Principal Piping Designer – Contract (Outside IR35)Location: Aberdeen | Hybrid (minimum 3 days in office)A respected engineering consultancy is seeking a Principal Piping Designer to shape complex brownfield projects across the Oil & Gas and wider Energy landscape. From Concept through FEED to Detailed Design, Construction and Commissioning, your fingerprints will be on work that truly moves the sector forward.Note: This position requires attendance at the Aberdeen office at least three days per week.The OpportunityYou will guide plant layout and piping design using the latest digital and CAD technologies, steering a team toward precision, safety, and excellence. Reporting to the Lead Piping Engineer, you’ll ensure every deliverable meets the highest standard.What You’ll Be Trusted WithLeading and mentoring a team of piping designers to deliver on time and within budgetOwning all plant layout and piping design outputs - 3D models, isometrics, GAs, plot plans, and pipe supportsPlanning resources, tracking manhours, and feeding into design progress reportsRaising risks, identifying scope change, and driving solutions earlyConducting site surveys where required (CSCS, CCNSG or equivalent may be needed)Championing Health, Safety, Sustainability and Environmental standards across all activitiesChairing model and client design reviews with clarity and authorityCollaborating across disciplines to achieve integrated, constructible designsWhat Sets You ApartProven leadership of small design teams in high-stakes project environmentsDeep expertise in piping design and plant layout within Oil & Gas or EnergyExperience spanning front-end layout through brownfield modifications to AFC deliverablesStrong command of layout principles balancing safety, operability, maintenance, and constructabilityWorking knowledge of major codes including American Society of Mechanical Engineers B31.3 and relevant UK legislationConfidence interpreting stress reports and embedding them into designSkilled in reviewing vendor data and approving technical deliverablesAdvanced CAD capability - fully conversant with AVEVA E3D, AutoCAD, Navisworks, and laser point cloud data