Principal Engineering Lead

SSA Marine•Long Beach, CA

About The Position

The Principal Engineering Lead is responsible for overall engineering strategy, technical governance, and delivery of engineering activities for the POLA (Port of Los Angeles) Cruise Terminal Project, from FEL2 through EPC execution, commissioning, and handover. Acting as SSA Marine’s technical authority in an Owner-led Progressive Design-Build (PDB) model, the role develops and oversees a robust, optimized, and constructible technical baseline aligned with cost, schedule, operability, and risk objectives. The position oversees the Engineering & Design Criteria Document (DCD) Integrator, ensures engineering maturity at each FEL stage-gate, and integrates design with permitting, procurement, and construction to de-risk the project before GMP/Lump Sum conversion and support safe, efficient execution. The role leads engineering governance and technical assurance across disciplines, manages the Engineering and DCD Integrator, and coordinates with the Design-Builder, Design Architect, CEQA/NEPA consultants, POLA stakeholders, and SSA Marine functions. It plans engineering execution and deliverables; supports cost estimates, value engineering, procurement, construction readiness, commissioning, and start-up; and ensures that design addresses constructability, operational requirements, maintainability, and lifecycle performance. The role also captures lessons learned and contributes to improvements in SSA Marine’s engineering standards and delivery practices. The project is long-term and multi-phase. During the initial phase, estimated at 2–3 years, the employee may work from the Seattle, Washington office or travel from Southern California to the Seattle office at least once per month. For the following phase, candidates must be willing to relocate to or reside near Long Beach, California. The role requires travel to project sites and multiple regions, attendance at meetings, and occasional extended off-site stays. Duties are normally performed in a climate-controlled office, with occasional work in extreme outdoor temperatures and exposure to computer screens, moving equipment, and operational hazards. The work environment is usually moderately noisy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering in Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, or a related discipline.
Minimum 12–15 years of progressive engineering and project delivery experience in large infrastructure, port, marine terminal, or heavy industrial projects.
Proven experience leading engineering delivery for projects exceeding USD 500 million.
Strong experience in Owner, EPCM, Design-Build, or hybrid delivery models.
Demonstrated experience with FEL stage-gate processes and engineering governance frameworks.
Strong understanding of multidisciplinary engineering coordination, constructability and contractor-driven design, cost estimation, and value engineering.
Experience managing engineering consultants and multidisciplinary teams.
Strong technical leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Proven ability to resolve complex technical challenges and interface issues.
Willingness to relocate to or reside near Long Beach, California for the later project phase.
Ability to travel to project sites and multiple regions, attend required meetings, and undertake extended off-site stays when required.
Ability to work safely in a safety-sensitive environment with moving equipment and potential operational hazards.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree such as an MBA or MSc.
Professional certifications such as PE or PMP.
Experience working within U.S. regulatory environments, including CEQA/NEPA processes.

Responsibilities

Act as SSA Marine’s technical authority for the POLA project across all engineering disciplines.
Establish and enforce engineering standards, design criteria, and quality expectations aligned with SSA Marine and industry best practices.
Ensure engineering deliverables comply with project requirements, regulatory frameworks, and applicable codes and standards.
Lead engineering activities across FEL2, FEL3, and EPC execution, and ensure deliverables reach the required maturity for stage-gate approvals and investment decisions.
Support FEL reviews with engineering deliverables, including design basis, technical reports, cost estimates, and engineering schedules; apply engineering maturity tools to assess readiness for execution and procurement.
Direct and manage the Engineering and DCD Integrator by setting scope, priorities, deliverables, and performance expectations, and monitoring progress, resources, and deliverable quality across disciplines.
Ensure timely development of a fit-for-purpose Design Criteria Document (DCD) to support CEQA and procurement.
Align engineering with the Design-Builder during Progressive Design-Build phases; validate constructability, phasing strategies, and technical solutions using contractor input.
Support cost estimates and technical inputs for GMP/Lump Sum negotiations, and ensure engineering decisions support efficient procurement packaging and construction execution.
Define and manage engineering execution plans, schedules, and deliverable requirements, including timely documentation for procurement, fabrication, and construction and readiness for IFC issuance.
Lead multidisciplinary coordination across civil, structural, marine, electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering.
Ensure engineering supports operational requirements, maintainability, and lifecycle performance.
Lead technical interfaces with the Engineering & DCD Integrator, Design Architect, Design-Builder, CEQA/NEPA consultants, POLA stakeholders, and SSA Marine functions including Operations, Procurement, Sustainability, Safety, and Technology.
Resolve cross-functional and cross-party technical conflicts efficiently.
Own engineering input into CAPEX development, cost estimates, and value engineering initiatives; optimize design for cost, performance, operability, and risk while preventing overdesign.
Identify, assess, and mitigate technical and design risks, integrate engineering risks into the project risk-management framework, and lead technical, constructability, and assurance reviews.
Ensure engineering supports construction sequencing, procurement strategy, and field execution requirements.
Coordinate with the Construction Manager and Procurement teams to ensure readiness, and support technical issue resolution during construction, commissioning, and start-up.
Capture lessons learned from engineering and execution and contribute to improvements in SSA Marine’s engineering standards, governance, and delivery practices.