Engineering Manager – Permitting & Regulatory Compliance

Remarkable people, trusted by clients to design and advance the world.

Wood is currently recruiting for an Engineering Manager – Permitting & Regulatory Compliance to be based in our Chennai, India Office.
This position will be for a permanent role supporting our major clients.


The Role

The Engineering Manager – Permitting & Regulatory Compliance is a core member within the Wood India Project Management group. This role has a remit across all project phases relating to securing applicable regulatory permits and statutory approvals applied by the Owner, which are essential to design, engineer, construct, store hazardous materials, and safely start up the plant in full compliance with the applicable with all legal and statutory requirements within the industry.

What we can offer

• Meaningful and interesting projects delivered to high profile clients across the Energy Sector
• Flexible working arrangements that balance client, team and individual needs offering hybrid and remote working where relevant
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion; we are an organisation actively committed to diversity and inclusion across our business
• Competitive renumeration package with regular reviews to ensure we are rewarding at the right level in line with the market
• Commitment to continued professional development; development plans that are tailored to your individual needs and interests
• Global connections: join experts around the world who are at the leading edge of our industry, shaping the standards of our profession
• Energy Transition Academy; join a community of experts sharing your knowledge and gaining more exposure to a variety of existing and emerging energy systems – delivered by experts in their field
  

1. FEED, Detailed Engineering and PMC Support phases:

Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Phase

During the FEED phase, this role provides strategic regulatory foresight to ensure early-stage designs are fundamentally compliant.

• Support Engineering & Design Teams: Review preliminary layouts, process flow diagrams (PFDs), and plot plans to ensure early-stage designs incorporate correct safety distances and environmental zone restrictions.
• Provide Client Advisory Support: Advise the Client on the comprehensive list of applicable Indian statutory approvals, estimated timelines, and documentation requirements needed for their upcoming project lifecycle.
• Participate in Model reviews to ascertain that the design is compliant with all statutory norms.
  

Detailed Engineering (DE) Phase

During the DE phase, the focus shifts to vetting technical data and verifying that the final, granular designs strictly adhere to Indian statutory codes

• Support Engineering & Design Teams: Conduct rigorous reviews of detailed engineering drawings, piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), equipment datasheets, and layouts to verify full alignment with Indian standards
• Provide Client Advisory Support: Package and hand over thoroughly vetted technical documentation to the Client, providing clear technical explanations to assist them in preparing their formal applications.
• Regulatory Alignment Vetting: Review contractor and vendor designs for specialized units (like ETP, STP, and hazardous chemical storage) to ensure they meet the technical criteria mandated by regulatory bodies like the SPCB and PESO.

Project Management Consultancy (PMC) Phase

In the PMC phase, the role acts as the Owners Engineer, monitoring contractor compliance and provide technical support to the Client

• Support Engineering & Design Teams: Cross-functional coordination between the EPC contractors and the design team to ensure field modifications or site queries (RFIs) do not breach statutory guidelines.
• Provide Client Advisory Support: Provide ongoing guidance to the Client on the health and progress of the Permit Master Schedule, highlighting potential milestone risks, bottlenecks, or regulatory changes.
• Advisory Monitoring: Track and review the documentation prepared by EPC contractors for construction-stage consents (like Consent to Establish), ensuring it is technically sound before the Client submits and expedites it with the respective authorities.

General

• Guide the Owner and EPC contractors systematically through the entire government approval lifecycle from initial engineering design to final plant commissioning.
• Establish, maintain, and dynamically update a comprehensive Permit Master Schedule to strictly track timelines, avoiding project milestone delays or regulatory fines.
• Review and vet technical engineering drawings, layouts, and technical data sheets from contractors to verify full alignment with Indian statutory standards prior to official submission.
• Awareness of State Factory Inspectorate (DISSH) and Labor Department compliance
• Acts as a SME and provide technical advisory support.

2. Pollution Control & Environmental Compliance (PCB & MoEFCC)

• Lead the processing and tracking to secure formal Environmental Clearance (EC) from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for greenfield layouts or brownfield expansions.
• Obtain mandatory Consent to Establish (CTE) before construction mobilization and Consent to Operate (CTO) prior to plant commissioning from the respective State Pollution Control Board (PCB).
• Secure the required Hazardous Waste Authorization from the PCB under the provisions of the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules.
• Evaluate plant designs for Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP) and Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) to confirm engineering alignment with Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) or specified state treated discharge standards.

3. Storage, Safety & Explosives (PESO & OISD)

• Obtain crucial statutory approvals and operating licenses from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) for layout, construction, and bulk storage of petroleum, gases, and hazardous chemicals under the Petroleum Rules and Gas Cylinder Rules.
• Ensure overall plant safety layout designs, separation distances, and mitigation frameworks strictly adhere to Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) standards and guidelines.
• Secure Factory Plan Approvals and operational factory licenses from the State Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) or Inspectorate of Factories.

4. Mechanical & Electrical Utilities (Boiler Act & Electrical Inspectorate)

• Coordinate registrations, drawings approval, and stage-wise physical inspections for all high-pressure boilers and steam piping networks under the provisions of The Indian Boilers Act, 1923.
• Secure mandatory statutory clearances from the Chief Electrical Inspector to Government (CEIG) for the installation and energization of electrical substations, transformers, switchyards, and plant lightning protection infrastructure under Central Electricity Authority (CEA) norms.

5. Radiation & Nuclear Safety (AERB)

• Secure necessary procurement permissions and operating licenses from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for industrial radiography equipment, nuclear level gauges, and radiation-emitting equipment utilized in non-destructive testing (NDT) or plant instrumentation systems.

What makes you remarkable?

At Wood, we are committed to equal opportunities and welcome all talented individuals to consider joining our team. So even if you don't match every statement below but feel you have some of the experience, knowledge or skills needed for this role, we encourage you to apply. It will take all of us working together to deliver solutions to the world’s most critical challenges.

Expected:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or mechanical engineering or Petroleum Engineering

Experience: Minimum of 20+ years of demonstrated professional experience managing statutory permitting, regulatory clearances, and utility compliance for mega industrial projects (Chemical plants, Refineries, Petrochemical complexes, or oil and gas facilities).

Role Exposure: Prior experience working within a Plant Owner/ EPC Contractor /Engineering Consultant companies is essential.

Preferred Certifications & Additional Qualifications

• ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Lead Auditor / Implementation Certification.
• ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Certification.

• Comprehensive Regulatory Fluency: Thorough operational understanding of Indian statutory laws and acts governing industrial production, environmental protection (PCB rules), utility infrastructure safety (Boiler Act, CEIG norms), hazardous chemical management (PESO, OISD standards), and specialized nuclear/radiation instrumentation guidelines (AERB regulations) and any other Indian regulatory laws as applicable.
  
• Stakeholder Liaison & Communication: Excellent inter-personal, negotiation, and verbal/written communication capabilities to clearly articulate complex engineering plant parameters to regulatory officers and coordinate seamlessly across cross-functional multi-disciplinary project teams.