Piping Lead Inspector (Offshore Substation Dubai)
Piping Lead Inspector
📍 Berlin, Germany (remote) → Dubai, UAE (fabrication yard) → Offshore
🕒 Contract / Long-term assignment | Start: December 2026
We are looking for an experienced Piping Lead Inspector to act as the Client / Owner's Representative for the piping scope of a 2 GW HVDC offshore converter platform in the Baltic Sea, built for a German transmission system operator.
The scope covers the water supply system (seawater intake, desalination, potable water, hydrant and deck wash), hazardous and non-hazardous drains and sewage, the diesel fuel system, and the piping and valves of the auxiliary systems: HVAC chilled and closed cooling water, fire-fighting foam and helideck systems, and converter cooling water. You follow this scope from requirements verification to offshore commissioning.
Assignment Timeline
- Start: December 2026
- Contract: 12 months, with option to extend
- Work split: 50% on site in Dubai, 40% remote, 10% in Berlin
Key Responsibilities
- Review the contractor's evidence against the Employer's Requirements in the verification plan (Relatics) and recommend verification status
- Review and comment on contractor and supplier documents, including:
- ITPs, FAT and commissioning procedures
- Material traceability, test-pack and flushing procedures
- WPS, WPQR, welder qualifications and NDT procedures
- Define client hold, witness, review and monitoring points and keep the piping inspection register up to date
- Witness valve FATs (ball, butterfly, gate, check, balancing, pressure relief and quick-closing valves), including pressure, seat leakage and functional tests
- Inspect pipe spools, supports and prefabricated components before shipment
- Verify material certificates, PMI records, dimensional checks, coating and traceability documentation
- Carry out surveillance visits at international sub-suppliers during spool, support and coating work
- At the Dubai yard, inspect:
- spool fabrication, material traceability and welding against approved procedures
- NDT activities and reports, surface preparation and coating
- installation of piping, supports, valves and flanged joints, including torqueing
- Review test packs and witness hydrostatic, pneumatic and leak tests
- Witness flushing, cleaning, drying and reinstatement, including converter cooling water systems
- Witness commissioning of water supply, hydrant, drain, sewage, fuel and cooling water systems
- Plan inspection coverage, coordinate the client inspection team and make sure every hold and witness point is attended
- Raise NCRs, assess root causes and verify closure of corrective and preventive actions
- Carry out mechanical completion inspections (ITR-A) and review punch list items and completion dossiers in the contractor's system
- Take part in final inspections, harbour acceptance tests (HAT) and load-out readiness reviews
- Offshore: witness re-commissioning, final pressure tests and flushing after hook-up
- Issue daily and weekly inspection reports with KPIs (hold and witness point attendance, NCR ageing, punch list close-out)
- Report HSE non-conformities and take part in safety walks and HSE reviews
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Required Qualifications
- Welding Engineer qualification or certified Welding Inspector (e.g. IWI, CSWIP 3.1)
- NDT certification, minimum ISO 9712 Level 2
- Minimum 8 years in QA/QC inspection of piping fabrication, installation and testing, of which at least 5 years on offshore or marine projects
- Proven experience leading a team of inspectors
- Experience as Lead Inspector, Client Representative or Owner's Inspector on offshore substations, HVDC platforms, oil & gas topsides or ships
- Experience in FAT witnessing and surveillance at international sub-suppliers
- Experience in mechanical completion, pre-commissioning and commissioning, including punch list and completion management systems
- Fluent English, minimum C1 (spoken and written)
- Valid work and travel permits for Europe and the UAE; willingness to travel to suppliers worldwide and to be deployed long-term at the Dubai yard and offshore
- Working knowledge of codes and standards, e.g. EN 13480, EN 1092-1, EN 1591-1, ISO 14692, EN ISO 12944, PED 2014/68/EU, ISO 3834, ISO 5817, ISO 15614-1, ISO 9606-1
All experience must be backed by personal project references stating client, period, scope and your role.
Nice to Have
- International Welding Engineer (IWE)
- Coating inspection certification (NACE / AMPP, FROSIO or equivalent)
- API 570 certification
- GRP/GRE piping systems (ISO 14692)
- Potable water systems and hygiene requirements
- Previous work on HVDC converter platforms or offshore substations, or converter cooling water systems
- Experiance on European Projects
- DNV certification processes; yard experience in the Middle East or Asia
Additional Advantages
- German and Arabic language skills
- Valid GWO BST or OPITO BOSIET (incl. HUET) and offshore medical, or willingness to obtain them before the offshore phase
- Knowledge of BSH offshore codes, DNV-ST-0145 and German occupational safety rules (BetrSichV, DGUV, ASR)
Why This Role
- Owner's-side position with real authority over the piping scope
- One platform from start to finish: verification, FATs, yard, load-out and offshore commissioning (2026 to 2031)
- Lead Inspector role with your own team of inspectors at a major fabrication yard in Dubai
- Grid connection project for the German energy transition, 2 GW HVDC
👉 Interested?
Apply directly or reach out for more information. Please send your CV with project references.