Worley, a global company of energy, chemicals, and resources experts headquartered in Australia and delivering projects across the full asset lifecycle worldwide, is seeking an experienced Study Manager for Abu Dhabi. This is a hands-on process-led leadership role to lead Worley studies and small-value engineering projects from Conceptual Engineering through Pre-FEED, FEED, and where required, into Detailed Design — with particular focus on brownfield and existing-facility work including debottlenecking, capacity improvement, operability, and safeguard review.
About Worley — Global Energy, Chemicals & Resources Expert
Specialisation: Consulting, engineering, procurement, and construction across the full project lifecycle including operations and decommissioning
Global Reach: A globally connected organization partnering with customers across energy, chemicals, and resources industries worldwide
AI-Enabled Delivery: Leverages extensive experience and AI-enabled delivery to support customers through complexity and energy transition
Sector Focus: Oil, gas, refining, petrochemicals, chemicals, energy transition, and industrial process facilities
Culture: Values-inspired, diverse, and inclusive — reskilling people for low carbon energy infrastructure and sustainable solutions
Global Impact & Innovation Opportunity
Strategic Location: Abu Dhabi — the UAE capital and one of the world’s most active hubs for oil, gas, refining, and petrochemical engineering
Market Leadership: Join a globally respected engineering consultancy delivering front-end studies for major energy and chemical clients
Innovation Focus: Lead option identification, debottlenecking, technical and economic evaluation, and executive-level recommendation on complex brownfield projects
Career Growth: Worley actively supports reskilling, global mobility, and career development into low carbon energy and sustainable infrastructure
Position Overview
This Study Manager role at Worley in Abu Dhabi is a senior, process-led technical leadership position — not a purely administrative coordination role. You will plan, lead, and deliver small-value Worley studies and engineering packages from Conceptual Engineering through Pre-FEED and FEED, coordinate multi-discipline teams across process, safety, mechanical, piping, electrical, instrumentation, civil, structural, estimating, planning, and commissioning, lead brownfield debottlenecking and option evaluation, present recommendations to senior client management, defend decisions under intense technical and commercial scrutiny, and manage study governance, risk registers, and stakeholder engagement across every project stage.
Why This Role Matters: As Study Manager at Worley Abu Dhabi, you lead the front-end engineering decisions that determine whether major energy and chemical investment projects succeed or fail — defining options, eliminating non-viable schemes early, and recommending practical solutions that clients can confidently take to investment approval, you apply 15+ years of process engineering judgement to real brownfield debottlenecking, capacity improvement, safeguard review, and tie-in definition on complex operating facilities, you present to steering committees and senior management with the confidence to defend technical and commercial recommendations under intense scrutiny, you grow your career within a globally respected engineering consultancy that is actively transitioning into low carbon energy infrastructure and sustainable engineering solutions, and you work in Abu Dhabi — one of the world’s most important and technically demanding energy engineering markets.
Key Responsibilities
Study & Small Project Delivery
- Plan, lead, and deliver small-value Worley studies, Pre-FEED and FEED packages, plant modification projects, and engineering packages from Conceptual Engineering through selected Detailed Design scope
- Prepare and control the study execution plan, deliverable register, assumptions register, decision register, action tracker, risk register, and stakeholder engagement plan
- Coordinate multi-discipline work so that process, safety, layout, mechanical, piping, electrical, instrumentation, civil, structural, estimating, planning, procurement, commissioning, and start-up inputs are integrated from the outset
- Ensure outputs are sufficiently mature for the agreed project phase, estimate class, and next investment or execution gate
Conceptual Engineering, Option Identification & Debottlenecking
- Lead conceptual engineering for existing facilities, small projects, and plant modifications including constraint definition, operating cases, bottlenecks, interfaces, and battery limits
- Identify feasible development, debottlenecking, and implementation options using process engineering judgement, site data, operating history, process models, and equipment adequacy checks
- Eliminate non-viable or uneconomic options early, shortlist practical options, and define each to a comparable level of maturity for fair technical and economic evaluation
- Develop the selected scheme to the depth required for FEED and, where required, support transition into Detailed Design, procurement, commissioning, and start-up
Technical & Economic Option Evaluation
