Principal Piping Stress Engineer

Worley Group, Inc; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Worley is seeking a Principal Pipe Stress Engineer to join a global team delivering piping stress analyses for FEED, detailed design, brownfield and greenfield projects. You will ensure safety, code compliance and constructibility by evaluating stresses, thermal expansion, loads, and equipment connections.

Responsibilities include leading CAESAR II analyses, reviewing calculations, coordinating with multi-discipline teams, and mentoring engineers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent.
• Experience in piping stress analysis within oil & gas, LNG, petrochemical, refining, energy, or EPC/EPCM industries.
• Extensive experience performing piping flexibility and stress analyses using CAESAR II; AutoPIPE/NozzlePRO/FEA desirable.
• Strong knowledge of ASME B31.1 and B31.3.
• Familiarity with other codes may include ASME B31.4, B31.8, API and client standards.
• Experience evaluating thermal expansion, sustained/occasional/dynamic loads.
• Experience performing equipment nozzle load qualification for pumps, compressors, turbines, vessels, heat exchangers, tanks.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute piping stress analyses for FEED, detailed design, brownfield, and greenfield projects.
• Review piping layouts and optimize routing, supports, and equipment loads.
• Perform nozzle load qualification for pumps, compressors, turbines, vessels, heat exchangers.
• Coordinate with piping designers and other disciplines to resolve stress issues.
• Mentor junior stress engineers and provide technical guidance.
• Lead stress engineering activities and deliverables and report progress.

Skills

Piping stress analysis

CAESAR II

Piping flexibility

FEA

NozzlePRO

ASME B31.1 & B31.3

Team leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

CAESAR II

AutoPIPE

NozzlePRO

FEA

Job description

About us

Worley is a global company of energy, chemicals and resources experts headquartered in Australia. We partner with our customers to deliver projects and create value across the life of their assets. We specialize in consulting, engineering, procurement and construction across the project lifecycle, with services extending through to operations and decommissioning. Leveraging extensive experience and AI-enabled delivery, we support customers in navigating complexity as they meet today's needs and transition to more sustainable solutions.

Purpose:

As a Principal Pipe Stress Engineer at Worley, the successful candidate will be part of a worldwide team that delivers excellent project services to customers globally. The successful candidate is responsible for ensuring that piping systems are safe, code-compliant, operable, and constructible by evaluating stresses, flexibility, support requirements, and equipment loads throughout the project lifecycle.

Responsibilities:

• Understand and comply with company, department, and project procedures, and ensure their consistent application throughout project execution.
• Ensure compliance with applicable industry codes, standards, and client specifications, including ASME, API, PIP, and project-specific requirements.
• Lead and execute piping stress analysis activities for FEED, detailed design, brownfield, and greenfield projects.
• Perform piping flexibility and stress analyses using CAESAR II and other applicable software tools to ensure compliance with project specifications, design codes, and client requirements.
• Develop stress-critical line lists, calculation indexes, stress calculations, and engineering deliverables throughout the project lifecycle.
• Review piping layouts and provide recommendations to optimize routing, flexibility, support arrangements, and equipment load compliance.
• Evaluate thermal expansion, weight, pressure, wind, seismic, slug flow, fluid hammer, PSV discharge, and other sustained, occasional, and dynamic loading conditions.
• Perform nozzle load qualification and interface with mechanical equipment suppliers to ensure compliance with allowable equipment loads.
• Provide pipe support design guidance, including spring supports, restraints, snubbers, expansion joints, and specialty support systems.
• Coordinate closely with piping designers to resolve stress concerns and develop practical, constructible piping layouts.
• Review and approve stress calculations, support sketches, stress dossiers, and associated engineering deliverables prepared by other engineers.
• Lead multidisciplinary coordination with Mechanical, Structural, Civil, Process, Project Controls, Procurement, and Construction teams.
• Participate in model reviews, design reviews, HAZOPs, constructability reviews, and client technical reviews.
• Support procurement activities through technical bid evaluations, vendor document reviews, and resolution of technical queries.
• Provide construction support by reviewing RFIs, field changes, stress-related site issues, and commissioning concerns.
• Lead acoustic-induced vibration (AIV) and flow-induced vibration (FIV) screening and assessments for relief systems, gas-service piping, compressor systems, and high-energy process piping, where required.
• Identify vibration risks and develop mitigation measures associated with control valves, restriction orifices, pressure letdown stations, and relief devices.
• Mentor and develop junior and intermediate stress engineers through technical coaching, workshare coordination, and engineering reviews.
• Serve as the project focal point for piping stress engineering and provide regular progress reporting to project management and discipline leadership.
• Support proposal development, man-hour estimates, basis of estimate preparation, execution planning, and staffing forecasts for stress engineering activities.
• Promote safe design practices, quality compliance, continuous improvement, and effective collaboration across global execution centers.
  *Monitor the progress of all piping engineering activities with respect to budget, schedule, and staffing, and report results to Project Management and Department Management.
• Ensure that the required deliverable verification process is completed and that piping stress deliverables are issued in accordance with the approved schedule.
• Participate in weekly project discipline team meetings and conduct weekly piping design team meetings.
• Collaborate proactively with internal teams and external parties to meet project scope, quality, cost, and schedule commitments.
• Support piping material requisitions, technical bid evaluations, and reviews of vendor documents for piping-related items.
• Specify piping material classes, valves, and piping specialty items on Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs).
• Conduct document checking and design verification tasks in accordance with company and project procedures.
• Select, specify, and requisition manual valves.
• Ensure that all piping engineering team members work in accordance with Worley safety guidelines and have successfully completed project-specific safety training.
  

