Maintenance Engineer (Expat) job at True North Consult Ltd

Company Overview

The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is a major midstream oil and gas development spanning Uganda and Tanzania, including a nearshore Marine Storage and Export Terminal (MST). Upon completion, EACOP will operate a 1,443 km electrically heated crude oil export pipeline, transporting crude oil from Kabaale, Hoima (Uganda) to the Chongoleani Peninsula near Tanga Port (Tanzania) for export to international markets.

Job Summary

The Maintenance Engineer will oversee mechanical maintenance activities and coordinate multidisciplinary maintenance operations across EACOP's Uganda facilities. Reporting to the Uganda Field Manager and the Head of Maintenance & Inspection, the successful candidate will supervise maintenance contractors, site mechanical technicians, and maintenance campaigns to ensure equipment reliability, operational efficiency, and compliance with health, safety, environmental, and quality standards.

The role covers maintenance coordination for Feeder Lines, Pumping Stations (PS1 & PS2), and Main Line Block Valve (MLBV) Stations within Perimeter 1.

Key Responsibilities

Health, Safety, Environment & Quality (HSEQ)

• Promote and demonstrate exemplary compliance with Company HSEQ policies, Ethics, and Code of Conduct.
• Participate in the development and implementation of the Environmental Management System (EMS).
• Ensure facilities remain in a safe operating condition through regular inspections.
• Develop and update operational procedures for routine and specialized operations.
• Participate in HAZID, HAZOP, Cause Tree Analysis, and Permit-to-Work (PTW) audits.
• Conduct routine site inspections to monitor operational, environmental, and safety performance.
• Support the development and implementation of annual HSE improvement plans.

Maintenance Operations

• Coordinate mechanical maintenance activities across assigned facilities.
• Participate in preparing maintenance work programs and campaign schedules.
• Supervise maintenance preparation and execution.
• Review contractor performance and ensure maintenance quality standards are achieved.
• Ensure maintenance activities comply with company procedures and industry best practices.
• Manage maintenance service contracts to improve operational efficiency.
• Validate commissioning and recommissioning of new or modified equipment.
• Ensure effective management of equipment punch lists after project handover.

Production Support

• Monitor equipment performance and facility availability.
• Identify equipment failures and operational inefficiencies.
• Conduct root cause analysis and recommend corrective actions.
• Prepare periodic technical and operational reports.
• Review Permit-to-Work documentation for completeness.
• Participate in field shutdown planning and execution.
• Approve operational procedures and shutdown instructions.
• Investigate production incidents and equipment failures.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, maintainability, and reduce operating costs.

Planning & Coordination

• Contribute to maintenance campaign planning and scheduling.
• Support 2-year maintenance strategies and rolling 90-day maintenance plans.
• Influence weekly and campaign maintenance schedules.
• Identify scheduling conflicts and recommend optimized work sequences.
• Coordinate maintenance resources including contractors, scaffolding, HSE support, and equipment.
• Ensure work packs, risk assessments, permits, and toolbox talks are properly prepared.
• Coordinate equipment isolation, flushing, inerting, and other maintenance preparations.
• Issue Technical Return of Experience (t-REX) reports.

Quality Assurance

• Monitor maintenance contractor performance.
• Conduct contractor audits and performance evaluations.
• Ensure lessons learned (REX) are incorporated into maintenance planning.
• Recommend improvements and training opportunities for contractors and maintenance teams.

Leadership & Capacity Building

• Mentor and coach local engineers and technicians.
• Support knowledge transfer and succession planning.
• Develop competency improvement and training plans.
• Conduct employee performance evaluations.
• Organize On-the-Job Training (OJT) programs.
• Foster teamwork and a culture of continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Strong mechanical and rotating equipment background.
• Good knowledge of Computerized Maintenance & Inspection Management Systems (CMIMS).
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.

Experience

• 10–15 years of experience in the Oil & Gas industry.
• Minimum of 4 years in a maintenance leadership or supervisory role.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary maintenance teams across multiple sites.
• Strong mechanical maintenance experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Good working knowledge of Primavera planning software.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and supervisory skills.
• Excellent planning and organizational abilities.
• Sound decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage contractors and multidisciplinary teams.
• High level of responsibility, integrity, and professional judgment.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Health, Safety & Environment

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Fully comply with EACOP Health, Safety, Social, Security & Environment (H3SE) policies and Life Saving Rules.
• Promote a positive HSEQ culture throughout all maintenance activities.
• Identify and report unsafe conditions promptly.
• Maintain safe, clean, and organized work environments.
• Contribute to continuous HSE improvements across all operations.

• Promote and demonstrate exemplary compliance with Company HSEQ policies, Ethics, and Code of Conduct.
• Participate in the development and implementation of the Environmental Management System (EMS).
• Ensure facilities remain in a safe operating condition through regular inspections.
• Develop and update operational procedures for routine and specialized operations.
• Participate in HAZID, HAZOP, Cause Tree Analysis, and Permit-to-Work (PTW) audits.
• Conduct routine site inspections to monitor operational, environmental, and safety performance.
• Support the development and implementation of annual HSE improvement plans.
• Coordinate mechanical maintenance activities across assigned facilities.
• Participate in preparing maintenance work programs and campaign schedules.
• Supervise maintenance preparation and execution.
• Review contractor performance and ensure maintenance quality standards are achieved.
• Ensure maintenance activities comply with company procedures and industry best practices.
• Manage maintenance service contracts to improve operational efficiency.
• Validate commissioning and recommissioning of new or modified equipment.
• Ensure effective management of equipment punch lists after project handover.
• Monitor equipment performance and facility availability.
• Identify equipment failures and operational inefficiencies.
• Conduct root cause analysis and recommend corrective actions.
• Prepare periodic technical and operational reports.
• Review Permit-to-Work documentation for completeness.
• Participate in field shutdown planning and execution.
• Approve operational procedures and shutdown instructions.
• Investigate production incidents and equipment failures.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, maintainability, and reduce operating costs.
• Contribute to maintenance campaign planning and scheduling.
• Support 2-year maintenance strategies and rolling 90-day maintenance plans.
• Influence weekly and campaign maintenance schedules.
• Identify scheduling conflicts and recommend optimized work sequences.
• Coordinate maintenance resources including contractors, scaffolding, HSE support, and equipment.
• Ensure work packs, risk assessments, permits, and toolbox talks are properly prepared.
• Coordinate equipment isolation, flushing, inerting, and other maintenance preparations.
• Issue Technical Return of Experience (t-REX) reports.
• Monitor maintenance contractor performance.
• Conduct contractor audits and performance evaluations.
• Ensure lessons learned (REX) are incorporated into maintenance planning.
• Recommend improvements and training opportunities for contractors and maintenance teams.
• Mentor and coach local engineers and technicians.
• Support knowledge transfer and succession planning.
• Develop competency improvement and training plans.
• Conduct employee performance evaluations.
• Organize On-the-Job Training (OJT) programs.
• Foster teamwork and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Fully comply with EACOP Health, Safety, Social, Security & Environment (H3SE) policies and Life Saving Rules.
• Promote a positive HSEQ culture throughout all maintenance activities.
• Identify and report unsafe conditions promptly.
• Maintain safe, clean, and organized work environments.
• Contribute to continuous HSE improvements across all operations.

• Strong leadership and supervisory skills.
• Excellent planning and organizational abilities.
• Sound decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage contractors and multidisciplinary teams.
• High level of responsibility, integrity, and professional judgment.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Strong mechanical and rotating equipment background.
• Good knowledge of Computerized Maintenance & Inspection Management Systems (CMIMS).
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.