Job Overview
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Senior Principal Engineering Spec is tasked with solving unique and complex problems that broadly impact the business. They must proactively identify and solve the most complex problems that impact the management and direction of the business. The Senior Principal Engineering Spec is considered a specialist in Engineering (Eng), and they offer a broad knowledge base about the Engineering function. The Senior Principal Engineering Spec impacts the direction and resource allocation of programs and projects in their discipline and works within general functional policies and industry guidelines. The Senior Principal Engineering Spec role requires conceptual and innovative thinking to develop creative solutions to Engineering (Eng) challenges.
Responsibilities
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
- Perform conceptual, FEED, and detailed analyses and design as per design basis, project specifications, design codes, and standards
- Develop creative and innovative solutions that are reliable and cost-effective for problems and challenges when they arise
- Apply expertise to the most complex problems
- Manage own time to meet objectives, and (as Lead Engineer) forecast and plan resource requirements
- Develop and manage plans to achieve business objectives
- Clearly communicate and explain highly complex ideas and anticipate potential objections, influencing outcomes
- When acting as Lead Engineer, in addition:
- Direct large Engineering team as a Lead Engineer on most unique and complex projects
- Lead the Discipline engineering design of the assigned work area and complete it within the planned schedule and budget, in accordance with standards, MDR, and project-specific procedures and to a high professional standard
- Plan, organize, and direct all aspects of Discipline execution on the assigned project, including scope, deliverables, schedule, and all workforce resources – agree on allocations with the Discipline Manager
- Ensure interfaces and deliverables are clearly identified
- Maintain responsibility for progress and productivity, identifying any required corrective action
- Act as project representative for the discipline during meetings with Project Team,
- Customer discipline lead and relevant agencies such as certifying authorities, auditors, third parties, etc
Become fully familiar with the project scope of work, specifications, schedule, and all inter-discipline requirements, including identifying concerns as early as practicable and taking appropriate initiatives to address issues, interpret contractual requirements as they relate to engineering execution
Identify changes to scope and promptly raise change notifications, including providing any necessary 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, Planning, fabrication, Marine, and Project Management Teams, as required
Document substantive communications (communications that result in significant decisions or assignment of actions) and forward copies to Discipline Lead Engineer and Discipline Manager
Prepare estimates for bid proposals, including technical query reviews, execution statements, and manhour estimates, identifying software requirements and any other project-specific requirements
Raise technical queries to obtain missing information, clarify work scope, and maintain preferred Mcdermott procedures, specifications, standards, practices, and operational requirements
Prepare, review, and (as Lead Engineer) approve engineering design basis, philosophies, and technical specifications
Participate in finalizing deliverable 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 and review meetings, vendor meetings, engineering meetings, and offshore site surveys, as required
Provide technical direction and review of Designers producing products related to Construction Support Engineering
Prepare, review, and (as Lead Engineer) approve design reports and procedures
Assist in providing necessary design inputs to other disciplines to enable them to proceed with their deliverables
Assist procurement personnel in procuring discipline equipment, materials, and services, ensuring that work produced complies with Customer objectives and procedures
Provide procurement assistance, including preparing, reviewing, and (as Lead Engineer) approving requisitions, evaluating technical quotations and preparing queries, compiling bid tabulations and recommendations, preparing purchase requisitions, and coordinating with Procurement to expedite vendor documents, as directed by Discipline Lead Engineer
Review and (as Lead Engineer) approve vendor and subcontractor submittals, checking for compliance with project specifications and providing comments as necessary
Review and (as Lead Engineer) approve design verification through single-discipline check /inter-discipline check (IDC)
Provide technical support to all fabrication queries, including identifying defect/rectification requirements
Keep the Discipline Manager and Project Management Team apprised of all activities and concerns, technical, budgetary, and workforce-related
Assist in providing inputs for actual, planning, and forecasting progress reports, including associated productivity
Check final subcontractor and vendor data manuals to ensure that 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 in accordance with project and company requirements
Perform (as required) Technical Quality Audit reviews in accordance with MDR Global procedures
Assist Project engineer with responses to Customers and other agencies (such as certifying authorities, auditors, third parties, etc) on their review and approval
Capture lessons learned and enter into MDR’s Lessons Learned system
Provide leadership, mentoring, and guidance to other Engineers
Supervise and guide assigned engineers and coordinate with Lead Designers for Discipline engineering and design deliverables
Assign personnel to analyze and design tasks based on knowledge of individual strengths and capabilities
Monitor costs of own work processes
Evaluate costs associated with products and solutions
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 or task groups such as API
Recognized as having good communication and presentation skills (e.g., published technical papers are clearly written, actively participates in conferences or seminars, and/or is a capable presenter of design solutions or topics at MDR learning sessions
Assist the Department Manager in identifying departmental needs, including the development of personnel and technical capabilities
Participate in McDermott forums and represent McDermott as a subject matter expert(SME)
Provide information on employee performance to the Discipline Manager
Assist the Discipline manager in interviewing job applicants
Perform, review, and (as Lead Engineer) approve designs, analyses, evaluations, calculations, and procedures such as :
Erection sequences for jackets, topsides, and other structures
Loadout procedure and guidance during the operations
Construction lift analyses and procedures for activities such as floatovers, stackings, rollups, etc.
Weighing Procedures
Design and detailing of miscellaneous fabrication yard items
Crane arrangements and rigging arrangements
Trailer arrangements/operations
Assist in coordinating critical operations pre-activity meetings
When acting as Lead engineer, in addition:
Act as a discipline point of contact in communications and meetings with customer counterparts
Ensure substantive communications are documented
Prepare bids and projects discipline engineering budget and execution plans
Identify project staff needs based on knowledge of individual engineer’s skill sets and provide requests to the discipline manager
Plan, organize, and assign tasks, responsibilities, and manhour budgets to the discipline team, and verify tasks are completed within budgets
Plan discipline deliverable schedule/register compliant with the overall execution plan
Prepare work forecasts identifying change management plans, corrective action, and real-time 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 for a change 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 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/give guidance on their update and incorporation
Assist the Discipline manager in the preparation of quarterly forecasts and workforce planning
Anticipate project engineering needs and plan accordingly
Coordinate with vendors for discipline-managed/produced items
Assist the Discipline manager and Project Engineering Manager or Project Manager in the Performance Evaluation of project team members
Reports to: Manager Construction Support Engineering
Liaise With: All Engineering disciplines, Fabrication Groups, Safety Dept, Project Management Team, Document Control,
Project Planner, Project Cost Controller, QC and Certification Group, Procurement Group, Subcontractors and Vendors, and
Customers
Supervises: Senior Engineers and Engineers
Qualifications
Essential Qualifications and Education
- Bachelor\’s Degree in Naval Architecture, Civil/Structural/Mechanical Engineering (Master’s is a preference)
- 20+ years of experience in oil and gas with major contractors or consultants 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 offshore
- Knowledgeable in project coordination and execution skills
- Recognized across the company as a key lead, highly innovative designer, or highly skilled analyst
- Preferably a Registered Professional Engineer or member of a professional engineering society
About Us
Our ingenuity fuels daily life. Together, we’ve forged some of the most trusted partnerships across the energy value chain to make what was once just an idea a reality: laying subsea infrastructure thousands of feet below sea level, installing platforms hundreds of miles from shore, using our expertise to design and build 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.
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