Principal Rotating Engineer

Worley, a global player in energy, chemicals and resources with roots in Australia, is looking for a Principal Rotating Engineer to join its Abu Dhabi team. This is an on-site, full-time opportunity that suits an experienced mechanical engineer who wants to lead the design and delivery of rotating equipment on major onshore projects. The role carries the requisition ABU02FQ and sits under a Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineer.

The position focuses on solving complex rotating equipment challenges, guiding technical decisions, and working closely with clients to ensure safety, reliability and right‑the‑first‑time delivery. If you enjoy shaping engineering outcomes, running client workshops, and coordinating across disciplines, you’ll find this role a compelling fit. It’s based in Abu Dhabi with Worley, a firm that helps clients navigate asset lifecycles from concept through operation and beyond.

Reporting into the Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineer, you’ll be entrusted with leading the discipline on projects, balancing technical excellence with practical delivery needs in a way that keeps teams aligned and stakeholders informed.

Leading the rotating engine room on site

In this role you’ll steer the mechanical discipline for rotating equipment, from early studies through FEED and detailed design, while coordinating procurement and third‑party activities. You’ll contribute to project execution strategies, set up discipline quality plans, and ensure the work aligns with health, safety and environmental requirements. When issues arise, you’ll help drive corrective actions, manage changes, and work with clients and other disciplines to keep progress on track. Expect to prepare and review technical deliverables, support bid activities, and mentor engineers and designers as the team works toward successful handover to operations or commissioning teams.

Day to day, you’ll gather data from multiple sources, shape engineering studies and calculations, and shape final documentation that captures recommendations and acceptable solutions. You’ll participate in visits to sites to collect information, monitor construction or commissioning activities, and liaise with client representatives to keep everyone aligned on intent and constraints. All along, you’ll advocate for standard practices, effective risk management, and the adoption of sound solutions that meet Worley’s and the client’s requirements.

Your essential credentials

The company expects candidates to bring a strong track record in the mechanical rotating field and to demonstrate a deep understanding of industry standards and project delivery. The must‑have list below highlights the core qualifications Worley needs for this senior role.

• A 4‑ or 5‑year technical degree in science or engineering, with active licensing from a local engineering governing body where legally required
• Typically 15+ years of relevant discipline experience, with a solid foundation in mechanical rotating engineering and a proven ability to estimate costs and contribute to proposals
• Expert design and engineering knowledge for rotating equipment on onshore oil and gas projects, including gas turbine drivers (especially brownfield replacements), centrifugal and rotary compressors, centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, fans and blowers, and various miscellaneous packages
• Experience across concept, FEED and detailed design, plus equipment procurement and management of third parties, including site visits and client liaison
• Advanced knowledge of API standards (610, 617, 618, 682, 614, 674, 675, 682) and familiarity with other international codes; strong grasp of onshore engineering practices and equipment selection philosophy
• Ability to develop a discipline Basis of Design and to articulate equipment selection strategies
• Extensive experience in procurement support and package management, covering ITPs, sub‑supplier orders, material certification, welding, NDE and FAT activities
• Proven capability to run client workshops (design reviews, HAZID, HAZOP, constructability, sustainability, reliability, quality reviews) and to manage project changes
• HSE leadership mindset, with a track record of promoting safe and sustainable engineering outcomes
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, comfortable coordinating with multiple teams and stakeholders
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams; ability to organise information from diverse sources
• Willingness to work on-site in Abu Dhabi and to engage in onshore mechanical-rotating design for oil and gas, refinery or petrochemical facilities

Desirable qualifications include leadership experience on projects, broader expertise in regulations or quality, and familiarity with additional tools such as Access or PowerPoint. Experience working in the Middle East is also a plus.

Pay, perks and practical details

The role is a full-time, on-site position based in Abu Dhabi (ARE-AD-Abu Dhabi City). It is an employee role that sits at an individual contributor level within Worley and reports to the Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineer. The posting language reflects Worley’s standard expectations and does not specify salary figures here.

Key practical details include the on-site work arrangement in Abu Dhabi and the need to align with Worley’s health, safety and environmental standards as part of daily practices and project deliverables.

Tips for applicants

Lead with your rotating equipment leadership and the scope you’ve handled in onshore oil and gas projects. On your resume, open with a line that highlights your 15+ years of experience and your work with API standards and the equipment types listed above.

When you describe your must‑have skills, give concrete examples. Cite projects where you led design reviews or client workshops, show how you estimated costs or helped shape the discipline execution strategy, and point to specific equipment you’ve specified or procured, including any Basis of Design work you produced.

For interviews, be ready to walk through how you’ve managed complex design decisions, how you coordinated across disciplines, and how you ensured compliance with HSE and quality standards. Expect questions about site visits and liaison with client representatives, and be prepared to discuss how you handled change management or requests for information in past projects.

End with a thoughtful question that reflects the role’s scope and Worley’s context in Abu Dhabi, such as asking about how the team collaborates with other disciplines on brownfield replacements or how Worley integrates client workshops into project delivery timelines and risk management.