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Category
Subsea Engineering
Work Pattern
Onshore / Hybrid (offshore as required)
Reports To
Subsea Engineering Manager / Project Director
Position Overview
The Lead Subsea Engineer provides technical leadership across all subsea engineering disciplines for a field development or asset portfolio. This role is accountable for the technical integrity of subsea deliverables, resource allocation, and the development of junior engineers. As the most senior technical authority on subsea matters, the Lead Subsea Engineer is a pivotal hire for any operator or contractor executing subsea projects.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the subsea engineering team across all disciplines (trees, SURF, controls, hardware, flow assurance) for project delivery.
- Establish and maintain technical standards, design philosophies, and engineering execution plans for subsea scopes.
- Approve key engineering deliverables and provide technical authority sign-off for subsea designs.
- Manage subsea engineering resource allocation, workload balancing, and competency development within the team.
- Chair design reviews, HAZIDs, HAZOPs, and peer reviews for subsea systems and equipment.
- Represent subsea engineering in project management reviews, gate reviews, and operator governance forums.
- Resolve complex technical disputes and interface conflicts between subsea disciplines and external stakeholders.
- Drive technology selection and standardisation across the subsea portfolio to optimise cost and schedule.
- Mentor and develop subsea engineers from junior to senior levels; establish competency frameworks.
- Engage with industry bodies, research institutions, and technology alliances to advance subsea engineering practice.
Qualifications
Required
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Master's preferred); Chartered Engineer status strongly preferred.
- Certifications: BOSIET/FOET with CA-EBS; Offshore Medical.
- Experience: 15–20+ years in subsea engineering with leadership of at least one major deepwater development.
- Technical Skills: Comprehensive knowledge of all subsea disciplines and applicable codes (API 17 series, DNV, ASME); project delivery expertise; leadership and mentoring capability.
Preferred
- Experience across multiple basins (e.g., North Sea + deepwater).
- Track record in subsea processing system delivery.
- Familiarity with digital engineering and automation in subsea design.
- Published technical papers or industry committee involvement (SUT, SPE, API).
Market Intelligence
$1,300–$1,800/day
Shortage Level: Critical
Key Skills Gap: Very few engineers combine true cross-discipline subsea breadth with leadership experience and the credibility to lead operator-level technical governance; the pipeline from senior specialist to lead is thin.
Regions in Highest Demand: Global — particularly North Sea, West Africa, Brazil, Middle East, Australia
Demand Drivers: Multiple simultaneous deepwater projects stretching leadership capacity; retirement of the "class of 2000" subsea engineers; operators consolidating subsea teams requiring broader technical authority.