Senior Principal Piping Designer - Plant Design

Mc Dermott; Dubai; On-site; AED 558,000 - 781,200; Full time

Job summary

McDermott in Dubai is seeking a Senior Principal Piping Designer for an opportunity in the Oil and Energy sector. The role requires a highly experienced piping designer proficient in 3D CAD, team leadership, and addressing complex design challenges.

The ideal candidate will have over 25 years of experience, oversee large design teams, and ensure high-quality design outputs on major projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum 25 years of experience in oil and gas design.
• Expertise in piping layouts and multi-office project execution.
• Ability to lead large design teams and manage complex projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead piping design teams to deliver projects on schedule and budget.
• Develop 3D models and design layouts for process facilities.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety standards in design work.

Skills

Piping design

Process plant design

3D plant modelling

Oil and gas design

Pre-FEED

FEED

Detailed design

E3D

SP3D

AutoCAD

Education

High school diploma in Mechanical Design or related discipline

Job description

Senior Principal Piping Designer – Plant Design

Job Snapshot

• Role: Senior Principal Piping Designer - Plant Design
• Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Industry: Oil and Energy
• Function: CAD‑Drafting
• Experience: 25 years
• Job Type: Full‑time
• Salary: 50,000–70,000
• Gender: Any Candidate
• Nationality: Any

Position Overview

Senior Principal Piping Designer - Plant Design in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a senior Oil and Energy opportunity for a highly experienced piping design expert with deep process plant design, 3D CAD, Pre‑FEED, FEED, detailed design, team leadership, and multi‑office project execution expertise. This role is suited for a recognized piping design specialist who can lead large design teams, solve complex layout and modelling challenges, coordinate interdisciplinary deliverables, and ensure high‑quality, safe, and constructible design output for major oil and gas projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform piping design and engineering activities for process facilities within agreed schedules, budgets, safety standards, quality expectations, and project procedures.
• Develop plant design layouts, 3D models, piping drawings, and design deliverables during Pre‑FEED, FEED, and detailed design phases.
• Ensure piping design work considers constructability, maintainability, economics, operational access, safety, and project execution requirements.
• Build and review clash‑free 3D models in coordination with all engineering disciplines and project interface requirements.
• Ensure design deliverables are completed and issued according to project specifications, McDermott procedures, Level2 and Level3 procedures, schedules, and budgets.
• Perform complex piping design work using advanced technical knowledge, design judgment, and project experience.
• Set priorities, organize personal work, manage time, and forecast design resource requirements when acting as Lead Designer.
• Lead piping design teams to complete assigned tasks within planned schedules, approved budgets, quality standards, and project‑specific requirements.
• Act as the discipline point of contact in communications and meetings with project teams, clients, vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors.
• Ensure inter‑discipline aspects of piping design, model coordination, deliverables, and technical interfaces are clearly addressed.
• Support the Lead Piping Engineer in measuring design progress, productivity, work‑hour performance, and deliverable completion.
• Coordinate activities within the piping discipline and manage design interfaces with other engineering and design disciplines.
• Ensure effective communication across disciplines and support proper management of design changes.
• Coordinate 3D model reviews, track review comments, follow up on actions, and ensure model review comments are properly closed.
• Coordinate large design teams as Designers Coordinator and support organized information flow between Lead Designers.
• Ensure project design interfaces, responsibilities, deliverables, and review schedules are clearly identified and controlled.
• Support the Department Manager with designer appraisals, team development, training guidance, and technical capability improvement.
• Review project scope of work, specifications, schedules, design requirements, and inter‑discipline inputs to identify concerns early.
• Raise change notifications in the Change Management System when scope changes, design impacts, or execution concerns are identified.
• Develop plant design, 3D modelling outputs, piping drawings, and Plant Layout Narrative input according to agreed scope, man‑hours, and schedule.
• Assist the Lead Piping Engineer with technical queries, piping estimates, design clarifications, and job scope changes.
• Attend project kickoff meetings, review meetings, vendor meetings, model reviews, and coordination sessions when acting as Lead Piping Designer.
• Lead and coordinate design teams remotely when required, including work in a Multi‑Office Project Execution Environment.
• Identify technical, interface, schedule, and organizational issues early and follow up with corrective actions.
• Support and supervise less experienced piping designers by sharing technical direction, project methods, and design best practices.
• Ensure piping design work follows McDermott requirements, client standards, statutory design codes, industry standards, project procedures, and health and safety policies.
• Remain accountable for the performance, output quality, and delivery results of assigned piping design teams.
• Support proposals, studies, estimates, and early‑phase project work from a piping design perspective.
• Explain difficult design concepts clearly and negotiate practical solutions with project teams, clients, and discipline stakeholders.
• Improve design methods, project coordination, team workflows, and technical execution within the piping discipline.
• Identify and resolve technical, operational, and organizational problems that may reduce design effectiveness, quality, or timeliness.

