Principal HSE Engineer - Technical Safety
Posted date [2026-05-31]
(ID: 45859)
McDermott is a global engineering and construction company delivering advanced solutions for the energy sector. The company focuses on transforming energy resources into essential products through innovative, technology-driven approaches across the full project lifecycle, from concept to decommissioning. With operations in more than 30 countries, McDermott combines a skilled workforce, specialized marine assets, and international fabrication capabilities to support large-scale energy projects. The organization plays a key role in developing efficient, reliable, and sustainable energy infrastructure worldwide.... |
Job Description and Requirements
Principal HSE Engineer - Technical SafetyJob Snapshot
Role: Principal HSE Engineer - Technical Safety
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Industry: Oil and Energy
Function: Occupational Health and Safety
Experience: Principal level
Job Type: Full-time
Position Overview
Principal HSE Engineer - Technical Safety in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is an Oil and Energy opportunity for an experienced HSE engineering professional with strong expertise in fire protection, technical safety, loss prevention, safety studies, FEED, detailed design, and EPC project execution. This role is suited for a specialist who can work independently, solve complex HSE engineering challenges, support multidisciplinary project teams, and lead discipline activities when required.
Job Details
Country: United Arab Emirates
City: Dubai
Industry: Oil and Energy
Function: Occupational Health and Safety
Salary: 38000-55000
Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer.
Gender: Any
Candidate Nationality: Any
Job Type: Full-time
Role Context
The Principal HSE Engineer - Technical Safety will provide specialist technical safety and fire protection engineering support across energy projects, from conceptual and FEED phases through detailed design, procurement assistance, fabrication support, safety study coordination, and technical audits. The position requires strong judgment, discipline knowledge, and the ability to interpret project requirements, identify risks, guide engineering teams, and ensure that safety deliverables meet project specifications, design codes, client expectations, and McDermott procedures.
Key Responsibilities
* Perform conceptual, FEED, and detailed HSE engineering analyses and design in line with design basis, project specifications, design codes, and applicable standards.
* Apply specialist HSE engineering knowledge to resolve complex technical issues, nonstandard project situations, and discipline-related challenges.
* Prepare clear and accurate design calculations, technical analyses, design reports, procedures, and supporting engineering documentation.
* Manage assigned work priorities, meet project objectives, and support resource forecasting when acting in a lead engineering role.
* Communicate difficult technical concepts clearly and influence stakeholders toward practical, compliant, and safe engineering solutions.
* Lead medium or large HSE engineering teams when assigned as Lead Engineer.
* Direct discipline engineering design for assigned project areas and ensure work is completed within approved schedule, budget, standards, MDR requirements, and project-specific procedures.
* Plan, organize, and manage discipline execution including scope, deliverables, schedules, manpower planning, and engineering coordination.
* Identify discipline interfaces, required design inputs, deliverable dependencies, and potential project risks early in the execution cycle.
* Monitor progress, productivity, technical quality, and discipline performance while recommending corrective actions where needed.
* Represent the HSE engineering discipline in meetings with project teams, customer discipline leads, certifying authorities, auditors, third parties, and other agencies.
* Review project scope, technical specifications, schedules, inter-discipline requirements, and contractual obligations related to engineering execution.
* Identify scope changes, prepare change notifications, provide supporting estimates, and assist with variation order requirements.
* Coordinate with other departments and engineering disciplines to obtain design inputs and support clash-free engineering outputs.
* Prepare bid proposal inputs including technical query reviews, execution statements, manhour estimates, software needs, and project-specific requirements.
* Prepare, review, and approve discipline engineering design basis documents, safety philosophies, fire protection philosophies, and technical specifications.
* Participate in finalizing deliverable lists and confirm that discipline outputs meet functional integrity and project specification requirements.
* Provide technical direction to designers working on fire protection and safety engineering deliverables.
* Review project schedules and fabrication schedules in relation to construction sequence, milestones, and engineering scope.
* Attend project kickoff meetings, design reviews, vendor meetings, engineering meetings, and technical coordination sessions.
* Support procurement by preparing and reviewing requisitions, technical bid evaluations, queries, bid tabulations, purchase requisitions, and vendor documentation.
* Review vendor and subcontractor submittals for compliance with project specifications and provide clear technical comments.
* Review and approve design verification through single-discipline checks and inter-discipline checks.
* Provide technical support for fabrication queries, including identification of defects, rectification needs, and discipline-related solutions.
* Keep discipline management and project management teams updated on technical, budgetary, manpower, and schedule-related matters.
* Provide inputs for actual progress reports, planning updates, forecasts, productivity analysis, and project performance reviews.
* Present technical issues to customers in a timely manner and support resolution in line with project and company requirements.
* Perform technical quality audit reviews in accordance with MDR global procedures when required.
* Capture lessons learned and enter them into the applicable lessons learned system.
