Head of Department - Mechanical (Rotating, Static, and Packages)

Role Overview

Head of Department - Mechanical (Rotating, Static, and Packages) at Wood PLC, based full-time in Abu Dhabi.

Company Overview

Wood is a global leader in consulting, engineering and operations for the energy and materials sectors. 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. With 33,000 people in around 50 countries, Wood supports clients across the full asset lifecycle, delivering safe, predictable outcomes while enabling resilient operations and a lower carbon future. Wood forms the Energy & Materials pillar of Sidara—a global partnership uniting leading multidisciplinary engineering, design, and project management companies.

Role Purpose

This role leads and manages the Mechanical Discipline engineering department, ensuring the successful execution of projects and alignment with company goals for high-profile clients. The Head of Department drives engineering excellence, functional leadership, and technical capability across Onshore and Offshore Projects across the region.

Key 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 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 the 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

• Decide on matters that significantly impact technical quality, financial performance, and project outcomes.
• Hold authority over recruitment, development, and performance management of discipline resources.
• May hold responsibility for discipline overhead budgets, including training and professional development.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree as a minimum in a relevant engineering discipline.
• 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 Mechanical Discipline projects.
• Deep knowledge in ASME, API, TEMA, ISO, ICS Codes and Middle East Clients' Specifications.
• Experience in working with ADNOC, Qatar Energy, KNPC, KOC, BGC, BP and Shell.
• Good knowledge in design and procurement of large Mechanical Equipment, Compressors, Turbines, Large Columns and Vessels, Heat Exchangers, Tanks Engineering.
• 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.

Skills & 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 interact with team members in a positive and professional manner.
• Coaching and mentoring capability with a focus on talent development.

Additional Information

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.

Benefits & Support

• Meaningful and interesting projects delivered to high-profile clients across the Energy Sector.
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion across the business.
• Competitive remuneration package with regular reviews to ensure market alignment.
• Medical Insurance covering inpatient and outpatient medical care.
• Group Life and Personal Accident Insurance.
• End of Service Gratuity in line with UAE Labor Law.
• The Employee Share Plan allows you to purchase Wood shares and receive a match from the company.
• Long Service Award at 5-year service milestones, celebrating commitment and loyalty.
• Commitment to continued professional development with tailored development plans.
• Global connections to join experts around the world at the leading edge of the industry.
• Energy Transition Academy to join a community of experts sharing knowledge and gaining exposure to existing and emerging energy systems.