Principal Engineer

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The Role 
Principal engineers possess deep technical knowledge and expertise in their field. They contribute to the development of technical strategies and roadmaps, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and industry trends. They provide guidance on emerging technologies, standards, and best practices. They apply this to the coordination of multidiscipline engineering services internally within the Engineering Department (Process, Civil, Structural, Piping, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation & Control, Drafting and Document Control), as well as with other Ambatovy Departments (Project Execution, Project Controls, Operations, Maintenance, Supply Chain Management, HSE, Quality, Asset Integrity, Asset Reliability, QA/QC) and necessary consultants, specialist service companies, OEM’s, vendors and contractors associated with the assigned  CAPEX (and sometimes OPEX) Projects which may be located at the Plant Site (PAL, Refinery, Utilities, BCO), TMF, Ammonia Storage, Port Facilities, and/ or Mine Site

The PRINCIPAL ENGINEER (PE) is the accountable Engineering business partner of the production/ process operations area to identify, with other stakeholders, the engineering solutions and modifications necessary to optimize operations in that area in the form of CAPEX (and sometimes OPEX) projects. The other main stakeholders include operations, asset integrity, Project Execution, maintenance and reliability teams. The requirements of a project or work request, once identified and delineated in the formal request (“one-page”) require the Principal Engineer to then form a team of engineers within the various disciplines, assisted by the Technical Authorities (TA)/ Head Discipline Engineers, as well as the Superintendent Plant Engineering, in order to provide a fully engineered, safe, timely and cost-effective solution with all necessary drawings, calculations and procedures..

The Responsibilities

• Technical Expertise: Demonstrating deep technical knowledge and expertise in Process engineering and a fundamental knowledge in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil and structural engineering and instrumentation engineering.
• Project/ Project Engineering Management: Setting the engineering strategies for projects, and leading and managing complex engineering projects from initiation to completion (entire lifecycle, including FEL/ FEED, Execution, Commissioning and handover, close-out), ensuring adherence to project objectives, timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
• Engineering Design and Analysis: Conducting or overseeing the design and analysis of systems, components, or processes, ensuring compliance with industry standards, codes, and regulations. Providing technical guidance and support to the engineering team.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making: Identifying and resolving technical challenges and issues that arise during projects. Making informed decisions based on technical expertise, considering factors such as cost-effectiveness, safety, and sustainability, reliability, and value-engineering.
• Team Leadership and Collaboration: Providing technical leadership and mentorship to engineering teams, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment. Promoting effective communication and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams and with stakeholders.
• Collaboration and Cross-Functional Integration: Principal engineers collaborate with various stakeholders, including other engineering teams, product managers, and executives, to understand business requirements, align technical strategies, and drive cross-functional integration.
• Technical Review and Quality Assurance: Reviewing and approving engineering designs, calculations, specifications, and documentation to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with standards and regulations. Conducting quality assurance audits and inspections.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, including project managers, clients, regulatory authorities, suppliers, and contractors. Effectively communicating technical concepts and project status to diverse audiences.
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation: Staying updated with the latest industry trends, advancements, and emerging technologies relevant to the organization. Identifying opportunities for process improvements, innovation, and efficiency enhancements.
• Health, Safety, and Environmental Compliance: Ensuring compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations and standards. Implementing measures to mitigate risks and promote a safe working environment.
• Risk Management: Identifying potential risks and hazards associated with engineering projects and developing strategies to mitigate them. Conducting risk assessments and implementing appropriate control measures to ensure the safety and integrity of operations.
• Standards and Compliance: Ensuring compliance with applicable industry standards, codes, regulations, and internal policies. Keeping abreast of regulatory changes and updating engineering practices and processes accordingly.
• Client Relationship Management: Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients, understanding their needs and requirements, and ensuring the successful delivery of engineering projects. Acting as a primary point of contact for client communication and addressing any concerns or issues that may arise.
• Ensure technical quality and timely delivery of the project/ work
• Establish and maintain fortnightly meeting with the Area Managers or representatives of open engineering requests 
•  Field all requests for engineering services from DMSA/ AMSA and rank them according to the RAM matrix
• Initiate the Engineering on a project with an internal as well as external client/ stakeholder kick-off meeting.
• Ensure that the proper engineering design basis/ bases are put together either internally or by other stakeholders as required prior to embarking on Engineering and design.
•  Take note of the various disciplines and competences required to achieve the objectives outlined in the project/ work request and with Discipline Head Engineers and Superintendent Plant Engineering, form a specific team for the work to be completed
•  Coordinate engineering with Discipline Head Engineers and Superintendent Plant Engineering
• Work with project controls to establish the WBS/ PBS as well as the Engineering schedule for the project
• Track objectives, engineering staff within the team, progress against deadlines and delays incurred
• Track the use and cost of contractors and contracting companies on a monthly basis (CTRs)
• Assign project to the most appropriate group between area maintenance, major maintenance, OPEX projects execution for execution
• Track and follow the execution of the project until closure.
• Coordinate and resolve all technical queries and Field Engineering queries from vendors, OEM’s, contractors and other assigned third parties/ stakeholders during the execution, commissioning and handover phase
• Ensure technical quality and timely delivery of the project/work
• Establish and maintain weekly meeting with the Area manager or representative of his/her production zone
• Field all requests for engineering services from the production zone and rank them according to the RAM matrix
• Take note of the various disciplines and competences required to achieve the objectives outlined in the project/work request and with the TA form a specific team for the work to be completed
• Coordinate engineering with TAs
• Track objectives, engineering staff within the team, progress against deadlines and any delays incurred
• Track the use and cost of contractors and contracting companies on a monthly basis (CTRs)
• Report progress of all projects in weekly approved report in Excel file to CE and ME.
• Hold a weekly (or as required) meeting with the Manager of Engineering (EM) to communicate progress (milestones achieved, expenditure, resource-hours, delays, risks, concerns, design strategies, etc.)
• Participate in the CAPEX Planning Process with specific technical input for projects.
• Participate in the capital Committee meetings as required to support the project Engineer with technical aspects of the presentation
• Acting Superintendent Plant Engineering or Manager of Engineering in their absence as delegated.

