McDermott International — a global leader in engineering and construction for the energy industry with over 100 years of operational excellence, 30,000+ engineers across 54 countries, and a legacy of laying subsea infrastructure thousands of feet below sea level — is seeking an experienced Subsea Pipeline Engineer in Dubai. This technically demanding role applies specialist knowledge in SURF (Subsea Umbilicals, Risers and Flowlines) installation analysis, uses industry-standard software packages including OrcaFlex, Pipelay, Offpipe, and Abaqus, and requires 3–8 years of experience in subsea oil and gas engineering — covering risers, pipelines, subsea structures, and umbilicals — with a major contractor or consultant.
About McDermott International — Engineering the Energy Future
Company: McDermott International — a premier global provider of engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) services to the energy industry for over 100 years
Scale: 30,000+ engineers and technical specialists across 54 countries — with a proud legacy of delivering the world’s most technically challenging offshore and subsea projects
Energy Transition: Driving the energy transition through offshore wind infrastructure, sustainable subsea solutions, and innovative offshore construction capability alongside traditional oil and gas delivery
Dubai Role: Subsea Engineer in Dubai — at the heart of McDermott’s SURF project execution hub for the Middle East, Africa, and Caspian regions
Why This Subsea Pipeline Engineer Role Stands Out
McDermott Global Brand: Join the company that has been making the impossible possible in offshore and subsea engineering for more than 100 years — with a project portfolio spanning the world’s most technically challenging deepwater environments
Full SURF Lifecycle: Installation analysis, tender engineering, procurement support, design calculations, third-party interface, and site/offshore visits — complete subsea engineering ownership across the project lifecycle
Software Depth: OrcaFlex, Pipelay, Offpipe, and Abaqus — the full suite of industry-standard subsea installation and structural analysis tools, applied to real SURF projects in production
Career Development: Graduate mentoring, lessons learned capture, technical audit participation, and advancement within McDermott’s global engineering and marine functions
Position Overview
This Subsea Pipeline Engineer at McDermott in Dubai applies conceptual and applied knowledge of subsea engineering to solve a range of project-specific challenges — performing installation analysis for SURF projects using OrcaFlex, Pipelay, Offpipe, and Abaqus, providing specialist engineering and analysis skills including design codes for subsea and installation engineering, supporting tender activities with document review and CTR preparation, assuming responsibility for technical reports, design calculations, engineering analysis, and interface with subcontractors and verification bodies, mentoring graduate and junior engineers, liaising with operational engineers to support project delivery, and participating in technical audits on engineering deliverables and vendor documents across McDermott’s SURF project portfolio in the UAE and region.
Why This Role Matters: As Subsea Pipeline Engineer at McDermott in Dubai, you apply specialist analysis capability to the engineering challenges that determine whether a pipeline laid thousands of feet below sea level behaves as designed under every load case — from installation through to operational life. When your OrcaFlex installation analysis correctly predicts touch-down point behaviour during a deep-water lay campaign, your Abaqus structural model validates a complex riser connection under extreme environmental loading, or your review of a subcontractor’s technical submission prevents a design non-conformance from reaching fabrication — you are not running a simulation. You are providing the engineering assurance that McDermott’s clients, their regulators, and the seafloor infrastructure that powers energy supply for decades depend upon being right.
