Decommissioning Topsides Lead (EDC)

At CNOOC International, we take pride in our corporate culture. From East to West, we foster an ethical, responsible and safety-first mindset to build trust among our stakeholders. A career at CNOOC International is about moving forward – learning new skills, broadening experiences and making meaningful contributions. We offer an unprecedented opportunity for growth and development.

The Decommissioning Topsides Lead (EDC) is responsible for the end-to-end planning, coordination, and execution of engineering down and clean (EDC) activities for offshore topsides. This includes ensuring that all systems are safely transitioned to a state that is free from mobile hydrocarbons, fully energy-isolated, and cleaned to agreed standards in preparation for removal. Based full-time in the Aberdeen office and reporting to the Decommissioning Project Manager, the role ensures that all topsides are handed over to the removals contractor in a condition that is safe, compliant, and efficient. The position is accountable for meeting all relevant regulatory, company, and project requirements while maintaining high standards of safety and operational integrity.

The EDC Lead provides technical, planning, and execution leadership throughout the full project lifecycle, from FEED and detailed design through to offshore execution. Acting as a key interface between Operations, discipline engineers, contractors, and the wider decommissioning team, the role ensures clear alignment and effective collaboration across all stakeholders. This position plays a critical role in delivering decommissioning outcomes that are safe, efficient, and cost-effective, while supporting broader asset strategies and business objectives.

The EDC Lead provides technical and execution leadership across all topsides engineering down and clean activities, spanning FEED, detailed design, and offshore execution. The role is accountable for setting clear technical direction, developing and maintaining EDC strategies, procedures, work packs, and schedules, and ensuring systems are left in a condition that meets decommissioning, lifting, dismantling, and regulatory requirements. This includes reviewing and approving methodologies, isolation philosophies, and temporary modifications, as well as making timely, informed technical decisions and resolving issues throughout planning and execution phases.

Effective planning and coordination are central to the role, requiring close collaboration with Operations, Maintenance, HSE, Engineering, Construction, and the wider Decommissioning team. The EDC Lead coordinates activities across multiple technical disciplines, including Process, Mechanical, Piping, Electrical, and Control & Instrumentation, while also managing and integrating contractor scopes such as clean, chemical treatment, waste management, and specialist services. The role ensures EDC activities are fully aligned with overall project plans and safely integrated with simultaneous offshore operations, particularly well decommissioning and flowline flushing activities.

The position carries strong responsibility for safety, health, and environmental leadership. The EDC Lead acts as a visible safety champion, ensuring all activities comply with company standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practice. This includes implementing robust risk assessments, isolation management, permit-to-work processes, and energy control measures, as well as ensuring hydrocarbon and gas-free certification is achieved, documented, and auditable. A key aspect of the role is fostering a positive safety culture across both the internal team and contractor workforce.

Leadership and people management are integral to delivering successful outcomes. The EDC Lead is responsible for leading and supporting the EDC team, driving high performance through clear communication, accountability, and effective work allocation. The role models company values, encourages continuous improvement, and promotes ongoing learning and development within the team.

The role also contributes to contracting and commercial strategy by developing scopes of work, FEED inputs, and contracting approaches for EDC activities, including associated scopes such as navigational aids and post-CoP power provision. This involves engaging with the supply chain to assess market capabilities, encourage innovation, and identify opportunities for cost and schedule efficiencies, while supporting robust and transparent tendering and contract management processes.

Performance management is a key accountability, with responsibility for monitoring and challenging contractor delivery across safety, environmental, quality, cost, and schedule metrics. The EDC Lead supports the project team in responding to changing conditions while maintaining control of risks and execution priorities and ensures that lessons learned are captured and embedded into current and future decommissioning activities.

Finally, the role provides assurance and reporting across all EDC activities, tracking progress against schedule and highlighting risks, constraints, and mitigation actions. The EDC Lead ensures strong operator-level assurance of contractor performance, technical quality, and readiness for execution, and is responsible for the completion and approval of all handover documentation, certification, and system close-out records.

The ideal candidate will bring substantial experience in offshore oil and gas operations, with a strong focus on late-life asset management, including shutdowns, turnarounds, engineering down and clean activities, and hydrocarbon removal. A solid technical foundation is essential, typically demonstrated through a degree or HND in Engineering, such as Process, Mechanical, or a related discipline. Candidates should also possess in-depth knowledge of topsides systems and a good understanding of applicable UKCS or equivalent regional regulatory frameworks.

Proven capability in managing and coordinating complex offshore execution scopes is critical, including the oversight of multiple contractors and multidisciplinary teams. The role requires an individual who can plan and deliver integrated activities effectively while maintaining strong control over safety, quality, cost, and schedule outcomes. Offshore survival and medical certification are required, or the ability to obtain them. Strong interpersonal and leadership skills are essential. The successful candidate will be a clear and confident communicator, able to influence, challenge, and engage stakeholders at all levels of the organisation. A collaborative approach is key, with the ability to build effective working relationships across internal functions and with external partners, while fostering a high-performing team environment.

The role demands a proactive and solutions-focused mindset, with a strong emphasis on identifying, assessing, and mitigating risk to ensure safe and successful delivery. A deep commitment to health, safety, and environmental excellence is fundamental, with the expectation that the individual will consistently promote and uphold the highest standards across all activities.

In this role, you can participate in our Compressed Work Schedule (CWS), which offers two Fridays off per month in exchange for an additional 45 minutes of work each day. You will work collaboratively with colleagues in the office from Monday to Thursday, and from home on a Friday, when not on a CWS day. Additionally, we provide free lunches for all employees. In return for your dedication, we offer a comprehensive total rewards package that acknowledges your contributions and supports your family. Our standard benefits include competitive healthcare and dental coverage, company-paid life insurance and accident coverage, generous vacation time, and a competitive company pension plan with a substantial match and company contribution. We also provide a complimentary annual health check. We are committed to our deliverables, but we also know how to have fun. We host several wellness challenges each year to support mental, physical, financial, and social health. Our team members also engage in community support through financial contributions and volunteer initiatives.

Only applicants who are authorised to work in the UK, without company sponsorship, on a full-time, permanent basis will be considered. Relocation assistance will not be provided for this position.