Principal Engineer - Commissioning

Petrofac is a leading international service provider to the energy industry, with a diverse client portfolio including many of the world’s leading energy companies.

We design, build, manage and maintain infrastructure for our clients. We recruit, reward, and develop our people based on merit regardless of race, nationality, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status or disability. We value our people and treat everyone who works for or with Petrofac fairly and without discrimination.

The world is re-thinking its energy supply and energy security needs; planning for a phased transition to alternative energy sources. We are here to help our clients meet these evolving energy needs.

This is an exciting time to join us on this journey.

Are you ready to bring the right energy to Petrofac and help us deliver a better future for everyone?

Job Title: Principal Engineer – Commissioning

Sub Function: ORA Lead (Operation Readiness and Assurance)

Scope Of Responsibilities

The ORA Coordinator ensures systematic execution, integration, and tracking of Operations Readiness and Assurance (ORA) activities across all phases of an EPC project. The role focuses on aligning engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operations teams so that at handover, the Owner’s organization is fully prepared to operate and maintain the facility safely, efficiently, and sustainably.

The Coordinator works as the focal point between the ORA team, project management, client representatives, and discipline leads to ensure deliverables, risk mitigation, and readiness KPIs are met on time.

Pimary Duties And Responsibilities

• Planning and Coordination
• Execute and maintain the project ORA Plan, schedule, and deliverables register.
• Coordinate readiness workshops, gate reviews, and progress reporting.
• Track ORA KPIs and ensure alignment with project milestones.
• Technical Integration
• Support reviews of project premise documents, P&IDs, HSE studies, and design deliverables to embed operability, maintainability, and safety considerations.
• Contribute to HAZOP, HAZID, SIL, and Alarm Management reviews with an operations-readiness perspective.
• Support development of Operations & Maintenance Philosophy, Procedures, CMMS implementation plans, and Asset Registers.
• Risk and Change Management
• Maintain the ORA Risk Register, ensuring mitigation plans are implemented and monitored.
• Participate in Management of Change (MoC) reviews to assess operational impact.
• Handover Readiness
• Verify deliverables required for Mechanical Completion (MC), Ready for Start-Up (RFSU), and Operations Handover are prepared.
• Support FAT/SAT, Pre-commissioning, Commissioning, and Start-up phases by ensuring ORA requirements are integrated.
• Interface Management
• Act as liaison between Engineering, Commissioning, Operations, and Client teams for ORA-related issues.
• Ensure seamless communication and reporting of ORA progress to Project Management and Client representatives.
• Continuous Improvement
• Capture lessons learned and support the development of project closeout reports and knowledge transfer.
  

Technical Skills

Competencies / Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong understanding of process plant design, commissioning, start-up, and steady-state operations.
• Familiarity with Asset Integrity, CMMS implementation, and O&M planning.
• Working knowledge of industry standards, process safety, and project delivery processes (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Commissioning).
• Ability to read and interpret PFDs, P&IDs, equipment datasheets, and O&M documentation.
  
  

Soft Skills (Critical For Coordination Role)

• Leadership without authority: able to influence diverse teams and drive collaboration.
• Excellent communication: skilled at conveying technical issues to mixed audiences.
• Problem-solving mindset: capable of anticipating readiness gaps and proposing solutions.
• Stakeholder management: builds positive relationships and navigates conflicts diplomatically.
• Time and priority management: handles multiple tasks while meeting tight deadlines.
• Analytical thinking: identifies trends, risks, and opportunities in readiness KPIs and data.
• Adaptability: responds effectively to evolving project conditions and organizational requirements.
• Cultural awareness and teamwork: works efficiently in multinational, multidisciplinary environments.
  
  

Qualifications And Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Process, Mechanical, Electrical, or Operations Engineering (or equivalent discipline).
• Advanced degree preferred.
  
  

Experience

• Minimum 8–12 years in Operations Readiness, Commissioning, or Plant Operations roles within the Oil & Gas or Petrochemical EPC sector.
• Proven track record of coordinating multi-discipline teams and managing ORA deliverables through the project lifecycle.
  
  

Other Requirements

• Strong commitment to HSSE principles.
• Willingness to travel and work at both home office and construction site.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite, scheduling tools (Primavera/MS Project), and readiness-tracking software is advantageous.
  
  

Key Interfaces

• ORA Manager / Commissioning Director (direct reporting)
• Project Manager / Engineering Manager
• Client Operations Team / Owner’s Representatives
• Discipline Engineers and Construction Managers
• HSE and Asset Integrity Teams
  
  

Additional Information