Key Responsibilities
SURF Installation Analysis & Specialist Engineering
- Perform installation analysis for SURF projects using industry-standard software packages — OrcaFlex for dynamic analysis, Pipelay and Offpipe for pipeline lay analysis, and Abaqus for finite element structural analysis of complex subsea components
- Provide specialist skills and knowledge in engineering and analysis — including application of design codes, standards, and specifications related to subsea and installation engineering across SURF project scopes
- Support subsea projects to address varied requirements for procurement, design, and installation engineering/analysis — coordinating technical inputs across project phases from FEED through detailed design and installation support
- Understand client requirements and develop engineering solutions that satisfy applicable codes, specifications, and regulatory requirements — taking personal responsibility for design, analysis, and technical documentation throughout
Technical Reporting, Design Calculations & Third-Party Interface
- Assume responsibility for technical reports, design calculations, and engineering analysis — ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with McDermott’s quality management standards and applicable codes
- Interface with third parties including subcontractors, verification bodies, and class societies — reviewing vendor submittals, subcontractor documents, and technical proposals against project specifications
- Participate in and prepare for project progress meetings and departmental meetings — providing clear, accurate technical input on engineering workstream status, open issues, and risk items
- Participate in internal, customer, or third-party technical audits on engineering deliverables and vendor documents — providing specialist review and technical assurance across the SURF engineering scope
Tender Support, CTR Preparation & Bid Engineering
- Provide tender engineering support — with emphasis on document review, preparation of subcontractor documents, CTR (Cost, Time, and Resource) preparation, bid evaluation, and vendor selection
- Coordinate and engage in daily activities and schedule priorities for subsea engineering — ensuring workstream progress aligns with project and tender milestones
- Capture project lessons learned into McDermott’s Lessons Learned system — contributing to institutional knowledge improvement across SURF project delivery
- Liaise with operational engineers to support project engineering — and be available for site visits and offshore trips when necessary for installation support and technical verification
Graduate Mentoring, Knowledge Development & HSE
- Train and mentor graduate and junior engineers — developing their subsea engineering knowledge, software proficiency, and professional engineering judgment under McDermott’s technical leadership framework
- Support the development of knowledge in design and analysis related to subsea engineering — contributing to McDermott’s technical capability in the SURF discipline
- Adhere to the safety and legal objectives of the company at all times — applying HSE, TQM, and cost-conscious engineering practice across all project activities
Essential Qualifications & Experience
Essential Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree in Engineering — Mechanical, Civil, Structural, Ocean, or a closely related engineering discipline
- 3–8 years of experience in oil and gas subsea engineering with a major contractor or consultant — predominantly performing detail design for subsea equipment including risers, pipelines, subsea structures, and umbilicals
- Experience with industry-standard software packages for design and installation analysis — OrcaFlex, Pipelay, Offpipe, and/or Abaqus
- Experience with industry-commonly used codes and standards for subsea engineering — DNV, API, ASME, and applicable offshore and pipeline design standards
- Good organisation and communication skills — ability to prioritise workload and manage multiple engineering tasks to meet project deadlines
- Working knowledge of English — both oral and written — for technical documentation, client interface, and subcontractor communication
- Willingness to undertake site visits and offshore trips when required — for installation support and technical verification during project execution
Additional Attributes
- Flexibility to support team coverage across project reassignments, site mobilisations, and colleague replacement during leave or illness — a standard professional requirement in SURF project environments
- Commitment to developing advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint — for technical report writing, data analysis, and engineering presentation
- Genuine interest in developing knowledge of McDermott’s wider business — engineering, fabrication, and marine functions — and how subsea engineering integrates across the full EPCI project lifecycle
About McDermott International — Making the Impossible Possible
McDermott International has been engineering the energy infrastructure that powers daily life for more than 100 years — laying subsea infrastructure thousands of feet below sea level, installing platforms hundreds of miles from shore, designing and building offshore wind infrastructure, and delivering onshore energy facilities safely and sustainably across the world. With 30,000+ of the brightest engineering minds across 54 countries and a track record of forging the most trusted partnerships across the energy value chain, McDermott’s Subsea Engineer role in Dubai offers technically exceptional professionals the opportunity to apply specialist SURF engineering expertise — OrcaFlex, Pipelay, Offpipe, and Abaqus — to some of the world’s most technically challenging offshore projects, while driving the energy transition that will define the next century of energy infrastructure.
Career Excellence: Perform SURF installation analysis, riser and pipeline design, and subsea structures engineering at McDermott Dubai — OrcaFlex, Pipelay, Offpipe, Abaqus.
Who Should Apply?
- SURF Installation Analysis Engineers: With 3–8 years of OrcaFlex, Pipelay, and/or Offpipe experience — performing dynamic installation analysis for pipeline lay, riser installation, and SURF system deployment
- Subsea Pipeline & Riser Design Engineers: With detailed design experience for offshore pipelines, flexible risers, steel catenary risers, subsea structures, and umbilical systems — in a major EPCI contractor or specialist consultant environment
- Abaqus & FEA Structural Engineers — Subsea: With finite element analysis experience applied to subsea equipment, pipeline girth weld, or riser stress analysis — supporting structural integrity and design code compliance
- Tender & CTR Engineering Specialists: With SURF tender engineering experience — document review, CTR preparation, bid evaluation, subcontractor document preparation, and vendor selection in an offshore EPCI context
- UAE & GCC Subsea Engineers — Oil & Gas: Based in or willing to relocate to Dubai — with experience in GCC or international offshore oil and gas SURF projects and a willingness to undertake site and offshore assignments when required
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