Principal Subsea Engineer

Brunel; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Brunel Malaysia seeks a Principal Subsea Engineer to interpret complex pipeline challenges and guide independent problem solving. You will lead technical reviews, ensure compliance with project requirements, and mentor junior engineers in FEA-based analyses and subsea design.

This senior role requires deep expertise in pipeline FEA, cross-disciplinary coordination, and decision making across procurement, fabrication, and field execution to deliver safe and efficient subsea solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering.
• 15-20 years of experience in Oil and Gas.
• Registered Professional Engineer or member of Professional Engineering Society preferred.

Responsibilities

• Act as a subject matter expert in pipeline advanced engineering.
• Solve complex engineering challenges independently and recommend best practices.
• Lead technical reviews, interdisciplinary checks, and design verification activities.
• Prepare bids and project Discipline engineering budget and execution plans.
• Mentor and supervise junior engineers.

Education

Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering

Job description

The Principal Subsea Engineering is responsible for interpreting internal or external business issues and recommending best practices. They will be tasked with solving complex pipeline-related problems and will work independently with minimal guidance. The Principal Subsea Engineer may be responsible for leading functional teams or projects and is regarded as a specialist in the field of pipeline advanced analysis related engineering. As such, they must have in-depth expertise in pipeline FEA and advanced analysis engineering as well as broad knowledge of the Subsea engineering discipline within the engineering function.

Job Responsibility:

Technical Leadership & Engineering

• Act as a subject matter expert in pipeline advanced engineering.
• Solve complex engineering challenges independently and recommend best practices.
• Develop, review, and approve engineering philosophies, specifications, design reports, procedures, and calculations.
• Ensure engineering integrity, quality, and compliance with project and contractual requirements.
• Lead technical reviews, interdisciplinary checks, and design verification activities.

Project Execution & Coordination

• Understand project scope, schedules, specifications, and deliverables.
• Identify risks, technical issues, and scope changes early, raising change notices and variation orders where required.
• Coordinate closely with engineering disciplines, project management, fabrication, marine, planning, and procurement teams.
• Participate in project kick-off meetings, design reviews, vendor meetings, and offshore surveys.
• Support procurement activities by preparing requisitions and evaluating technical bids.
• Review and approve vendor and subcontractor documentation.
• Ensure purchased equipment and services meet project specifications and customer requirements.
• Monitor vendor deliverables and closeout documentation.

Construction & Fabrication Support

• Provide technical support during fabrication and installation.
• Respond to fabrication queries and support defect assessment and rectification activities.
• Review construction sequences and project schedules to ensure engineering alignment.

Quality, Compliance & Customer Interface

• Ensure compliance with company procedures, industry standards, and customer specifications.
• Participate in technical quality audits and certification reviews.
• Interface with customers, certifying authorities, auditors, and third parties to resolve technical issues.
• Maintain documentation of significant technical decisions and communications.

Planning, Reporting & Cost Control

• Prepare engineering estimates, work-hour forecasts, and bid proposal inputs.
• Monitor engineering progress, productivity, and costs.
• Keep management informed of technical, budget, schedule, and resource concerns.

People Development & Knowledge Management

• Mentor and supervise junior engineers.
• Provide technical training and guidance on procedures, software, calculations, and industry standards.
• Capture lessons learned and contribute to organizational knowledge databases.
• Support development of company standards, procedures, software tools, and industry initiatives (e.g., API committees).
• Contribute to employee performance feedback and professional development activities.

Assist the Discipline manager in interviewing job applicants.

• Prepare, review, and (as Lead Engineer) approve the following for pipelines and their components:
• Material specifications and datasheets.
• Fabrication specifications.
• Installation specifications.
• Pipeline advanced FEA, design and installation analyses.
• Material takeoffs.
• Pipeline reports and installation manuals.

Perform, review, and (as Lead Engineer) approve the following designs, analyses, and evaluations for pipelines and their components:

• Wall thickness designs.
• On-bottom stability analyses.
• Free-span analyses.
• Pipeline expansion and rigid riser stress analyses using finite element analysis (FEA) tools.
• Bottom roughness evaluations.
• Pipeline local and global buckling mitigation designs.
• Pipeline Lateral Buckling and Walking Analysis

When acting as Lead Engineer, in addition:

• Act as project-based Discipline point of contact in communications and meetings with Customer counterparts.
• Ensure substantive communications are documented.
• Prepare bids and project Discipline engineering budget and execution plans, updating as required.
• Identify project staff needs based on knowledge of individual engineers’ skill sets and provide requests to the Discipline manager.
• Plan, organize, and assign tasks, responsibilities, and workhour budgets to the discipline team, and verify 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 schedule.
• Provide Discipline inputs for actual, planning, and forecasting progress reports including associated productivity.
• Alert the project team of any deviation from the scope or a need to change the order.
• Monitor KPI measurement results and take corrective action as necessary to improve Discipline performance, including performance at interfaces with others.
• Coordinate with other Discipline Lead Engineers and Designers to ensure timely receipt of necessary design inputs.
• Review and approve requisitions, technical quotation evaluations and queries, compiled bid tabulations and recommendations, and purchase requisitions; and coordinate with Procurement to expedite vendor documents as required.
• Lead the Discipline team during project audits (internal, Customer, and third-party technical audits) and Design Reviews.
• Review comments from Customers & other agencies on documents and drawings produced by the team and resolve and give guidance on their updates and incorporation.
• Assist the Discipline manager in the preparation of 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 Manager or Project Manager in the Performance Evaluation of project team members.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree in Engineering.
• 15-20 years of experience in Oil and Gas with major contractor or consultant predominantly performing detail design.
• Detailed knowledge of design techniques and analysis methods, and detailed knowledge of the theory, content, and application of standards, codes, and guidelines as applicable for Mechanical Equipment.
• Knowledgeable in project coordination and execution skills.
• Preferably Registered Professional Engineer or member of Professional Engineering Society as applicable.
• Able to solve problems without assistance.
• Keen on improving the effectiveness of the work.
• HSE, TQM, and cost-conscious.
• Understanding and supporting company goals and work processes.
• The provision of assistance to other colleagues with heavy workloads (also other projects) when possible / desirable.
• The managing / learning of future current working methods and software applications.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Brunel International S.E.A. Pte. Ltd

UEN No.: 199603098 | EA Licence No.: 16S8067