The Requirements 

• Minimum 15 years engineering experience, of which the last 5-8 have been spent occupying a Senior Engineering role in multi-disciplinary engineering and design co-ordination in a modern downstream plant (Chemical/ petrochemical/ oil & gas/ hydrometallurgical).
• The last 5-8 years should also have been involved in a Senior/ Lead/ Head Process Design Engineer or Multi-disciplinary Engineering Design Development Lead role in an EPCM type environment.
• Turnaround experience (at least 2 turnarounds from beginning to end)
• Project management/ project engineering experience in engineering consulting environment
• Medium-sized team management (10-20)
• Must be able to problem solve technical issues and identify root cause of problems.
• Must be able to scope the full engineering and design services for a project
• Experience with establishing and coordinating a multi-disciplinary engineering design basis – especially process design basis.
• Must be able to perform basic Process Design calculations for equipment and piping sizing, hydraulic calculations, etc.
• Experience in FEED/ FEL design development
• Preparing engineering deliverables as required.
• Coordinating the multi-disciplinary Engineering review of project engineering & Design deliverables.
• Experience in handling multiple medium projects simultaneously (5 - 6 medium-sized projects at a time)
• Experience with working with external/ third parties to coordinate and deliver on the Engineering
• Experience with coordinating Execution support from Engineering Team
• Experience with coordinating Pre-Commissioning and Commissioning support from Engineering
• University educated engineer (B. Eng/ B.Sc. Eng.- M. Eng/ MSc.Eng.)
• Knowledge of any particular branch of engineering (Process/ Chemical Engineering)
• Expert Knowledge of process design and process engineering
• Sound general/ multi-disciplinary engineering knowledge and principles.
• Sound working knowledge of process equipment
• Fundamental Knowledge of materials selection, especially in corrosive environments