The Principal Mechanic plays a pivotal role within the Asset and Operations department at MDL, taking overall responsibility for directing and coordinating all mechanical and hydraulic activities in the workshop and at site. Reporting to the Operations Manager, this is a hands‑on position focused on ensuring all work is carefully planned, professionally executed, and completed to consistently high standards of safety, quality, and efficiency. The role requires strong supervisory and technical leadership across all mechanical scopes, with direct responsibility for managing Mechanical Supervisors and driving performance across the wider mechanical team. The Principal Mechanic sets expectations, embeds discipline, and promotes accountability to ensure the mechanical function operates cohesively and effectively at all times.
The role brings structure, rigour, and authoritative technical oversight to a broad range of activities, including new builds, refurbishment projects, maintenance programmes, equipment preparation, and mobilisation activities. The Principal Mechanic ensures work is delivered in a controlled, reliable, and repeatable manner, supporting MDL’s operational delivery and project commitments. A strong mechanical and hydraulic background is essential to succeed in this role, providing the technical credibility required to lead complex activities and make sound decisions. Previous experience working with FlexLay equipment would be highly advantageous.
Role Accountabilities
Mechanical & Hydraulic Delivery
- Lead and oversee all mechanical and hydraulic work scopes across workshop, yard, and onshore site activities
- Ensure mechanical work is executed safely, efficiently, and in line with defined plans, drawings, procedures, and standards
- Provide senior oversight of equipment build, refurbishment, repair, maintenance, assembly, and pre‑mobilisation preparation
- Ensure all mechanical and hydraulic tasks are completed to the required quality and readiness standard
- Manage the Mechanical Supervisors and provide clear direction, expectations, and accountability for delivery
- Ensure the mechanical team is organised, disciplined, and operating effectively across all active scopes
- Set the tone for standards, behaviour, pace, and attention to detail within the mechanical function
- Ensure work is properly allocated, monitored, and followed through to completion
- Develop a strong team culture focused on ownership, consistency, and getting the basics right every time
- Support and lead the development of apprentices, mechanical technicians and supervisors and complete succession planning activities.
Planning & Work Execution
- Work with the Operations Manager to plan mechanical and hydraulic activities across multiple concurrent scopes
- Ensure mechanical work is fully thought through before execution begins, including labour, tooling, materials, drawings, and access requirements
- Review work scopes and challenge gaps, poor sequencing, or unclear requirements before work starts
- Support the workshop planning process and ensure the mechanical team is aligned with the wider workshop plan and job card system
Technical Oversight & Assurance
- Provide senior technical guidance on mechanical and hydraulic systems, including fault finding, build methods, inspection, testing support, and reinstatement scopes
- Ensure mechanical and hydraulic work is completed in line with best practice, operational requirements, and MDL standards
- Support resolution of mechanical faults, non‑conformances, and quality issues, ensuring lessons are fed back into future scopes
- Provide practical operational input to engineering, maintenance, and equipment teams where required
- Support off site and on site black builds and provide coaching to supervisors to allow them to become self‑sufficient in mechanical black build activities on complex machines
Workshop & Site Support
- Support and oversee mechanical activities in the workshop, yard, and onshore site environments
- Ensure site‑based mechanical work, installation support, and surveys are properly planned and executed
- Provide senior support on more complex scopes, particularly where experience and judgement are required to keep work moving correctly
- Support offshore operations with mechanical input or personnel when required, without undermining core onshore delivery priorities
- Ensure mechanical and hydraulic systems are physically prepared for commissioning and testing
- Support structured execution of testing activities by ensuring build quality, completion status, and functional readiness are in place before handover to equipment team for commissioning and testing.
- Provide technical support during commissioning, FATs, and troubleshooting where required
- Help ensure issues identified during testing are addressed quickly and properly
Quality, Documentation & Standards
- Ensure mechanical work is completed, checked, and recorded to the required standard
- Maintain discipline in work packs, drawings, test sheets, QA records, and supporting documentation
- Ensure completed work is properly verified and handed over with clear evidence of completion and quality
- Promote consistency in methods, checks, and standards across the mechanical team
- Drive improvements in mechanical execution, planning, quality, and efficiency
- Identify recurring issues, wasted effort, or weak practices and implement practical improvements
- Support development of better methods, standard approaches, and lessons learned across the mechanical function
- Encourage a mindset of doing the job properly first time, rather than relying on rework or late correction
HSEQ
- Lead by example in all aspects of HSEQ
- Ensure all mechanical and hydraulic activities are carried out in line with MDL and regulatory procedures, risk assessments, method statements, and safe systems of work
- Challenge poor practice immediately and stop any work that is unsafe or not controlled
- Promote a disciplined, safety‑first culture across the mechanical team and supporting personnel
Definition of Good Performance
- Mechanical and hydraulic work is delivered safely, on time, and to a consistently high standard
- The mechanical team operates in a structured, efficient, and accountable manner
- The Mechanical Supervisors are well supported, clear on expectations, and managing day‑to‑day delivery effectively
- Work is properly planned before execution, with minimal disruption caused by poor preparation or weak coordination
- Mechanical and hydraulic faults, quality issues, and scope gaps are identified early and resolved properly
- Equipment is mechanically complete and ready for testing, mobilisation, installation, or handover without last‑minute rework
- Standards are consistent across workshop, yard, and site activities
- The mechanical function is seen as organised, dependable, and in control
Operating Behaviour
- Leads from the front and sets the standard for pace, discipline, and quality
- Expects work to be planned properly, communicated clearly, and completed fully
- Holds people accountable and follows through on poor performance or weak execution
- Maintains control of detail without losing sight of wider priorities
- Communicates directly, clearly, and early when issues arise
- Focuses on doing the job right first time
- Brings a practical, no‑nonsense approach to delivery
- Supports the team, but does not tolerate drift, ambiguity, or poor standards
Authority & Boundaries
- Responsible for leading the mechanical and hydraulic function within Operations
- Manages the Mechanical Supervisor and directs the wider mechanical team
- Authority to organise, prioritise, and oversee mechanical work within agreed plans
- Provides senior technical oversight for mechanical and hydraulic execution, but does not replace engineering authority
- Supports the Operations Manager in delivery planning and execution decisions
- Escalates risks, quality concerns, scope gaps, and resource issues that impact delivery, safety, or cost
- Operates within company Delegation of Approval (DOA)
Skills & Experience
- Strong mechanical and hydraulic background, ideally developed within offshore equipment, heavy equipment, or engineering service environments
- Proven experience leading mechanical teams and supervising delivery of complex work scopes
- Strong understanding of equipment build, refurbishment, repair, maintenance, and assembly activities
- Experience fault finding and resolving mechanical and hydraulic issues in workshop and operational environments
- Good ability to read and interpret mechanical assembly and hydraulic drawings
- Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a structured way
- Previous FlexLay equipment experience would be advantageous, though not essential
- Good working knowledge of safe systems of work, lifting and handling, and workshop execution controls
Personal Attributes
- Highly disciplined and organised in approach
- Strong sense of ownership and accountability
- Sets high standards and expects others to meet them
- Practical, decisive, and focused on delivery
- Clear and direct communicator
- Calm under pressure and able to maintain control of multiple activities
- Detail conscious, particularly in execution quality and readiness
- Proactive in identifying weaknesses and driving improvement
- Fair but firm in managing people and performance
- Committed to safety, order, and doing things properly
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