Head of Department - Technical Safety

Job Description

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Head of Department with a proven track record in leading and managing the discpline engineering department, ensuring the successful execution of projects and alignment with company goals for a high-profile client.

Our Clients and Projects

Designing the future. Transforming the world.

Wood's Oil, Gas & New Energies business is built on a strong legacy of delivering large and complex projects for national and international energy companies across the globe. We have experienced teams, a proven delivery model and a strong reputation.

We are the market-leading provider of integrated and innovative solutions that challenge the status-quo in the oil and gas upstream and midstream, onshore and offshore, gas to liquids and decarbonization and electrification markets. We pride ourselves in steady and predictable delivery, setting our sights on an exciting growth trajectory.

Energy security, transition and supply have never been more important. You, our enabling teams, are at the very forefront of transformative projects that are providing sustainable power to generations to come. We are the ones to bring low-carbon concepts to reality.

What We Can Offer

• Meaningful and interesting projects: Delivered to high profile clients across the Energy Sector
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: We are an organization actively committed to diversity and inclusion across our business
• Competitive remuneration package: With regular reviews to ensure we are rewarding at the right level in line with the market
• Medical Insurance: Ensures inpatient, and outpatient medical care is available should you require treatment
• Group Life and Personal Accident Insurance: The company provides Life Assurance cover
• End of Service Gratuity: In line with UAE Labor Law, all employees are eligible for an End of Service benefit
• The Employee Share Plan: Gives you the opportunity to purchase Wood shares and receive a match from the company
• Long Service Award: Wood values the commitment and loyalty of our people. Celebrating Long Service provides an opportunity for the business to demonstrate their appreciation of the hard work, dedication and many years’ services of our employees at 5 - year service milestones
• Commitment to continued professional development: Development plans that are tailored to your individual needs and interests
• Global connections: Join experts around the world who are at the leading edge of our industry, shaping the standards of our profession
• Energy Transition Academy: Join a community of experts sharing your knowledge and gaining more exposure to a variety of existing and emerging energy systems - delivered by experts in their field
  
  

The Key Objectives For This Role Are

• Accountable for driving engineering excellence within the Civil, Structural and Architectural teams for both Onshore and Offshore Projects across the region
• Ensure consistent, safe, and high-quality delivery of engineering services, effective governance of discipline practices, and development of engineering capability
• Provide functional leadership to Lead Discipline Engineers of both onshore and offshore projects and maintains oversight of all discipline engineering activities within the business
• Serve as a subject-matter expert, supporting continuous improvement and technical excellence across the wider organisation
• Expected to role-model the company’s values and behaviours, demonstrating the highest standards of safety, ethics, and inclusivity
  
  

Responsibilities

Engineering Delivery & Performance

• Drive HSSEA culture and performance across the discipline team
• Ensure engineering integrity and compliance throughout all work scopes
• Maintain a strong focus on process safety and eliminate technical incidents through robust controls and lessons learned
• Support technical assurance activities, including audits and incident investigations
• Provide appropriate discipline resources to the projects and deliver work in line with company procedures and customer requirements
• Manage and optimise discipline resource utilisation against workload demand and overhead budgets
• Support workforce planning activities, including short-term and annual resource forecasting
• Collaborate with other discipline managers to develop discipline inputs into engineering execution plans
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve discipline engineering systems, tools, and processes to ensure cost-effective and competitive execution
• Identify and promote innovation opportunities and emerging technologies within the discipline
• Identify opportunities for margin improvement and efficiency enhancement
  
  

Strategy, Development & Business Support

• Support business development activities to identify and secure new work
• Review Proposal Manhours for your discipline and optimise
• Provide discipline input to proposals in collaboration with other discipline leads
• Support and strengthen workshare strategies across engineering centres
  
  

People & Capability Management

• Set the vision and strategic direction for the Discipline Engineering Group under guidance from the Engineering Director
• Provide line management to direct reports, including performance management, objective setting, career development, and remuneration input
• Ensure recruitment, development, and succession planning to meet current and future business needs
• Implement and maintain discipline competence assurance frameworks
• Identify skills and capability gaps and organise appropriate training or development plans
• Build an inclusive, diverse, and high-performing team culture
  
  

Governance, Policies & Procedures

• Develop, maintain, and improve discipline processes, procedures, manuals, and intellectual property in line with company policies and regulatory requirements
• Provide guidance on applicable codes, standards, legislation, and regulatory compliance
• Maintain discipline software tools in alignment with corporate policies
• Support project delivery assurance through reviews and governance activities
• Implement continuous improvement through structured change management
  
  

Authority & Influence

• Decisions significantly impact technical quality, financial performance, and project outcomes
• Authority over recruitment, development, and performance management of discipline resources
• May hold responsibility for discipline overhead budgets, including training and professional development
  
  

Working Relationships

Internal

• Engineering Managers (local and regional)
• Other Discipline Managers
• Project Managers and Contract Managers
• Engineering Centres and Workshare Teams
• Technical Networks and Communities of Practice
  
  

External

• Customers and Clients
• Engineering Software Vendors
  
  

Qualifications

Skills And Qualifications

What makes you remarkable?

At Wood, we are committed to equal opportunities and welcome all talented individuals to consider joining our team. So even if you don't match every statement below but feel you have some of the experience, knowledge or skills needed for this role, we encourage you to apply. It will take all of us working together to deliver solutions to the world’s most critical challenges.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree as a minimum in a relevant engineering discipline
  
  

Knowledge & Experience

• Minimum 25 years of experience in Onshore and Offshore Mega Projects (Capex of over 2 billion USD)
• Minimum 5 years of experience in managing in the role of Head of Discipline
• Experience in ASSESS, Pre-FEED, FEED and Detailed Design stages of projects
• Extensive experience in engineering delivery of Technical Safety Discipline projects with over 100K manhours
• Deep Knowledge in API, IEC, NFPA, ISO, OSHA, etc Codes and Middle East Clients' Specifications
• Experience in working with ADNOC, Qatar Energy, KNPC, KOC, BGC, BP and Shell Clients
• Good Knowledge in Process Safety Studies (FERA, QRA, CFD, Radiation and Dispersion), Loss Prevention, Environmental, and Occupational Engineering
• Experience in facilitating in-house Process Safety Workshops (HAZID, HAZOP, What if, ISD, Etc.)
• Expert-level understanding of discipline engineering tools, processes, and technologies
• Strong understanding of client business drivers
• Proven experience in developing and leading high-performing engineering teams
  
  

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving capability
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and cross-functional environments
• Competent in people interviewing, selection, communication, and management, including performance management
• Proactively always interact with team members in a positive and professional manner
• Coaching and mentoring capability with a focus on talent development
  
  

About Us

Wood is a global leader in consulting and engineering, helping to unlock solutions to critical challenges in energy and materials markets. We provide consulting, projects and operations solutions in 45 countries, employing around 25,000 people. www.woodplc.com

Diversity Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer that recognises the value of a diverse workforce. All suitably qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective criteria and without regard to the following (which is a non-exhaustive list): race, colour, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or other characteristics in accordance with the relevant governing laws.