Principal Electrical Engineer

McDermott International, Ltd; Chennai District; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in the energy sector is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead projects, resolve complex electrical issues, and interact with various disciplines. Applicants should have at least 18 years of experience in oil and gas, possess a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, and demonstrate strong communication skills. This role encompasses technical direction and project leadership in a dynamic environment in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Qualifications

• 18+ years in oil and gas with major contractors or consultants.
• Detailed knowledge of design techniques, analysis methods, and standards.
• Developed communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead functional teams in electrical engineering projects.
• Interface with disciplines to develop clash-free designs.
• Prepare and review electrical design specifications and drawings.

Skills

Design techniques

Project coordination

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Master’s degree

Job description

Principal Electrical Engineer

The Principal Electrical Engineer is responsible for interpreting internal or external business issues and recommending best practices. They will solve complex electrical‑related problems and work independently with minimal guidance. They may lead functional teams or projects and are considered a specialist in Electrical engineering.

Responsibilities

• Become fully familiar with the project scope, specifications, schedule, and all inter‑discipline requirements; identify concerns early and initiate appropriate actions.
• Identify changes to scope and promptly raise change notifications, providing supporting documentation and estimates. Provide similar support for Variation Orders.
• Interface with all disciplines to develop clash‑free designs.
• Interface with other departments to obtain input for discipline designs and drawings.
• Maintain close coordination with other engineering disciplines, SCM, Planning, Fabrication, Marine, and Project Management teams.
• Document substantive communications and forward copies to the Discipline Lead Engineer and Discipline Manager.
• Prepare estimates for bid proposals, including technical query reviews, execution statements, and man‑hour estimates, identifying software requirements and other project-specific requirements.
• Prepare, review, and (as Lead Engineer) approve discipline engineering design basis, philosophies, and technical specifications.
• Participate in finalizing deliverables lists and deliverables, ensuring compliance with specifications and functional integrity.
• Review project schedule and fabrication schedule in relation to construction sequence, milestones, and engineering scope.
• Attend project kickoff, review meetings, vendor meetings, engineering meetings, and offshore site surveys as required.
• Provide technical direction and review of designers producing electrical engineering products.
• Assist in providing necessary design inputs to other disciplines.
• Assist procurement personnel in procuring discipline equipment, materials, and services; ensure compliance with customer objectives and procedures.
• Assist in updating weight reports based on receipt of vendor information.
• Review and approve vendor and subcontractor submittals for compliance with project specifications.
• Review and approve design verification through single‑discipline or interdisciplinary checks (IDC).
• Provide technical support to fabrication queries, including identifying defect/rectification requirements.
• Keep the Discipline Manager and Project Management Team informed of all activities and concerns.
• Assist in providing inputs for actual, planning, and forecasting progress reports.
• Check final subcontractor and vendor data manuals to ensure all requested data has been received and approved.
• Present issues and problems to customers in a timely manner and assist the Lead Engineer in negotiating resolutions.
• Perform Technical Quality Audit reviews in accordance with global procedures.
• Assist Lead Engineer with responses to customers and other agencies on their reviews and approvals.
• Capture lessons learned and enter them into the lessons‑learned system.
• Guide less experienced engineers on procedures, standards, worksheets, design calculations, software, requisitions, technical bid evaluations, and queries.
• Supervise and guide assigned engineers and coordinate with project lead designers for discipline engineering and design deliverable.
• Responsible for the engineering integrity of the assigned work area.
• Monitor costs of own work processes.
• Assist in the maintenance of departmental technical guidelines and standard calculation notes.
• Participate in the development and maintenance of global procedures, software, and standards.
• May participate in standards development committees such as API.
• Identify and provide training to staff in specific techniques and proprietary software.
• Provide information on employee performance to the Discipline Manager.
• Assist the Discipline Manager in interviewing job applicants.
