PMC Specialist Technical Safety Engineer

Role Overview

PMC Specialist Technical Safety Engineer at Wood PLC, based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This role provides technical safety engineering expertise throughout the design, construction, commissioning, and operational readiness phases of major offshore and onshore projects under a Project Management Consultancy (PMC) framework.

Company Overview

Wood is a global leader in consulting, engineering and operations for the energy and materials sectors, with 33,000 people in around 50 countries. Wood's Oil, Gas & New Energies business is the market-leading provider of integrated and innovative solutions across oil and gas upstream and midstream, onshore and offshore, gas to liquids, decarbonisation and electrification markets. The business is built on a strong legacy of delivering large and complex projects for national and international energy companies globally, with experienced teams, a proven delivery model, and a strong reputation for steady and predictable delivery.

Role Purpose

The PMC Specialist Technical Safety Engineer ensures that process safety, technical safety, loss prevention, and risk management requirements are effectively implemented in accordance with client specifications, approved engineering documents, regulatory requirements, international standards, and project objectives. The role acts as the primary focal point for technical safety matters between the client, EPC contractor, engineering disciplines, operations team, commissioning team, and regulatory authorities.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Safety Leadership and Coordination

• Lead and coordinate technical safety and loss prevention activities across all project phases, ensuring compliance with approved project requirements, schedules, budgets, and execution strategies.
• Act as the primary PMC focal point for technical safety matters between the client, EPC contractor, engineering disciplines, operations team, commissioning team, and regulatory authorities.
• Promote a strong process safety, technical assurance, and risk management culture across the PMC, client, EPC contractor, and project teams.

Design and Engineering Review

• Develop, review, and approve technical safety philosophies, design basis documents, specifications, studies, calculations, and engineering deliverables.
• Review and verify the implementation of technical safety requirements in engineering design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and start-up activities.
• Ensure that technical safety requirements are incorporated into layouts, plot plans, equipment specifications, piping and instrumentation diagrams, cause-and-effect charts, and control system documentation.
• Review contractor technical safety deliverables, design submissions, calculations, drawings, specifications, and safety studies for compliance with project and client requirements.
• Review technical safety aspects of temporary facilities, construction activities, lifting operations, SIMOPS, brownfield modifications, shutdowns, tie-ins, and commissioning activities.

Hazard Assessment and Risk Management

• Lead or participate in hazard identification and risk assessment activities, including HAZID, HAZOP, SIL assessment, LOPA, Bowtie analysis, fire and explosion risk assessment, and emergency response studies.
• Provide technical guidance on risk reduction measures, inherently safer design principles, ALARP demonstrations, and mitigation of major accident hazards.
• Ensure effective management of technical safety actions, recommendations, assumptions, deviations, and risk registers throughout the project lifecycle.

Safety Systems and Standards

• Review and assess fire and gas detection, fire protection, hazardous area classification, escape and evacuation, passive fire protection, blast protection, deluge, ventilation, and emergency shutdown systems.
• Coordinate technical safety interfaces between process, mechanical, piping, electrical, instrumentation, civil, structural, marine, operations, and commissioning disciplines.

Monitoring and Compliance

• Monitor the implementation of safety-critical elements and performance standards throughout engineering, construction, installation, commissioning, and handover.
• Monitor contractor performance and identify deviations, nonconformities, technical queries, and potential safety risks, ensuring timely corrective actions and close-out.
• Participate in design reviews, model reviews, constructability reviews, safety workshops, site inspections, audits, and technical assurance activities.

Emergency Preparedness and Operational Readiness

• Verify that emergency response plans, escape routes, muster arrangements, evacuation systems, rescue facilities, and emergency equipment are suitable and compliant with project requirements.
• Support system completion, pre-commissioning, commissioning, start-up, handover, and close-out activities, ensuring all technical safety requirements and documentation are completed.

Documentation and Approvals

• Review and approve technical safety-related method statements, risk assessments, inspection and test plans, commissioning procedures, and operating philosophies.

Incident Management and Reporting

• Support incident investigations, root cause analyses, lessons-learned reviews, and implementation of preventive and corrective measures where required.
• Provide regular technical safety progress reports, performance updates, risk summaries, and recommendations to project leadership and the client.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Process, Safety, or a related Engineering discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in technical safety, process safety, loss prevention, or fire and safety engineering within the oil and gas, petrochemical, refining, or energy industries.
• Proven experience in a specialist technical safety engineering role within a PMC, EPC contractor, operator, or engineering consultancy environment.
• Extensive experience in major offshore and onshore projects, including greenfield developments, brownfield modifications, shutdowns, tie-ins, commissioning, and operational readiness.
• Demonstrated experience leading or participating in HAZID, HAZOP, SIL, LOPA, QRA, fire and explosion risk assessments, escape and evacuation studies, and other safety studies.
• Experience reviewing engineering deliverables, technical specifications, layouts, P&IDs, cause-and-effect diagrams, safety studies, and contractor documentation.
• Professional certification such as Chartered Engineer, Certified Safety Professional, Functional Safety Engineer, or equivalent is preferred.
• Offshore certifications such as BOSIET, H2S, and valid offshore medical may be required for offshore assignments.
• Experience in Middle East projects and familiarity with major operator standards is an advantage.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of technical safety engineering principles, process safety management, major accident hazard control, and risk-based design.
• Strong understanding of fire and gas systems, fire protection, passive fire protection, hazardous area classification, emergency shutdown systems, blast protection, ventilation, and safety-critical elements.
• Knowledge of international codes, standards, and regulations, including API, NFPA, IEC, ISO, NORSOK, and applicable client and regulatory requirements.
• Strong understanding of ALARP principles, risk registers, safety performance standards, barrier management, and technical assurance processes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage technical safety interfaces across multidisciplinary engineering, construction, commissioning, and operations teams.
• Strong analytical, communication, coordination, reporting, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple priorities, and provide sound technical judgment in complex project environments.

Additional Information

• Position is based in office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
• Meaningful and interesting projects delivered to high profile clients across the Energy Sector.
• 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.
• Employee Share Plan opportunity to purchase Wood shares with company match.
• Long Service Award at 5-year service milestones.
• Commitment to continued professional development with tailored development plans.
• Global connections with experts around the world at the leading edge of the industry.
• Energy Transition Academy providing community access to experts sharing knowledge on existing and emerging energy systems.
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion.
• Equal opportunity employer welcoming all talented individuals; candidates without every qualification but possessing relevant experience, knowledge, or skills are encouraged to apply.