Senior Principal HSE Engineer - Technical Safety
Posted date [2026-05-31]
(ID: 45855)
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
Senior Principal HSE Engineer - Technical SafetyJob Snapshot
Role: Senior Principal HSE Engineer - Technical Safety
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Industry: Oil and Energy
Function: Occupational Health and Safety
Experience: 20+ years
Job Type: Full-time
Position Overview
Senior Principal HSE Engineer - Technical Safety in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a senior Oil and Energy opportunity for an experienced offshore EPC safety engineering professional with deep expertise in technical safety, loss prevention, fire protection, safety studies, and large process-intensive offshore gas compression projects. This role is designed for a specialist who can lead complex engineering scopes, guide multidisciplinary teams, approve critical safety deliverables, and support safe, compliant, and cost-effective execution across major energy projects.
Job Details
Country: United Arab Emirates
City: Dubai
Industry: Oil and Energy
Function: Occupational Health and Safety
Salary: 55000-75000
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 Senior Principal HSE Engineer - Technical Safety will act as a subject matter expert for HSE engineering, loss prevention, fire protection, and safety design across offshore EPC projects. The position requires strong technical leadership, practical project execution judgment, and the ability to solve complex safety engineering challenges that affect project direction, resource planning, technical integrity, and business performance. The role supports safe offshore energy development by ensuring that safety studies, engineering designs, vendor documentation, layouts, specifications, and project deliverables meet international standards, client requirements, McDermott procedures, and project schedules.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead technical safety and loss prevention engineering for large offshore process-intensive EPC projects.
* Ensure HSE engineering deliverables are completed on time, within budget, and to the required technical quality.
* Review and approve design HSE philosophies, fire protection philosophies, safety study scopes, requisitions, technical bid evaluations, and safety equipment documentation.
* Lead the preparation, review, and approval of safety equipment lists, firefighting equipment specifications, lifesaving equipment data sheets, personnel safety equipment requirements, and safety sign documentation.
* Review firewater demand calculations, hydraulic reports, and related outputs using PIPENET or equivalent software.
* Provide technical 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, fire and gas detection layouts, FP and S layouts, and cause and effect matrices.
* Coordinate and participate in safety workshops including HAZID, HAZOP, and technical safety reviews.
* Review third-party safety study reports and approve safety study close-out documentation in line with project specifications.
* Develop technical notes for passive fire protection rating requirements based on safety study recommendations.
* Prepare, monitor, and approve safety study action tracking registers, SHEAMS tracking records, and project safety action close-out systems.
* Participate in 3D model reviews to confirm safety, access, fire protection, escape route, and equipment placement requirements.
* Lead discipline engineering execution for assigned project scopes while coordinating scope, schedule, deliverables, manpower planning, and engineering productivity.
* Direct senior engineers, engineers, and designers working on fire protection, safety engineering, and technical safety deliverables.
* Coordinate with other engineering disciplines, planning, fabrication, marine, procurement, project controls, certification teams, vendors, subcontractors, and clients.
* Interpret contractual requirements related to HSE engineering execution and ensure project deliverables comply with technical standards and functional requirements.
* Identify changes in scope, raise change notifications, support variation orders, and provide technical estimates when required.
* Prepare and approve discipline engineering design basis documents, safety philosophies, technical specifications, procedures, reports, and project execution inputs.
* Support procurement activities by reviewing requisitions, evaluating technical quotations, preparing queries, compiling bid tabulations, and coordinating vendor document reviews.
* Review vendor and subcontractor submittals for compliance with project specifications and provide clear technical comments.
* Provide technical support to fabrication and construction teams, including response to site queries and identification of defect or rectification requirements.
* Attend project kickoff meetings, engineering meetings, vendor meetings, client review sessions, audits, and discipline coordination meetings.
* Lead discipline participation in internal audits, client audits, third-party technical audits, and design reviews.
* Capture lessons learned and support their integration into engineering procedures, standards, and project execution practices.
* Contribute to departmental technical guidelines, standard calculation notes, global procedures, software standards, and engineering capability development.
* Mentor engineers, support personnel development, provide performance input to discipline management, and assist with hiring or staffing decisions when required.
Ideal Profile
* Bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in Engineering.
* Minimum 20 years of experience in oil and gas engineering.
* Strong preference for at least 15 years of offshore experience with major EPC contractors or engineering consultants.
* Extensive background in technical safety, loss prevention, fire protection, and offshore safety engineering.
* Proven experience as Lead HSE Engineer on major EPC projects, preferably offshore gas compression or large process-intensive energy projects.
* Strong knowledge of safety studies, loss prevention design, fire protection systems, safety layouts, and engineering analysis methods for offshore facilities.
* Working knowledge of safety simulation tools such as PHAST, Flaresim, SAFETI, DETECT3, or similar platforms.
* Good understanding of CFD analysis and its application in technical safety and fire and gas risk assessment.
* Experience with firewater hydraulic calculations, PIPENET or equivalent software, fire and gas detection systems, deluge systems, passive fire protection, and safety equipment design.
* Ability to lead multi-office engineering execution and coordinate technical deliverables across geographically distributed teams.
* Familiarity with EPC project controls, engineering budgets, deliverable registers, manpower forecasting, procurement support, vendor coordination, and construction interface management.
* Professional Engineer registration or membership in a relevant engineering society is preferred.
* Strong communication, presentation, stakeholder management, and technical influencing skills.
* Ability to explain complex technical concepts, anticipate objections, and support project-level decision-making.
* Strong leadership mindset with the ability to guide, mentor, supervise, and develop engineering teams.
Skills Set
* HSE engineering
* Technical safety engineering
* Loss prevention
* Offshore EPC projects
* Offshore gas compression
* Fire protection engineering
* Safety studies
* HAZID
* HAZOP
* Safety study close-out
* Fire and gas detection
* Cause and effect matrices
* Firewater systems
* Deluge systems
* Passive fire protection
* PIPENET
* PHAST
* Flaresim
* SAFETI
* DETECT3
* CFD analysis
* P and ID review
* Safety equipment layouts
* Escape route layouts
* Vendor document review
* Technical bid evaluation
* Engineering design basis
* Discipline leadership
* Multi-office project execution
* EPC engineering management
* Procurement support
* Construction technical support
* Project audits
* Offshore safety compliance
Why Join Us
This role offers the opportunity to influence high-value offshore energy projects from Dubai while working on complex technical safety and loss prevention challenges within the Oil and Energy sector. The position is suited for a senior engineering leader who wants to manage large discipline scopes, shape project safety strategy, mentor experienced engineers, and contribute to technically demanding offshore EPC execution. It provides exposure to global energy projects, advanced safety systems, multidisciplinary coordination, and long-term professional growth in a company known for delivering challenging energy infrastructure.
About the Company
McDermott International, Ltd is a global engineering, procurement, construction, and installation company serving the energy industry. With more than a century of project experience, the company supports offshore, subsea, onshore, and energy transition developments through engineering expertise, fabrication capability, marine execution, and integrated project delivery. Its teams work across international markets to deliver complex infrastructure safely, sustainably, and with strong technical discipline.
