SURF Material, Welding & NDT Specialist

Project Venus Ultra-Deepwater Development

Location London, United Kingdom - Contractor's Premises

Contract Type Residential Assignment

Start Date December 2026 (Subject to Final Investment Decision - FID)

Duration 1 to 3 Years

Renewable Yes

Reporting Line SURF Technical Manager

Travel Requirements Frequent missions to fabrication yards, supplier facilities and offshore installation sites.

Role Overview

The SURF Materials, Welding & NDT Specialist Engineer is responsible for overseeing all technical activities related to material selection, corrosion, welding and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT/NDE) within the Subsea Umbilicals, Risers and Flowlines (SURF) package of the Venus ultra-deepwater development project offshore Namibia.

The position ensures the technical integrity, quality and compliance of materials, welding processes and inspection activities throughout the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) phases.

The scope includes Steel Lazy Wave Risers (SLWR), rigid flowlines, rigid spools, rigid jumpers and associated subsea structures, incorporating carbon steel, corrosion-resistant alloy (CRA) lined pipes and duplex materials.

The Specialist Engineer acts as the technical reference for the SURF Contractor and its suppliers regarding materials engineering, corrosion management, welding qualification and advanced NDT techniques.

The position also supports the SURF Technical Manager and multidisciplinary project teams, including Subsea Production Systems (SPS), FPSO, umbilical and flexible pipe specialists.

Key Responsibilities

Materials Engineering & Selection

• Lead and supervise material selection activities for the SURF package.
• Review and approve material specifications, engineering studies and technical documentation.
• Ensure appropriate material selection for ultra-deepwater subsea applications.
• Oversee materials engineering associated with:
  • Steel Lazy Wave Risers (SLWR).
  • Rigid flowlines and rigid spools.
  • Carbon steel (CS) pipelines.
  • Corrosion-resistant alloy (CRA) lined pipes.
  • WOL / MLP / HRB pipe configurations.
  • Duplex rigid jumpers.
  • Associated subsea structures and equipment.
• Verify compliance with applicable project specifications and international standards.
• Review material characteristics, manufacturing requirements and technical acceptance criteria.
• Assess materials and welding consumables used during fabrication.
• Identify potential material-related technical risks and propose mitigation measures.

Welding Engineering & Qualification

• Supervise welding engineering activities throughout the SURF EPCI execution phase.
• Review and approve welding procedures and qualification documentation, including:
  • Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS).
  • Welding Procedure Qualification Records (WPQR).
  • Procedure Qualification Tests (PQT).
  • Welding qualification reports.
• Verify compliance with applicable welding standards and project requirements.
• Review welding methods and acceptance criteria.
• Support welding procedure qualification and mechanical testing activities.
• Witness welding operations and welding operator qualification activities when required.
• Assess welding equipment, fabrication environments and associated HSE arrangements.
• Identify welding-related non-conformities and recommend corrective actions.
• Ensure welding processes meet technical, quality and operational requirements.

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT/NDE)

• Oversee NDT/NDE activities associated with SURF fabrication and installation.
• Review and approve NDT procedures, inspection methodologies and acceptance criteria.
• Provide technical expertise in advanced inspection techniques, including:
  • Automated Ultrasonic Testing (AUT).
  • Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT).
  • Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD).
  • Inverse Wavefield Extrapolation (IWEX).
• Assess NDT techniques and the qualifications of NDT personnel.
• Review inspection results and technical reports.
• Support qualification and validation of NDT systems.
• Participate in NDT qualification trials and laboratory testing.
• Ensure NDT activities comply with project specifications and applicable standards.
• Support resolution of inspection-related technical issues and non-conformities.

Corrosion Engineering & Material Integrity

• Supervise corrosion-related engineering activities within the SURF package.
• Review corrosion-related specifications and technical documentation.
• Ensure material selection is compatible with project corrosion requirements.
• Assess corrosion risks associated with subsea pipelines, risers and jumpers.
• Review corrosion-related technical deviations and derogation requests.
• Support the technical evaluation of CRA lined pipe systems and associated materials.
• Ensure material integrity requirements are maintained throughout fabrication, installation and operation.

Special Processes & Manufacturing

• Review and approve special manufacturing processes, including:
  • Heat Treatment.
  • Induction Bending.
  • Pickling.
  • Passivation.
• Verify compliance with project specifications and relevant international standards.
• Assess manufacturing procedures and technical qualification requirements.
• Monitor Contractor and Supplier implementation of approved processes.
• Identify potential manufacturing deviations and propose corrective actions.
• Support technical resolution of fabrication and manufacturing issues.

Contractor & Supplier Technical Supervision

• Act as the technical reference for materials, corrosion, welding and NDT matters.
• Supervise technical activities performed by the SURF EPCI Contractor and its Suppliers.
• Review Contractor engineering deliverables, including:
  • Technical specifications.
  • Engineering studies.
  • Drawings.
  • Manufacturing procedures.
  • Welding and NDT documentation.
  • Technical queries.
  • Deviation and derogation requests.
• Monitor Contractor progress and compliance with contractual requirements.
• Identify unacceptable design choices, constructability issues and technical deviations.
• Propose practical solutions to resolve technical problems.
• Ensure technical deliverables are issued within the approved project schedule.
• Support cost optimization without compromising safety or quality.