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or an equivalent accredited engineering degree.
• Experience in piping stress analysis within the oil and gas, LNG, petrochemical, refining, energy, or EPC/EPCM industries
• Extensive experience performing piping flexibility and stress analyses using CAESAR II. Experience with AutoPIPE, NozzlePRO, FEA, or equivalent advanced analysis software is desirable.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable piping codes, particularly ASME B31.1 and B31.3.
• Familiarity with other project-dependent codes and standards may include ASME B31.4, ASME B31.8, ASME BPVC Sections II and VIII, API 520 and API 521, API 610, API 617, API 618, API 650, API 660 and API 661, NEMA SM 23, WRC bulletins, PIP practices, NACE requirements, and applicable client standards.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating thermal expansion, sustained loads, occasional loads, wind, seismic, slug flow, fluid hammer, PSV discharge, and dynamic loading conditions.
• Experience performing equipment nozzle load qualification for pumps, compressors, turbines, vessels, heat exchangers, air coolers, tanks, and packaged equipment.
• Working knowledge of engineered pipe supports, spring supports, snubbers, expansion joints, and specialty support design requirements.
• Experience supporting FEED, detailed design, brownfield, greenfield, and site construction projects.
• Ability to coordinate closely with piping design, mechanical, structural, process, and project teams to optimize piping layouts and resolve stress-related issues. \
• Proven ability to lead stress engineering activities, develop departmental work processes, review calculations, mentor engineers, and provide technical guidance to project teams.
• Experience reviewing vendor documentation, participating in technical bid evaluations, and supporting field engineering and construction activities.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to interface effectively with clients, project management, and multidisciplinary and geographically distributed teams.
• Knowledge of the engineering development process and typical piping engineering deliverables such as piping isometrics, piping line classes, line designation tables, specialty items, and material selection diagrams.
• Experience executing engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects.
• Ability to present technical solutions and recommendations to clients, project management, and senior leadership. \
• Must hold an active Professional Engineer (PE) license in at least one U.S. jurisdiction and be eligible for and willing to obtain licensure in the applicable state(s):
  oProfessional Engineer registration in Texas.
  oProfessional Engineer registration in Louisiana.
  oProfessional Engineer registration in Iowa.

Preferred:

• Working knowledge of 3D design platforms, including AVEVA E3D, SP3D, Plant 3D, or equivalent systems.
• Experience with Hexagon SmartPlant software tools, including P&ID, Materials, and Reference Data.
• Proficiency with CAESAR II, NozzlePRO, and Navisworks.
• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams.

Moving forward together

We want our people to be energized and empowered to drive sustainable impact. So, our focus is on a values-inspired culture that unlocks brilliance through belonging, connection and innovation. We're building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace. Creating a space where everyone feels they belong, can be themselves, and are heard.

And we're not just talking about it; we're doing it. We're reskilling our people, leveraging transferable skills, and supporting the transition of our workforce to become experts in today's low carbon energy infrastructure and technology. Whatever your ambition, there's a path for you here.

And there's no barrier to your potential career success. Join us to broaden your horizons, explore diverse opportunities, and be part of delivering sustainable change.