PROJECT ENGINEERING LEAD (Technology Commercialisation | Engineering Leadership | Design Governance)

PrimeStaff Management Services; Gujarat; On-site; INR 3,200,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

PrimeStaff Management Services is seeking an experienced Project Engineering Lead in Vadodara, Gujarat, India to guide the engineering execution of a first-of-a-kind commercial technology deployment. You will partner with EPC contractors, lead engineering governance, and ensure safety, schedule, and cost objectives are met.

The role emphasizes FEED/FEL-3, detailed engineering, procurement readiness, and independent oversight while protecting proprietary technology.

Qualifications

• Senior-level leadership in large-scale engineering projects.
• Experience bridging R&D to demonstration or commercial plant design.
• Background coordinating EPC/EPCM contractors and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary interface with the EPC partner during FEED/FEL-3 and detailed design phases.
• Coordinate engineering activities between Equatic, the EPC partner, and other engineering partners.
• Review and challenge engineering deliverables for conformance, schedule, and cost.
• Facilitate resolution of technical and commercial issues during FEED/FEL-3.
• Lead engineering execution from FEL-3 through detailed engineering, procurement, and manufacturing readiness.
• Review and approve engineering deliverables to meet requirements and quality standards.
• Review pre-FEL-2 deliverables including conceptual process designs and equipment sizing.
• Provide independent oversight while safeguarding proprietary technology and IP.
• Support peer reviewer selection and QA/QC processes; ensure alignment with project goals.
• Ensure objectives across engineering, procurement, schedule, cost, quality, and safety are met.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Process engineering

FEED FEL coordination

Education

Bachelors/Masters in Chemical or Process Engineering

Job description

Our client is a pioneering climate technology company commercialising breakthrough carbon removal and green hydrogen technologies. Following successful pilot and demonstration deployments, the organisation is progressing towards commercial-scale implementation and expanding its engineering and project delivery capabilities for future global deployments. As it transitions from technology development into commercial execution, they are seeking an experienced Project Engineering Lead (based in Vadodara, Gujarat, India) to lead and manage the engineering execution of a first-of-a-kind commercial technology deployment, ensuring engineering partners, contractors, consultants, and vendors execute safely, efficiently, and in accordance with the organisation's technical, commercial, schedule, quality, and operational objectives.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is a senior project engineering leadership role responsible for leading and managing the engineering execution of a first-of-a-kind commercial technology deployment project from pre-FEL-2 through FEL-3, detailed engineering, procurement, and manufacturing readiness. This role requires dual capability:

WHAT MAKES THIS ROLE UNIQUE :

• EPC / FEED Coordination: Work alongside the EPC contractor to coordinate FEED/FEL-3 activities.
• Engineering Leadership + Management: Lead and manage engineering execution, providing technical oversight and design governance.
• Engineering-Centric Focus: Focused on pre-FEL-2, FEED/FEL-3, detailed engineering, design governance, and contractor management - not construction or site execution.
• First-of-a-kind Project: Deliver novel seawater electrolysis technology at commercial scale for the first time.
• Owner's Representative: Act as the trusted eyes and ears of leadership, providing independent engineering oversight and escalating only critical decisions.
• Technology Protection: Safeguard proprietary technology while working with external engineering partners and contractors.
• Scale-Up Bridge: Bridge R&D and pilot-scale data with demonstration and commercial-scale design, translating lab-scale results into engineering specifications and design requirements.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

EPC / FEED Coordination (50%)

• Act as the primary technical interface with the EPC partner during FEED/FEL-3 and detailed design phases.
• Coordinate engineering activities between Equatic, the EPC partner, and other engineering partners to ensure alignment with project objectives.
• Review and challenge engineering deliverables from the EPC partner to ensure technical conformance, schedule alignment, and cost control.
• Facilitate resolution of technical and commercial issues arising during FEED/FEL-3 and detailed design.

Technical Engineering Leadership & Design Governance (25%)

• Lead and manage engineering execution from FEL-3 through detailed engineering, procurement, and manufacturing readiness - providing both technical oversight and design governance.
• Review and approve engineering deliverables, ensuring they meet project requirements, specifications, and quality standards - without performing detailed engineering design yourself.
• Review and challenge pre-FEL-2 technical deliverables using engineering principles, including conceptual process designs, preliminary heat and mass balances, equipment sizing calculations, design considerations, available equipment options, utility requirements, and cost drivers.
• Review process simulations and calculations to verify equipment sizing (vessels, pumps, PSVs) from first principles.
• Provide independent, trusted oversight across all project phases while safeguarding the organisation's proprietary technology and intellectual property.
• Support the selection and appointment of peer reviewers and monitor the engineering team's QA/QC processes.
• Ensure engineering, procurement, schedule, cost, quality, and safety objectives remain aligned with project requirements.