• Review and approve material lists, P&ID, etc. for electrical equipment/systems for detailing the scope.
• Update and approve specifications and data sheets for electrical and bulk materials.
• Review and approve electrical system studies/calculations.
• Prepare, review, and approve one‑line diagrams and schematic diagrams.
• Prepare, review, and approve electrical equipment building layout drawings.
• Prepare, review, and approve lighting calculations/illumination study for the platform lighting system.
• Prepare, review, and approve load lists or update load lists issued by the customer.
• Coordinate and arrange for equipment inspection and FAT.
• Participate in FAT & inspection and preparation & resolution of punch lists on arrival of skid/material.
• Prepare, review, and approve spare part lists and preservation reports.
• Review and approve pre‑commissioning and commissioning index and provide technical assistance on‑site during pre‑commissioning and start‑up as required.
• Review and provide input to secondary cable routing where detailing is not done.
• Advise fabrication yard of installation locations for small E&I equipment not sufficiently detailed in the AFC drawings.
• Prepare, review, and approve cable drum schedules.
• Identify special tools, equipment, and requirements for commissioning and hook‑up.
• Prepare/review hook‑up installation procedures.
• Coordinate with vendors for installation and pre‑commissioning/commissioning.
• Coordinate work content split between onshore fabrication and installation.
• Review and check the electrical equipment list.
• Participate in the checking and approval of key discipline deliverables such as:
• All electrical studies using approved software.
• C&E chart and ESD logic diagrams.
• Specifications, datasheets, requisitions, TBEs.
• SLD, interconnection, and troubleshooting drawings.
• Hazardous area classification drawings.
• Instrument and F&G detector layout.
• Electrical load list.
• Lighting calculations & lighting layout.
• Error log reports.
• Participate in HAZOP and SIL studies.
• Provide E&I input to pre‑commissioning activities and offshore hook‑ups.
• When acting as Lead Engineer, act as project‑based discipline point of contact in communications and meetings with customer counterparts.
• Ensure substantive communications are documented.
• Prepare bids and the discipline engineering budget and execution plans, updating as required.
• Identify project staff needs and provide requests to the Discipline Manager.
• Plan, organize, and assign tasks, responsibilities, and man‑hour budgets to the discipline team, verifying tasks are completed within budgets.
• Plan discipline level‑4 detail deliverable schedule/register compliant with the overall execution plan.
• Prepare working forecasts identifying change management plans, corrective action, and real‑time schedules; provide discipline inputs for actual, planning, and forecasting progress reports.
• Alert the project team of any deviation from scope or need for a change order.
• Monitor KPI measurement results and take corrective action to improve discipline performance.
• Coordinate with other discipline lead engineers and designers to ensure timely receipt of necessary design inputs.
• Review and approve requisitions, quotation evaluations, bid tabulations, purchase requisitions, and coordinate with procurement to expedite vendor documents.
• Lead the discipline team during project audits and design reviews.
• Review comments from customers on documents and drawings and resolve and guide updates.
• Assist the discipline manager in preparing quarterly forecasts and manpower planning.
• Anticipate project engineering needs and plan accordingly.
• Coordinate with vendor for discipline‑managed/procured items.
• Assist the discipline manager and project engineering or project manager in the performance evaluation of project team members.
• Perform cold‑eye/SME review for other projects.
• Assume responsibility for schedule, quantity, and quality of project deliverables.
• Ensure quality of design deliverables, physical design, and bulk MTOs through a robust checking process.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or master’s degree.
• 18+ years in oil and gas with major contractors or consultants, predominantly performing detail design.
• Detailed knowledge of design techniques, analysis methods, and theory, content, and application of standards, codes, and guidelines.
• Knowledgeable in project coordination and execution skills.
• Developed communication and presentation skills (e.g., technical papers, conferences, seminars, design presentations, or “lunch and learns”).

About Us

Our ingenuity fuels daily life. Together, we’ve forged some of the most trusted partnerships across the energy value chain to turn ideas into reality: laying subsea infrastructure thousands of feet below sea level, installing platforms hundreds of miles from shore, designing and building offshore wind infrastructure, and reshaping the onshore landscape to deliver the energy products the world needs safely and sustainably. For more than 100 years, we've been making the impossible possible. Today, we're driving the energy transition with more than 30,000 of the brightest minds across 54 countries.