Ideal Profile

• High school graduate with a diploma in Mechanical Design, Drafting, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 25 years of trackable oil and gas experience with a major contractor.
• Strong experience in Pre‑FEED, FEED, and detailed design for major oil and gas process facilities.
• Advanced depth and breadth of expertise in process plant design and 3D CAD systems such as E3D or SP3D.
• Detailed knowledge of AutoCAD is required.
• Strong understanding of piping layouts, plant design, 3D modelling, model reviews, plot plans, discipline coordination, and design deliverables.
• Good knowledge of other engineering disciplines and how their work processes affect piping design.
• Familiarity with local regulatory requirements, international standards, national industry specifications, and statutory design codes.
• Proven experience as Lead Designer on medium or large‑scale oil and gas projects.
• Capable of handling multiple projects, teams, priorities, and design interfaces at the same time.
• Recognized expert in one or more piping design skill areas.
• Strong project coordination and execution knowledge.
• Able to explain complex design issues, exchange technical ideas clearly, and influence others toward practical solutions.
• Strong leadership and management skills with the ability to guide large design teams.
• Able to work within policies, resource requirements, budgets, business plans, and project execution strategies.
• Advanced specialist expertise with the ability to perform and guide highly complex design work.
• Capable of identifying and resolving technical, operational, and organizational problems that affect design performance.
• Strong safety awareness, quality focus, schedule discipline, and client‑service mindset.

Skills Set

• Piping design
• Process plant design
• 3D plant modelling
• Oil and gas design
• Pre‑FEED
• FEED
• Detailed design
• E3D
• SP3D
• AutoCAD
• Plant layout
• Plant Layout Narrative
• Clash‑free modelling
• 3D model reviews
• Piping drawings
• Design coordination
• Inter‑discipline interfaces
• Multi‑Office Project Execution Environment
• MOPEX
• Lead Designer responsibilities
• Designers Coordinator responsibilities
• Design team leadership
• Resource forecasting
• Progress monitoring
• Productivity tracking
• Change management
• Technical queries
• Piping estimates
• Job scope changes
• Constructability review
• Maintainability review
• Safety‑focused design
• Client coordination
• Vendor coordination
• Subcontractor coordination
• Project kickoff meetings
• Design review meetings
• Proposal support
• Study support
• Design codes
• International standards
• Regulatory compliance
• Team development
• Technical mentoring

Why Join Us

This role offers a senior leadership platform for a piping design expert who wants to influence major Oil and Energy projects from Dubai. The position provides exposure to large process facilities, advanced3D design systems, multi‑office execution, complex engineering interfaces, proposal support, and high‑value project delivery. It is an excellent opportunity for a seasoned piping designer who can lead teams, improve design quality, solve complex layout challenges, and contribute to safe, efficient, and construction‑ready energy infrastructure.

About the Company

McDermott International, Ltd is a global engineering, procurement, construction, and installation company delivering complex energy infrastructure projects across offshore, subsea, onshore, fabrication, and energy transition markets. With more than 100 years of experience, McDermott supports major Oil and Energy developments through advanced engineering, plant design, fabrication capability, marine operations, and integrated project execution. Its Dubai operations contribute to regional and international projects where piping design leadership, technical accuracy, constructability, and disciplined delivery are critical to successful outcomes.