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Category
Electrical, Instrumentation & Controls
Work Pattern
Onshore with periodic offshore/subsea vessel campaigns
Reports To
Subsea Engineering Manager / Project Engineering Director
Position Overview
The Subsea Electrical Engineer is a specialist role responsible for the design, specification, and engineering of subsea electrical power and control systems, including subsea umbilicals, subsea distribution units, and subsea control modules. This role is pivotal in enabling deepwater and ultra-deepwater field developments where reliable subsea power and communication are essential for production continuity.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and specify subsea electrical power distribution systems including subsea switchgear, transformers, and variable speed drives
- Develop subsea umbilical specifications including power conductors, fibre optics, and hydraulic/chemical tubes
- Perform subsea electrical load flow, short circuit, and protection coordination studies
- Specify and engineer Subsea Control Modules (SCM) and Subsea Distribution Units (SDU) interfaces
- Develop subsea electrical system architecture including power from shore vs. local generation options
- Prepare technical specifications and data sheets for subsea electrical equipment procurement
- Conduct design reviews and HAZIDs for subsea electrical systems
- Support installation, hook-up, and commissioning of subsea electrical systems during offshore campaigns
- Evaluate subsea electrical equipment vendor proposals and participate in technical bid evaluations
- Manage interfaces between subsea electrical, subsea controls, topsides electrical, and umbilical teams
- Develop reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) analysis for subsea power systems
Qualifications
Required
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (Master's preferred)
- Certifications: OPITO BOSIET/FOET; CompEx; Professional Engineer (PE) or Chartered Engineer (CEng) status preferred
- Experience: Minimum 10 years in electrical engineering with at least 5 years specifically in subsea systems for deepwater oil and gas developments
- Technical Skills: Subsea power system design, umbilical engineering, subsea control system architecture, subsea equipment qualification (API 17D/17E/17F), ETAP or similar power system analysis software, DNV/ISO subsea standards
Preferred
- Experience with subsea processing systems (subsea boosting, separation, compression)
- All-electric subsea tree experience
- Knowledge of subsea fibre optic communication systems
- Experience with subsea intervention and workover control systems (IWOC)
Market Intelligence
$1,100–1,600/day
Shortage Level: Critical
Key Skills Gap: Engineers with deep subsea-specific electrical experience (not just topsides) are extremely rare. Subsea power system design combined with umbilical engineering is a particularly narrow niche.
Regions in Highest Demand: Brazil (pre-salt), West Africa (Nigeria/Angola), North Sea (Norway), Gulf of Mexico, Middle East
Demand Drivers: Deepwater field developments in Brazil and West Africa, subsea processing and boosting technology uptake, all-electric subsea initiative, subsea tie-back campaigns in mature basins