Mechanical Project Engineer

Kelly Engineering is seeking a DIRECT HIRE - Mechanical Project Engineer to join one of our leading clients in the Oil & Gas industry at their Pearland, TX site.

Please apply to learn more!

Ideal Candidate:

• Hands-on Mechanical Engineer with direct experience designing, analyzing, and estimating shell & tube heat exchangers, strong familiarity with ASME VIII / TEMA, and a proven ability to translate mechanical design and fabrication sequences into high-quality cost estimates.

Compensation: $115,000 - $140,000/yr

Company Overview:

• Specialized engineering and manufacturing company focused on the oil and gas industry, particularly in the design, fabrication, and repair of shell and tube heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and related process equipment.

Summary:

• Kelly Engineering is seeking an experienced Estimating Manager with deep mechanical design and fabrication knowledge specific to shell & tube heat exchangers. This role oversees a high-performing estimating team responsible for producing accurate, timely, and competitively priced quotations for custom-engineered equipment.

Key Responsibilities:

Estimating & Technical Review

- Lead and manage the estimating function for shell & tube heat exchanger projects.

- Interpret customer RFQs, engineering drawings, specifications, and code requirements to produce accurate cost and labor estimates.

- Perform or validate mechanical calculations including:

- Shell and head thickness

- Tube sheet design

- Nozzle reinforcement

- Supports / saddles

- Flange design checks

- Utilize software such as Compress, Codecalc, RCS, PV Elite, or equivalent to evaluate and verify mechanical integrity.

- Review estimators’ work for completeness, accuracy, and alignment with fabrication capabilities and standards.

- Identify and correct errors in assumptions, fabrication steps, or labor breakdowns.

Fabrication & Shop Integration

- Apply detailed knowledge of shell & tube heat exchanger fabrication sequence, including:

- Plate cutting and rolling

- Shell fabrication and welding

- Tube bundle assembly

- Tube-to-tube-sheet welding or expansion

- Baffle layout and assembly

- NDE requirements and hydrotesting

- Final assembly and inspection

- Collaborate with fabrication, engineering, and quality teams to ensure all estimating assumptions reflect real shop practices.

- Provide technical judgment to validate manufacturability and shop labor requirements.

Leadership & Team Management

- Lead a distributed team of approximately 8 estimators across multiple facilities.

- Provide technical training, mentorship, and hands-on support to develop estimating competency.

- Establish high standards for accuracy, quality, and timeliness of estimates.

- Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and close communication between engineering and operations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Work closely with sales, engineering, project management, and operations to ensure clean handoffs and alignment on scope.

- Support bid strategy, pricing decisions, and risk reviews.

- Partner with senior leadership on workload planning, estimator development, and process optimization.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering required.

- 5 years of direct experience with mechanical design or fabrication of shell & tube heat exchangers.

- Hands-on experience performing mechanical calculations for pressure vessels and exchangers using tools such as Compress, Codecalc, RCS, or PV Elite.

- Strong working knowledge of ASME Section VIII Div 1 and TEMA standards.

- Demonstrated ability to understand and articulate the fabrication sequence of a shell & tube heat exchanger from raw material through hydrotest.

- Prior experience preparing, reviewing, or approving fabrication cost and labor estimates for exchangers or pressure vessels.

- Experience leading or mentoring engineering or estimating personnel.

- Strong communication skills and the ability to manage work quality in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

- Prior work at a fabrication shop, heat exchanger OEM, or pressure vessel manufacturing environment.

- Experience with two-site or multi-site operations.

- Familiarity with thermal rating tools (HTRI, Aspen EDR) is a plus.

- On-call or weekend support experience in a fabrication-driven environment.

- Background in proposal development or cost engineering for engineered-to-order equipment.

What We’re Looking For

This role requires someone who:

- Has true shell & tube heat exchanger experience, not general pressure-containing equipment or process exposure.

- Is highly detail-oriented, technically exact, and committed to zero-defect estimating.

- Understands the shop floor as well as the engineering office.

- Can lead and grow a team while remaining hands-on with technical review.

- Thrives in a culture that values precision, responsiveness, and accountability.