Owner's Engineering & Governance (15%)

• Interface with, and hold accountable, large engineering contractors - ensuring they deliver on scope, schedule, and quality commitments.
• Lead and participate in HAZOP studies and process safety reviews; coordinate follow-up actions.
• Support Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) to ensure fabricated equipment conforms to engineering specifications.
• Support project governance, decision-making, and timely resolution of technical and commercial issues.
• Operate with significant autonomy, escalating only critical decisions that require leadership input.
• Provide independent, trusted oversight across all project phases while safeguarding the organisation's proprietary technology and intellectual property.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Management (5%)

• Build strong working relationships across engineering, process engineering, procurement, manufacturing, operations, and executive leadership teams.
• Coordinate multiple external engineering partners and contractors while ensuring clear communication, accountability, and timely decision-making.
• Facilitate project meetings, technical reviews, governance forums, and stakeholder updates throughout the project lifecycle.
• Communicate complex technical and commercial matters clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Support procurement activities covering long-lead equipment, technology packages, major contracts, and engineering services.
• Review procurement strategies, technical bid evaluations, contract recommendations, supplier performance, and manufacturing progress.
• Coordinate closely with vendors, suppliers, fabricators, logistics providers, and project teams to ensure timely delivery of equipment and materials.
• Monitor manufacturing progress, expediting activities, and supplier commitments to minimise project risks.

Project Controls, Risk & Performance Management (Supporting)

• Monitor integrated project schedules, milestone achievement, project costs, budget performance, and overall project execution.
• Maintain project risk registers, action logs, decision registers, issue trackers, and change management processes.
• Review variation orders, change requests, contractor claims, payment milestones, and recovery plans.
• Prepare regular project reports highlighting progress, risks, mitigation plans, key decisions, commercial impacts, and overall project status for leadership.
• Coordinate engineering interfaces and provide oversight during future construction and commissioning phases, ensuring alignment with design intent and project requirements.
• Support commissioning planning, operational readiness, and successful transition into plant operations as the project progresses.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Chemical, Process Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Approximately 10-12 years or more of experience in engineering leadership, engineering management, or project delivery roles on large-scale industrial, manufacturing, energy, or technology commercialisation projects. Experience delivering first-of-a-kind (FOAK) or deep-tech pilot/demonstration facilities is highly valued.
• Strong hands-on process engineering background, with the ability to independently review and verify process simulations, heat and mass balances, and equipment sizing (vessels, pumps, PSVs) from first principles.
• Demonstrated experience bridging R&D/pilot-scale development to demonstration or commercial-scale plant design, translating lab-scale results into engineering specifications.
• Experience managing EPC contractors and equipment vendors from a technical perspective (FAT, HAZOP, technical bid evaluations).
• Experience with early-phase process/project development, including pre-FEL-2, FEL-2, and FEL-3 stages.
• Demonstrated experience managing projects from FEED/FEL through engineering, procurement, and delivery.
• Strong understanding of engineering governance, engineering management, project controls, schedule management, cost management, risk management, contract administration, and change management.
• Experience coordinating engineering consultants, EPC or EPCM contractors, equipment vendors, multidisciplinary engineering teams, and external stakeholders.
• Familiarity with construction and commissioning processes.
• Proven ability to operate autonomously and make independent decisions while knowing when to escalation to leadership.
• Demonstrated commercial acumen with experience reviewing cost estimates, progress payments, and change requests on major capital projects.
• Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder management, negotiation, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Comfortable operating within fast-paced, technology-driven organisations transitioning from pilot-scale development to commercial deployment.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to engineering partners, supplier facilities, fabrication sites, and project sites as required.

HIGHLY ADVANTAGEOUS:

Experience within one or more of the following sectors would be highly regarded:

• Hydrogen, Carbon Capture, Green Energy, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
• Electrochemical Manufacturing, Water Treatment / Desalination, Chemical Processing
• Industrial Manufacturing, Process Plants, Energy Infrastructure, Power Generation

Experience delivering first-of-a-kind (FOAK) projects, technology commercialisation, pilot-to-commercial scale-up, FEL / FEED engineering, or recognised project management certifications (e.g. PMP) will be considered highly advantageous.

Experience working with Indian manufacturing partners and understanding the local business and regulatory environment is advantageous.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

PrimeStaff will never ask candidates to make any payment, transfer funds or provide banking credentials as part of the recruitment process. If you are unsure about any communication or job opportunity, please verify with us at https://primestaff.com.sg/about-primestaff/consultant-verification/