Job Overview

JOB DESCRIPTION

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

Responsibilities

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Perform conceptual, FEED, and detailed analyses and Design as per Design basis, project specifications, design codes, and standards
Apply in-depth skills and broad knowledge of the business to address complex problems and nonstandard situations
Prepare clear and accurate detailed design calculations and analyses, including design reports and procedures
Manage own time to meet objectives and (as Lead Engineer) forecast and plan resource requirements
Clearly communicate and explain difficult concepts and persuade others to adopt a point of view
When acting as Lead Engineer, in addition:

Direct small or medium Mechanical Engineering team as a Lead Engineer
Lead the Discipline engineering design of the assigned work area and completed 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 the 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 the 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, and Project Management Team, as required
Document substantive communications (communications that result in significant decisions or assignment of actions) and forward copies to the 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 Discipline engineering design basis, philosophies, and technical specifications
Participate in finalizing deliverables 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 site surveys, as required
Provide technical direction and review of Designers producing products related to Mechanical 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, preparing queries, compiling bid tabulations and recommendations, preparing purchase requisitions, and coordinating with Procurement to expedite vendor documents, as directed by Discipline Lead Engineer
Assist in updating weight report based on receipt of vendor information
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 fabrication queries
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 MOR Global Procedures
Assist Lead 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
Guide less experienced engineers on MOR and Discipline procedures, standards, worksheets, design calculations, software, requisitions, technical bid evaluations, technical queries, etc
Supervise and guide assigned engineers and coordinate with project Lead Designers for Discipline engineering and design deliverables
Monitor costs of own work processes
Assist in the maintenance of departmental technical guidelines
Participate in the development and maintenance of Global Procedures, Software, and Standards
May participate in standards development committees or task groups
Develop communication and presentation skills (e.g., write technical papers, participate in conferences and/or seminars, present design solutions, etc.)
Identify and provide training to staff in specific techniques and proprietary software
Provide information on employee performance to the Discipline Manager
Assist the Discipline Manager in interviewing job applicants
Check/prepare and (as Lead Engineer) Approve Mechanical equipment list, spare parts list, special tools list
Check/prepare/participate in Approval of detailed engineering documents/ deliverables such as:

Mechanical Equipment Specifications and datasheets
Mechanical handling philosophy report and associated requisitioning for handling equipment
Noise report prepared by a consultant to ensure it complies with Project requirements
Lubrication schedule, spare parts schedule

Assist with equipment inspection and testing
Participate in Factory Acceptance Testing of various items as assigned
Identify vendor assistance for installation, pre-commissioning, and commissioning purposes
Update electrical load list, P&IDs, and equipment lists based on receipt of vendor information
Participate in HAZOP meetings, as necessary
Participate in 3D model reviews, as necessary
Provide inputs to Piping Design, including package/equipment supplier data
When acting as Lead Engineer, in addition:

Identify project staff needs based on knowledge of individual engineers skill sets and provide requests to the Discipline manager
Act as project-based Discipline point of contact in communications and meetings with Customer counterparts
Ensure substantive communications are documented
Prepare the bid's and project's 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 manhour 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-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 progress 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 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 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
Check and Approve Mechanical equipment list, spare parts list, and special tools list
Check and Participate in Approval of detailed engineering documents/deliverables such as:

Mechanical Equipment Specifications and datasheets
Mechanical handling philosophy report and associated requisitioning for handling equipment
Noise report prepared by a consultant to ensure it complies with Project requirements
Lubrication schedule, spare parts schedule

Reports to:

Project: Lead Engineer, Project Engineering Manager or Project Manager

Functional: Supervising Department Manager

Liaises With: All Engineering disciplines, Safety Department, Project Management Team, Document Control, Project Planner,

Project Cost Controller, QC and Certification Group, Procurement Group, Subcontractors, Vendors, and Customers

Supervises: Senior Mechanical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, and Associated Engineers

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications and Education

Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree in Engineering
15-20 years of experience in oil and gas with a major contractor or consultant predominantly performing detail design
Preferably Registered Professional Engineer or member of professional engineering society as applicable
Seasoned structural knowledge
Very good organizer, motivator, and supervisor
Able to solve problems without assistance
Keen on improving the effectiveness of the work
HSE, TQM and cost-conscious
Fluent in the English language
Understanding and supporting company goals and work processes
Show flexibility and ensure proper hand-over with regards to:

The reassignment to other McDermott offices
The replacement of colleagues during illness and holidays
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

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.