Lead Piping Engineer – Stress Analysis

Kent is looking for a Lead Piping Engineer – Stress Analysis to be seconded to our client and based in their Houston, Texas office.

The successful candidate will serve as an Owner’s Engineer, reviewing and approving engineering deliverables prepared by the EPC contractor for a major power plant project.

You will provide technical oversight of piping engineering activities, with particular emphasis on piping flexibility and stress analysis.

You will evaluate contractor calculations, specifications, drawings, and vendor information to confirm compliance with project requirements, applicable codes, sound engineering practices, and the approved project design basis.

supporting large capital projects, preferably with a total installed cost exceeding $250 million, is preferred.

• Review and approve piping flexibility and stress-analysis calculations prepared by the EPC contractor.
• Verify piping stress models, assumptions, load cases, boundary conditions, design criteria, and calculation results.
• Review piping systems for compliance with applicable codes, project specifications, client standards, and accepted engineering practices.
• Review contractor deliverables, including piping specifications, piping material classes, line lists, piping drawings, isometrics, plot plans, equipment layouts, and support details.
• Evaluate piping loads imposed on rotating equipment, pressure vessels, tanks, heat exchangers, structures, and other connected equipment.
• Review nozzle-load evaluations and confirm compliance with applicable equipment and vendor allowable-load criteria.
• Review the selection, location, design, and functionality of pipe supports, restraints, guides, anchors, spring supports, and expansion joints.
• Assess piping systems for sustained, thermal, occasional, vibration, wind, seismic, relief, and other applicable operating and design loads.
• Review dynamic analyses where required, including evaluations associated with vibration, water hammer, slug flow, pressure relief, and other transient conditions.
• Review piping interfaces with mechanical equipment, civil/structural systems, process systems, and plant operations.
• Review technical queries, design deviations, concession requests, change notices, and proposed engineering resolutions.
• Identify technical concerns, design risks, constructability issues, and potential noncompliance within contractor submissions.
• Participate in design reviews, model reviews, constructability reviews, hazard reviews, and technical coordination meetings.
• Coordinate with mechanical, process, civil/structural, instrumentation, electrical, construction, commissioning, and operations personnel.
• Support the resolution of field engineering, fabrication, installation, testing, and commissioning issues related to piping systems.
• Review vendor documentation affecting piping design, equipment interfaces, and allowable nozzle loads.
• Monitor piping-engineering deliverables for compliance with the project scope, schedule, quality requirements, and document-control procedures.
• Provide technical recommendations to the client and promptly communicate significant engineering risks or concerns.

In addition to the responsibilities listed herein, the employee may be required to perform other ad-hoc tasks as needed or directed by the supervisor or management.

These tasks will be within the reasonable scope of the employee's skills, capabilities, and role within the organization.

The intent of this provision is to allow for flexibility and adaptability in meeting the dynamic needs of the organization, ensuring that operational requirements can be met efficiently.

All such tasks will be assigned considering the employee's current workload and with respect to their professional development.

Your knowledge/skills, education, and experience: Knowledge/Qualification/Training/Certification:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 15 years of relevant piping-engineering experience, including significant experience performing or reviewing piping stress analysis.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license is required.
• Previous Owner’s Engineer, engineering consultant, EPC, or client-representative experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting power-generation projects is preferred; relevant oil and gas, petrochemical, LNG, refining, or other major industrial-project experience will also be considered.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing engineering deliverables produced by EPC contractors.
• Advanced knowledge of piping flexibility and stress-analysis principles.
• Proficiency with CAESAR II or comparable piping stress-analysis software.
• Strong knowledge of ASME B31.1 and ASME B31.3.
• Familiarity with applicable ASME, API, MSS, PIP, NEMA, Hydraulic Institute, and project-specific standards.
• Knowledge of piping materials, piping specifications, valves, fittings, specialty items, supports, and restraint systems.
• Experience evaluating piping loads on pumps, compressors, turbines, vessels, tanks, heat exchangers, and other equipment.
• Familiarity with equipment nozzle-load requirements and applicable vendor or industry allowable-load criteria.
• Experience reviewing static and dynamic piping analyses.
• Working knowledge of pipe-support engineering, spring-support selection, expansion joints, vibration concerns, and piping-equipment interfaces.
• Ability to interpret piping and instrumentation diagrams, piping isometrics, plot plans, equipment arrangements, support drawings, and three-dimensional plant models.
• Familiarity with engineering document review and comment-resolution workflows.
• Understanding of piping fabrication, installation, inspection, testing, commissioning, and field-engineering practices.
• Ability to identify technical risks, evaluate alternative solutions, and make sound engineering recommendations.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to plan, prioritize, and manage multiple technical reviews.
• Experience with AutoCAD, Navisworks, or other engineering and design-review software is a plus.

• Excellent oral, written, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to prepare clear, concise, and technically defensible review comments and recommendations.
• Ability to work effectively with clients, EPC contractors, vendors, multidisciplinary engineering teams, construction personnel, and project leadership.
• Confidence communicating technical concerns and resolving differences professionally and collaboratively.

• Demonstrates sound engineering judgment and a strong commitment to technical quality.
• Works autonomously with limited direct supervision.
• Contributes to a cooperative and supportive multidisciplinary team environment.
• Maintains attention to detail while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Proactively identifies technical concerns and follows issues through final resolution.
• Able to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced project environment.
• Demonstrates accountability, integrity, adaptability, and a client-focused approach.

HSSEQ: The Employee shall observe the Health, Safety, Sustainability, Environment and Quality rules of the Company; it’s clients and the governing authorities of the host country.

Details about the role: Location: Houston, TX Relocation required: N/A Travel required: Limited, based on project requirements Contract type: Full-time, project duration Experience level: 15+ years