Principal Subsea Engineer
Location: Kuala LumpurDuration: 12 months
Sector: Deepwater SURF
Engagement: Client assignment
Start date: To be confirmed
Role Summary
Lead and technically assure subsea engineering activities for complex deepwater SURF developments. Set the technical direction, coordinate multidisciplinary interfaces, and provide senior oversight of deliverables covering subsea systems, pipelines, risers, umbilicals, structures, and installation.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as the lead technical authority for subsea engineering within assigned studies, projects, or work packages.
- Define engineering philosophies, design bases, specifications, scopes of work, and execution strategies for deepwater SURF developments.
- Lead field architecture assessments, concept selection, FEED, and detailed design activities, ensuring solutions are safe, practical, and cost effective.
- Direct and assure interfaces across subsea production systems, pipelines, risers, umbilicals, flow assurance, installation, structures, controls, marine, and topsides.
- Review and approve critical calculations, analyses, technical reports, vendor documents, bid evaluations, deviations, and qualification requirements.
- Lead technical reviews and contribute to HAZID, HAZOP, design assurance, constructability, operability, and installation readiness activities.
- Manage technical risks, decisions, and changes, escalating material issues with clear recommendations.
- Provide technical leadership, coaching, and workload direction to senior and junior engineers, and engage confidently with clients, contractors, and vendors.
Experience and Qualifications
- Mandatory: directly relevant SURF and deepwater project experience.
- Degree in Mechanical, Subsea, Ocean, Offshore, Civil, or a closely related engineering discipline; Chartered or Professional Engineer status is preferred.
- Typically 15 years or more of relevant subsea engineering experience, with substantial leadership responsibility on deepwater SURF projects.
- Strong track record across concept selection, FEED, detailed design, procurement, fabrication, and offshore installation.
- Broad technical knowledge of subsea systems, pipelines, risers, umbilicals, structures, and installation methods.
- Strong command of applicable DNV, API, ISO, and ASME codes and standards.
- Proven capability to lead multidisciplinary teams, assure contractor work, and communicate technical decisions to senior stakeholders.
Software and Technical Tools
- Strong familiarity with specialist subsea engineering tools and analysis outputs.
- Experience reviewing work produced in OrcaFlex, ABAQUS, ANSYS, SAGE, or equivalent platforms.
Candidate Profile
A technically credible and delivery-focused engineer who can work effectively in a multidisciplinary environment, challenge assumptions constructively, communicate risk clearly, and produce high-quality engineering within programme requirements. Must be comfortable engaging with clients, contractors, vendors, and offshore stakeholders.