Job Title: Lead Technical Risk & Safety Engineer

Reporting To: Regional Operations Manager / Head of Risk & Safety

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE (base) — projects across GCC / MENA

Job Type: Full-time

Start Date: Immediate

Industry: Energy / Oil & Gas / Petrochemical

Job Summary

We are looking for a Lead Technical Risk & Safety Engineer to provide expert technical safety and risk support across EPC projects and proposals in the Oil & Gas / Energy sector. The role covers end-to-end process safety studies and risk assessments from FEED through detailed design, construction, commissioning, and start-up, including workshop facilitation, technical deliverables, modelling, and reporting.Key Responsibilities

Technical Safety & Risk Studies

• Act as Subject Matter Expert (SME) and lead/participate in safety and risk studies/workshops including HAZOP, HAZID, SIL, PHSER, ALARP, PHA/LOPA.

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative risk assessments: scenario development, frequency analysis (Event Tree / Fault Tree), risk presentation, and reporting.

• Perform and/or review major safety deliverables such as Safety Case, Design HSE Case, HSEIA, and related technical safety documentation.

• Perform/Review FERA, QRA, EERA, ESSA and Performance Standards reports.

• Conduct Hazardous Area Classification assessments and SIL verification/validation activities.

Engineering & Design Support

• Review and interpret engineering documentation including P&IDs, PFDs, HMB, plant layouts, operating procedures, drawings, and documentation.

• Support multi-disciplinary design reviews/verifications and ensure technical safety requirements are integrated.

• Prepare/validate Fire Water Demand Calculations, Fire & Gas detection layouts, and Cause & Effect for fire detection & suppression systems.

• Develop safety equipment layouts and prepare technical specifications for safety equipment.

• Execute Escape, Evacuation, Rescue, Recovery (EERR) assessments.

Leadership, Delivery & Stakeholder Management

• Lead the team for successful completion of HSEIA process.

• Serve as lead engineer on projects/proposals: review contract requirements, plan delivery, organize and manage document submissions.

• Lead client interface meetings and coordination required by the client.

• Coach/mentor junior engineers and support their technical safety deliverables.

• Develop and deliver training; create training materials for HAZOP/PHA/HAZID/SIL.

Desirable Exposure

• SIMOPS, MOPO, Constructability Reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or a relevant discipline.

Experience Requirements

• 15+ years of Technical Safety & Risk experience within EPC for Oil & Gas / Hydrocarbon industries (Refinery, Petrochemical, Heavy Chemical, Fertilizer Plants).

• Strong understanding of refinery processes, plant equipment, and process control.

• Mandatory: Strong ability to read and interpret P&IDs and PFDs.

• Desirable: Familiarity with ADNOC, SABIC, Saudi Aramco, QE process safety/risk standards.

• Added advantage: Exposure to CFD, RAM, Dropped Object Studies.

Technical Skills (Software & Tools)

Experience with one or more of the following is preferred:

• PHA-Pro / PHA Leader, PHAST, SAFETI, Detect3D, FRED, exSILentia, BowtieXP, Flaresim, Pipenet.

Competencies

• Strong technical report writing and communication skills (technical documentation is a key part of the role).

• Proven leadership and ability to meet deadlines and deliver targets.

• Ability to collaborate across disciplines and confidently discuss technical issues with process engineers.

Language

• English required; Arabic is an advantage.

Mobility / Travel

• Willingness to relocate within the Middle East and travel across MENA as required.