McDermott
Principal Commissioning Engineer

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Job Overview
The Principal Operations Engineer manages a team of Engineers for the preparation and execution of offshore/offshore pipeline and umbilical pre-commissioning operations.
Responsibilities
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
- Liaise with installation team during early project execution to ensure alignment on methodologies.
- Work with Field Engineers to develop pre-commissioning execution methodologies for offshore and onshore projects.
- Coordinate engineering and planning for the timely execution of the work scope to include Document Deliverable Register management.
- Selection of the required pre-commissioning and marine spreads.
- Detailed reviewing of internal and external deliverables (drawings, reports, procedures, risk assessments, scopes of work, subcontracts).
- Coordinate the definition and ordering of equipment and installation aids.
- Coordinate the preparation of subcontractor scopes of works followed by the award and execution of the subcontract.
- Coordinate the preparation of pre-commissioning procedures.
- Vetting and approval of pre-commissioning subcontractor personnel, onshore and offshore.
- Coordinate mobilizing pre-commissioning equipment and vessels to execute work scopes.
- Coordinate testing and load-out of pre-commissioning equipment and installation aids.
- Liaise with pre-commissioning subcontractor and offshore project teams to resolve any technical issues encountered during offshore execution.
- Coordinate the demobilization of the pre-commissioning equipment, marine spread, and the off-hire of subcontract equipment.
- Coordinate Readiness review, Constructability, HAZID and HAZOP.
- Work at site and offshore as required by the project.
- Prepare MOC's with support from Field Engineers.
- Compile and present return of experience and lesson learned documents.
- Train and mentor Field Engineers and Senior Field Engineers. Set goals for your team to maintain the Project KPIs.
- Work with the Pre-Commissioning Technical Authority to align on pre-com execution methodologies.
- Manage pre-commissioning subcontracts.
- Support internal initiatives within the pre-commissioning operations group.
- Support in variation order request, technical deviation/Queries.
- Budget performance management.
- Risk Management & Cost Control.
- SIMOPS management.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Interfaces
The Principal Operations Engineer will maintain strong interfaces with the various disciplines within the business line. The main interfaces for Pre-Commissioning are:
- Marine Operations Engineers (Inclusive of ROV & Survey)
- Engineering and Engineering Manager
- SCM
- QHSES
- Environmental Specialists
- Vessel Operations Managers
- Marine Construction Manager
- Project Managers and Project Director
- Interface Managers (For Projects that involve Consortium partners & Subsea Connectors)
- Hook-up & Commissioning Team
- Flow Assurance Team
- Fabrication Team
- Document Controller Team
- Brownfield Managers
Core Competencies
- Ensure the Core Competencies of the greater organization are embraced.
- Live the Rules: Treat the Life-Saving Rules as non-negotiable principles that guide your daily decisions and routines.
- Lead by Example: Show your commitment through your actions and inspire others to do the same.
- Speak Up: Act immediately if you see something unsafe or identify a potential risk. Empower one another to intervene with courage and care.
- Educate and Share: Continue fostering conversations about the Life-Saving Rules within your teams, ensuring everyone understands their importance and application.
- Collaborate: Work together as One Team to make safety a shared responsibility, ensuring no one is left behind.
- Goals: Focus on and execute your most important goals.
- Feedback: Provide Positive and Instructive feedback on Team’s progress. Lay out the facts, don’t label and be clear.
- Vision: Together we will continue to enhance, grow and transform.


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Qualifications
Essential Qualifications and Education
- 10 plus years of experience in the oil and gas industry working for major Contractors.
- Experience managing a team of more than 6 Engineers.
- The following experience is required:
- General experience of all shallow and deepwater water installation operations.
- Rigid & flexible pipeline pre-commissioning and decommissioning experience - execution of a minimum of 10 projects.
- Umbilical pre-commissioning experience - execution of a minimum of 6 projects.
- Decommissioning and isolation knowledge is essential
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Our ingenuity fuels daily life. Together, we’ve forged some of the most trusted partnerships across the energy value chain to make what was once just an idea a reality: laying subsea infrastructure thousands of feet below sea level, installing platforms hundreds of miles from shore, using our expertise to design and build offshore wind infrastructure, and reshaping the onshore landscape to deliver the energy products the world needs safely and sustainably.
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