the agreed scope of work.
• Complete design activities within allocated man-hours and project schedules.
• Provide input to the Plant Layout Narrative.
• Maintain detailed knowledge of the Project Scope of Work.
• Understand applicable project specifications.
• Maintain awareness of project schedules and interdisciplinary requirements.
• Use advanced process plant design knowledge to support complex project requirements.
• Apply detailed knowledge of E3D or SP3D.
• Use AutoCAD for piping design and drafting activities.
• Coordinate plant layouts with relevant equipment, structures, systems, and discipline interfaces.
• Ensure piping designs consider accessibility, operation, maintenance, safety, and constructability.

Project Execution and Coordination

• Attend project kickoff meetings when acting as Lead Piping Designer.
• Participate in project review meetings.
• Attend vendor meetings.
• Coordinate piping design activities across project locations.
• Monitor design teams remotely where required.
• Lead piping design activities within a Multi Office Project Execution Environment.
• Coordinate simultaneous project requirements where assigned across multiple projects.
• Support project coordination and execution throughout design and production phases.
• Maintain effective communication with Project Engineers, Project Managers, Information Management, Document Control, and Client representatives.

Change Management and Technical Support

• Identify changes to the approved scope of work.
• Raise change notifications promptly through the Change Management System.
• Assist the Lead Piping Engineer in preparing technical queries.
• Support preparation of piping estimates.
• Assist with assessment and documentation of job scope changes.
• Identify issues affecting design performance or project execution.
• Follow through on required corrective actions.
• Resolve technical, operational, and organizational problems affecting team effectiveness.
• Provide expert piping design guidance on complex issues.

Proposal and Study Support

• Support proposals from a piping design perspective.
• Contribute to engineering studies.
• Provide technical input for piping design scope, execution requirements, estimates, and resource considerations.
• Apply extensive project experience to support early project development and planning activities.

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead and supervise design teams assigned to different projects.
• Coordinate team activities during detailing and production phases.
• Be accountable for team performance and results within the piping discipline.
• Support less-experienced designers through technical guidance and supervision.
• Share advanced and specialized piping design expertise.
• Explain difficult technical concepts clearly.
• Negotiate effectively when different technical viewpoints require resolution.
• Support the Department Manager in developing design team capability.
• Contribute to training and technical development initiatives.
• Help ensure the team meets quality and timeliness objectives.

Health, Safety, Quality, and Compliance

• Ensure design work complies with McDermott requirements.
• Follow Client requirements and applicable statutory design codes.
• Apply relevant national and international standards and specifications.
• Maintain particular focus on health and safety policies.
• Work within applicable quality procedures.
• Support consistent implementation of project and discipline requirements.
• Ensure design execution is guided by approved policies, resources, budgets, and business plans.

Reporting Relationships

Project Reporting:

• Lead Piping Engineer when acting as Lead Piping Designer.
• Project Engineer.
• Project Engineer Manager.

Functional Reporting:

• Department Manager.

Liaises With:

• Lead Designers.
• Designers.
• Lead Engineers.
• Engineers.
• Engineering and Design Discipline Leads.
• Project Engineer.
• Project Manager.
• Information Management Group.
• Document Control.
• Client representatives.
• Vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors where applicable.

Supervises:

• Design teams assigned to different projects during detailing and production phases.

Qualifications

• High school graduate with a diploma in Mechanical Design, Drafting, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.

Experience

• 25 years of traceable oil and gas experience with a major contractor.
• Extensive experience performing Pre-FEED, FEED, and Detailed Design.
• Experience as Lead Designer on medium or large projects.
• Demonstrated capability to manage multiple projects.
• Proven experience coordinating project design and execution activities.
• Recognized expertise in one or more piping design skill areas.

Technical Knowledge and Skills

• Advanced depth and breadth of expertise in process plant design.
• Extensive knowledge of 3D CAD systems.
• Strong experience with E3D or SP3D.
• Detailed knowledge of AutoCAD.
• Good knowledge of other engineering disciplines and their work processes.
• Strong understanding of interdisciplinary design interfaces.
• Familiarity with the applicable local regulatory environment.
• Familiarity with international and national industry standards and specifications.
• Advanced problem-solving and analytical capability.
• Strong project coordination skills.
• Ability to plan and manage design resources.
• Ability to work within project budgets and business requirements.
• Strong leadership and management skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively.
• Ability to influence and negotiate with stakeholders.
• Ability to identify and resolve technical, operational, and organizational issues.
• Ability to manage design quality and schedule performance across large teams.

About McDermott International McDermott International applies engineering and construction expertise across the energy value chain, including subsea infrastructure, offshore platforms, offshore wind infrastructure, and onshore energy developments. The company has operated for more than 100 years and employs more than 30,000 people across 54 countries.