* Guide less experienced engineers on discipline procedures, standards, design calculations, software, worksheets, requisitions, bid evaluations, and technical queries.
* Monitor costs related to assigned work processes and support efficient use of engineering resources.
* Assist in maintaining departmental technical guidelines, standard calculation notes, global procedures, software, and engineering standards.
* Support discipline capability development through technical presentations, knowledge sharing, interviews, and performance feedback.
* Prepare, review, and approve HSE and fire protection philosophies, safety study scopes, requisitions, technical bid evaluations, and purchase requisitions.
* Review safety equipment lists, firefighting equipment specifications, lifesaving equipment data sheets, personnel safety equipment requirements, and safety sign documentation.
* Prepare and review firewater demand calculations and hydraulic calculation reports using PIPENET or equivalent software.
* Provide inputs to P and ID markups for firewater ring main systems, deluge systems, hose reels, monitors, hydrants, deluge valves, and nozzles.
* Review escape route layouts, safety equipment layouts, safety sign layouts, and related technical safety deliverables.
* Review third-party safety study reports and confirm compliance with project specifications.
* Participate in and coordinate safety workshops such as HAZID and HAZOP when acting as Lead Engineer.
* Provide technical input to safety study consultants and review safety study close-out reports.
* Participate in 3D model reviews to verify safety, fire protection, access, escape routes, and equipment layout requirements.
* Lead discipline participation in internal audits, customer audits, third-party technical audits, and design reviews when assigned.
* Review customer and agency comments on documents and drawings, guide updates, and support technical resolution.
Ideal Profile
* Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, HSE Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Safety Engineering, or a related discipline.
* Strong experience in HSE engineering, technical safety, fire protection, and loss prevention within the Oil and Energy sector.
* Practical background in conceptual design, FEED, detailed design, EPC execution, safety studies, procurement support, and fabrication interface.
* Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while handling complex HSE engineering problems.
* Experience leading engineering teams or discipline work scopes on medium to large energy projects is preferred.
* Strong knowledge of design basis development, safety philosophies, fire protection philosophies, technical specifications, design codes, and project standards.
* Experience preparing and reviewing design calculations, design reports, procedures, requisitions, technical bid evaluations, and vendor documentation.
* Familiarity with safety studies, HAZID, HAZOP, safety study close-out, firewater systems, deluge systems, firefighting equipment, lifesaving equipment, and safety layouts.
* Working knowledge of PIPENET or equivalent firewater hydraulic calculation software.
* Understanding of P and ID markups, firewater ring main systems, hose reels, monitors, hydrants, deluge valves, nozzles, escape routes, and safety equipment layouts.
* Ability to support 3D model reviews, inter-discipline checks, technical audits, design reviews, and project meetings.
* Strong coordination skills with project management, engineering disciplines, procurement, fabrication, vendors, subcontractors, certifying authorities, and client representatives.
* Good communication and presentation skills with the ability to explain complex safety engineering concepts clearly.
* Ability to mentor less experienced engineers and contribute to discipline knowledge sharing, technical standards, and continuous improvement.
Skills Set
* HSE engineering
* Technical safety
* Fire protection engineering
* Loss prevention
* Oil and Energy project execution
* Conceptual design
* FEED engineering
* Detailed design
* EPC engineering
* Safety studies
* HAZID
* HAZOP
* Safety study close-out
* Firewater systems
* Deluge systems
* Firefighting equipment
* Lifesaving equipment
* Safety equipment layouts
* Escape route layouts
* Safety sign layouts
* PIPENET
* Firewater hydraulic calculations
* P and ID markups
* Design calculations
* Design reports
* HSE philosophies
* Fire protection philosophies
* Technical specifications
* Requisitions
* Technical bid evaluation
* Purchase requisitions
* Vendor document review
* Subcontractor submittal review
* Inter-discipline checks
* 3D model reviews
* Fabrication query support
* Technical quality audits
* Project audits
* Discipline leadership
* Engineering coordination
* Manhour planning
* Progress forecasting
* Change management
* Client technical coordination
* Lessons learned systems
* Engineer mentoring
Why Join Us
This opportunity is ideal for a Principal HSE Engineer - Technical Safety who wants to contribute to complex Oil and Energy projects in Dubai while applying advanced safety engineering, fire protection, and loss prevention expertise. The role offers exposure to EPC execution, multidisciplinary design coordination, safety studies, technical audits, vendor interfaces, and client-facing engineering discussions. It is a strong fit for a technical safety professional seeking greater autonomy, discipline influence, and long-term growth within a global energy engineering environment.
About the Company
McDermott International, Ltd is a global engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and project delivery company serving the energy industry. With more than 100 years of experience, the company supports offshore, subsea, onshore, and energy transition projects through integrated engineering expertise, fabrication capability, marine operations, and disciplined project execution. Its teams deliver complex infrastructure across international markets with a strong focus on safety, technical quality, sustainability, and reliable project performance.
