Principal / Lead Structural Engineer - Subsea
Location: Aberdeen, ScotlandAssignment Type: Contract or Full-time Staff
Expected Start Date: ASAP
Description
An experienced Principal / Lead Structural Engineer is required to support the design, development, and delivery of innovative subsea drilling technology and associated offshore equipment. The successful candidate will provide senior structural engineering expertise across the full engineering lifecycle, from concept development and FEED through detailed design, analysis, verification, fabrication, testing, and offshore deployment. This role is ideal for an offshore or subsea structural engineer with a strong hands-on background in structural analysis, finite element analysis, and the design of subsea equipment, offshore structures, or marine installation systems. The position involves close collaboration with multidisciplinary engineering teams and providing technical leadership and structural engineering authority across key work packages.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead structural engineering activities associated with subsea drilling equipment, tooling, structures, and offshore systems.
- Perform and review structural calculations, engineering assessments, and finite element analysis.
- Develop structural design solutions from initial concept through detailed engineering and manufacture.
- Provide technical oversight and approval of structural engineering calculations, drawings, and design documentation.
- Support the mechanical and structural development of subsea tooling, frames, mechanisms, and associated equipment.
- Assess structural integrity, strength, fatigue, and operational loading requirements.
- Develop and review designs for offshore lifting, handling, transportation, and installation activities.
- Support the design and verification of seafastening arrangements, grillages, support frames, padeyes, and associated marine structures as required.
- Provide engineering input into prototype development, fabrication, testing, and qualification programmes.
- Support workshop, onshore, and offshore testing and mobilisation activities.
- Coordinate structural interfaces with mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and controls engineering disciplines.
- Participate in design reviews, technical assurance activities, verification, and engineering risk assessments.
- Review third-party engineering calculations, vendor documentation, and technical submissions.
- Identify technical risks and develop practical engineering solutions.
- Ensure engineering work complies with applicable offshore, marine, and structural design codes and standards.
- Provide mentoring and technical guidance to engineers within the wider engineering team.
- Interface with clients, suppliers, fabrication contractors, and other engineering stakeholders as required.
Requirements
- Degree-qualified in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Offshore Engineering, Subsea Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Significant professional experience within offshore, subsea, marine, or energy engineering.
- Strong background in structural analysis and design.
- Demonstrable experience performing or reviewing finite element analysis.
- Experience designing offshore or subsea structures, equipment, tooling, or mechanical support structures.
- Strong understanding of structural steel design and engineering calculations.
- Experience working through concept, FEED, and detailed engineering project phases.
- Ability to independently develop, check, and approve engineering calculations and technical documentation.
- Experience working within multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Strong understanding of engineering assurance, verification, and design review processes.
- Ability to act as a senior structural technical focal point within an engineering organisation.
Nice to Have
- Experience with subsea drilling technology or drilling equipment.
- Experience with subsea tooling and robotic systems.
- Experience with subsea structures.
- Experience with SURF installation engineering.
- Experience with risers, umbilicals, and flowlines.
- Experience with offshore wind installation engineering.
- Experience with marine transportation and installation.
- Experience with seafastening design.
- Experience with offshore lifting and rigging engineering.
- Experience with grillages, support frames, and padeye design.
- Experience with MODUs, jack-ups, drillships, or FPSOs.
- Experience with structural modifications to offshore assets.
- Experience with Marine Warranty Survey engineering.
- Experience with rig moves and site-specific assessments.
- Experience with structural integrity assessments.
- Experience with prototype development and testing.
- Experience with offshore mobilisation and installation support.