Fabrication, Testing & Qualification

• Support supervision of fabrication activities at Contractor yards and Supplier workshops.
• Monitor qualification and testing activities, including:
  • Procedure Qualification Tests (PQT).
  • Pre-Production Tests (PPT).
  • Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT).
  • Extended Factory Acceptance Tests (EFAT).
  • System Integration Tests (SIT).
• Participate in mechanical and laboratory testing activities.
• Witness critical fabrication and welding qualification operations.
• Verify compliance with approved technical specifications and quality requirements.
• Support Company Representatives during fabrication inspections.
• Monitor the technical integrity of manufactured and tested equipment.
• Ensure timely identification and resolution of non-conformities.

Offshore Installation Support

• Provide technical support during offshore SURF installation activities.
• Assist offshore Company Representatives with materials, welding and NDT issues.
• Support technical assessment of offshore pipeline installation activities.
• Review technical deviations encountered during installation.
• Ensure compliance with project specifications and approved procedures.
• Coordinate with offshore construction and installation teams to resolve technical issues.
• Support the preservation of material integrity throughout offshore operations.

Engineering Interfaces & Project Coordination

• Support the SURF Technical Manager and SURF engineering teams.
• Coordinate with other project packages, including:
  • Subsea Production Systems (SPS).
  • FPSO Engineering.
  • Umbilical Engineering.
  • Flexible Pipe Engineering.
• Participate in multidisciplinary technical reviews.
• Support resolution of engineering interfaces involving materials, welding and corrosion.
• Liaise with Company Headquarters specialists to ensure technical alignment.
• Contribute to project documentation, including:
  • Statement of Requirements (SOR).
  • Field Development Plan (FDP).
  • Project Execution Plan (PEP).
  • Project Quality Plan (PQP).
  • Project Risk Registers.
• Participate in technical workshops and project reviews.

Contractual & Project Execution Support

• Support the SURF Technical Manager and Subsea Manager during tendering and project execution.
• Provide technical input for:
  • Calls for Tender (CFT).
  • Technical Clarifications.
  • Bid Evaluations.
  • Contract Execution.
  • Contractor Performance Reviews.
• Coordinate with the SURF Contract Engineer regarding contractual correspondence.
• Monitor technical deliverables and contractual obligations.
• Identify technical risks affecting project execution.
• Capture lessons learned and contribute to project close-out reports.

HSE Responsibilities

• Demonstrate exemplary commitment to Company H3SE&Q requirements.
• Ensure engineering and fabrication activities comply with applicable HSE standards.
• Identify and report unsafe designs, technical deviations and potential hazards.
• Promote safe working practices throughout engineering, fabrication and installation.
• Support implementation of Company Life Saving Rules and HSE initiatives.
• Ensure Contractor compliance with HSE and quality requirements.
• Promote ethical conduct and compliance with the Company's Code of Conduct.
• Support continuous improvement of technical safety and quality performance.

Qualifications:

Education

• Master's Degree in Engineering, preferably specializing in Materials Science or a related discipline.
• ESSA or International Welding Engineer (IWE) qualification, as specified in the project requirements.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in major offshore Oil & Gas SURF deepwater projects.
• Extensive experience in materials engineering, welding and NDT within offshore EPCI projects.
• Strong technical knowledge of rigid pipelines, risers, spools and subsea structures.
• Previous experience working with major international SURF Contractors during project execution.
• Experience supervising fabrication and qualification activities.
• Proven expertise in advanced NDT techniques.
• Strong knowledge of relevant international codes and standards, particularly DNV.
• Familiarity with Company General Specifications, procedures and policies is preferred.
• Experience working in international and multicultural project environments.

Technical Skills

• SURF Materials Engineering.
• Deepwater Pipeline Materials.
• Welding Engineering.
• Welding Procedure Qualification.
• WPS / WPQR / PQT.
• Corrosion Engineering.
• CRA Lined Pipes.
• Carbon Steel Pipelines.
• Duplex Materials.
• Steel Lazy Wave Risers (SLWR).
• Rigid Flowlines & Spools.
• Subsea Jumpers.
• Automated Ultrasonic Testing (AUT).
• Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT).
• Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD).
• Inverse Wavefield Extrapolation (IWEX).
• NDT/NDE Qualification.
• Welding Inspection.
• Mechanical & Laboratory Testing.
• Heat Treatment.
• Induction Bending.
• Pickling & Passivation.
• FAT / EFAT / SIT.
• Fabrication Supervision.
• Offshore Installation Support.
• Technical Quality Assurance.
• Contractor & Supplier Management.
• DNV Standards.
• EPCI Project Execution.

Certifications & Training

• BOSIET required.
• ESSA or IWE qualification, as specified in the educational requirements.
• Relevant experience and qualifications in advanced NDT techniques, including AUT, PAUT, TOFD and IWEX.

Soft Skills

• Strong technical leadership and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent analytical and decision-making skills.
• Proactive, pragmatic and solution-oriented mindset.
• Strong communication and coordination skills.
• Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Excellent organizational and planning abilities.
• Ability to manage technical interfaces with Contractors and Suppliers.
• Strong commitment to technical integrity, safety and quality.
• Experience working in complex multicultural environments.

Languages

• Fluent English mandatory, both written and spoken.

Project Environment

• Major ultra-deepwater Oil & Gas development offshore Namibia.
• Water depth approximately 3,000 meters.
• FPSO designed to process approximately 160,000 barrels of oil per day.
• Development comprising up to 40 subsea wells tied back to the FPSO.
• FPSO permanently spread-moored using a 16-line mooring system.
• Extensive subsea infrastructure involving Steel Lazy Wave Risers, rigid flowlines, spools, jumpers and subsea structures.
• International EPCI project involving multiple fabrication yards, suppliers and offshore installation contractors.
• Residential assignment based in London, United Kingdom, with frequent international missions