- Lead structured option evaluation covering safety, operability, constructability, capital cost, operating cost, schedule, shutdown impact, carbon/energy impact, and implementation complexity
- Work with estimators, planners, and discipline leads to produce realistic option cost and schedule inputs appropriate to the study phase
- Prepare option selection reports, decision papers, and recommendation packs suitable for senior management approval
- Defend technical and commercial recommendations when challenged by client stakeholders, asset teams, reviewers, and management committees
Stakeholder Management & Executive Presentation
- Build trusted working relationships with client senior management, operations, asset teams, technical authorities, project teams, vendors, and internal Worley leadership
- Prepare and deliver clear, confident, and persuasive presentations to senior stakeholders, steering committees, and decision boards
- Translate complex process and multi-discipline issues into practical business choices without hiding uncertainties or overselling weak options
- Maintain control of meetings, workshops, and challenge sessions where stakeholder views conflict or decisions are under intense scrutiny
Governance, Quality & Study Leadership
- Ensure all study outputs are based on approved data, documented assumptions, clear exclusions, and appropriate engineering standards
- Maintain decision traceability through assumptions, option screening criteria, risk registers, and client approval records
- Lead multi-discipline teams in a direct, calm, and practical manner with clear expectations for deliverables, interfaces, quality, and decision deadlines
- Coach less experienced engineers in front-end thinking, option development, stakeholder handling, and study discipline
Qualifications & Requirements
Educational Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or equivalent recognised qualification (REQUIRED)
- Chartered Engineer or equivalent professional registration is preferred
- Postgraduate qualification in engineering, project management, business, economics, or a relevant technical subject is preferred
Experience Requirements
- Minimum 15 years of relevant engineering experience with substantial experience in process-led front-end studies and small engineering projects
- At least 5 years leading Conceptual Engineering, Pre-FEED, FEED, or small Detailed Design projects is preferred
- Demonstrated experience in brownfield debottlenecking, option identification, economic evaluation, and scheme definition
- Experience in oil, gas, refining, petrochemical, chemicals, energy transition, or industrial process facilities is preferred
- Experience presenting to senior client stakeholders, steering committees, or management decision boards is required
Essential Technical Skills
- Strong Process Engineering background with practical front-end process judgement — not generic coordination
- Experienced in producing or leading process deliverables including PFDs, P&IDs, heat and material balances, equipment sizing, process datasheets, and technical study reports
- Familiarity with process simulation tools such as Aspen HYSYS or equivalent is preferred
- Competent in Microsoft Office, project reporting tools, document control systems, and collaborative engineering environments
- Excellent written and verbal communication with the ability to prepare executive summaries, decision papers, technical reports, and presentation material
- Strong workshop leadership capability including option framing, risk review, decision workshops, and management alignment sessions
About Worley — Moving Forward Together
Worley is a global company of energy, chemicals, and resources experts headquartered in Australia, specializing in consulting, engineering, procurement, and construction across the full project lifecycle — from early concept through to operations and decommissioning. Leveraging extensive experience and AI-enabled delivery, Worley supports customers in navigating complexity as they meet today’s energy needs and transition to more sustainable solutions. At Worley, we want our people to be energized and empowered to drive sustainable impact — in a values-inspired, diverse, and inclusive culture that unlocks brilliance through belonging, connection, and innovation.
Career Excellence: Lead front-end engineering studies and brownfield debottlenecking for major energy and chemical clients in Abu Dhabi within a globally respected engineering consultancy at the forefront of sustainable energy transition.
Who Should Apply?
- Senior Chemical Process Engineers: With 15+ years of front-end study and FEED experience in oil, gas, refining, or petrochemical sectors
- Brownfield & Debottlenecking Specialists: Experienced in operating constraint analysis, option development, and scheme definition for existing facilities
- Front-End Study Leaders: With a proven track record leading Conceptual Engineering, Pre-FEED, and FEED packages to investment-gate standard
- Senior Stakeholder Presenters: Comfortable defending technical and commercial recommendations to steering committees and senior management under scrutiny
- Multi-Discipline Engineering Coordinators: Skilled in integrating process, safety, mechanical, piping, electrical, and instrumentation inputs across complex small-project environments
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