Lead Piping and Plant Layout Engineer (100%) - Base in Zurich, Switzerland

Climeworks•Calgary, AB

16h•Hybrid

About The Position

This role involves leading the Piping Engineering & Plant Layout Team to ensure global project requirements are met in a fit-for-purpose manner. The engineer will define and communicate owner requirements to contractors, validate design assumptions against operability, safety, and regulatory expectations, and develop piping and plant layouts suitable for local and regional execution. Key responsibilities include contractor management, reviewing and approving submissions, enforcing owner requirements, and ensuring adherence to schedule, quality, safety, and operability. The role also focuses on developing innovative, cost-saving engineering solutions without compromising quality or safety, considering local boundary conditions such as modularization, reduced field welds, optimized layout, local climate, and maintenance access. Strong integration with other disciplines (process, civil, electrical, mechanical, O&M) is crucial for seamless and optimized designs. The engineer will support the alignment of scope assumptions with local permitting needs and maintain thorough records of technical decisions and design bases. A specific focus will be placed on cold-weather and constructability aspects, particularly for a plant planned for Alberta, Canada, incorporating freeze protection, winterization, insulation/heat tracing philosophy, drainage, and cold start/commissioning constraints. Ensuring the design is constructable and maintainable through winter conditions, including temporary works and winter work sequencing, is also a key aspect. The position is based in Zurich, Switzerland, with an expectation for the successful candidate to relocate.

Requirements

Degree in Mechanical Engineering or any related discipline.
At least 10 years of experience in process plants in cold weather climates.
Experience as a piping and plant layout engineer.
Understanding of current standards and directives in mechanical, piping, and civil engineering.
Hands-on involvement in at least one full-cycle project in the chemical, petrochemical, or renewables industry (FEED, detailed design, construction, commissioning, start-up).
Experience in cold-weather or remote/seasonally constrained execution environments is preferred.
Precise, adaptable, and reliable work style.
Proactive and solution-oriented approach.
Comfortable driving and owning decisions in the office and under field constraints.
Confident in presenting to executive audiences and EPC contractors.
Ability to translate technical content into clear, actionable information.
Fluent in English.
Ready to travel up to 60% of the time, including extended site presence in Alberta, Canada during peak periods.

Nice To Haves

Experience in cold-weather or remote/seasonally constrained execution environments.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead the Piping Engineering & Plant Layout Team to deliver on all project requirements globally.
Ensure owner requirements are clearly defined, documented, and communicated to contractors.
Validate design assumptions against operability, safety, and applicable regulatory expectations.
Define piping and plant layouts suitable for local and regional execution.
Review and approve contractor submissions.
Enforce owner requirements and provide technical clarifications.
Ensure adherence to schedule, quality, safety, and operability in contractor work.
Set clear expectations for execution methods, field quality controls, and turnover documentation.
Develop innovative engineering solutions to identify cost-saving opportunities.
Focus on design-to-construct decisions appropriate for local boundary conditions.
Assure strong integration with process, civil, electrical, mechanical, and O&M disciplines.
Proactively manage cross-discipline interfaces.
Support alignment of piping and plant layout scope assumptions with local permitting needs.
Maintain thorough records of technical decisions, design bases, vendor information, and lessons learned.
Incorporate Alberta (or similar) climate conditions into piping and plant layout design and execution planning.
Ensure the design is constructable and able to operate and be maintained through winter conditions.