Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Integrity Engineer

🎯 Role Definition

An Integrity Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining the technical programs that ensure the safe, compliant and cost-effective operation of physical assets (pipelines, pressure vessels, piping systems, tanks and other process equipment). The role encompasses threat identification and assessment, inspection planning, corrosion and degradation control, fitness‑for‑service assessments, regulatory compliance, data management and cross-functional execution with operations, maintenance and third‑party inspection providers. This role requires a mix of engineering judgement, practical field experience, and data‑driven decision making to minimize risk, extend asset life and support sustainable operations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field/Inspection Engineer or Pipeline Technician promoted into integrity responsibilities.
Corrosion Engineer or Materials Engineer transitioning into asset integrity programs.
Mechanical/Process Engineer with 1–3 years exposure to inspections, operations or maintenance.

Advancement To:

Senior Integrity Engineer / Technical Lead
Integrity Manager or Asset Integrity Manager
Principal Engineer / Integrity Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Asset/Operations Manager or Technical Authority

Lateral Moves:

Reliability Engineer
Inspection/Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Lead
Regulatory Compliance Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the development, implementation and continual improvement of the asset integrity management plan (IMP), aligning inspection, monitoring and mitigation activities with regulatory requirements (e.g., PHMSA, HSE) and company risk appetite.
Conduct comprehensive risk-based inspection (RBI) programs by identifying threats, ranking risk, and prioritizing inspection and repair activities to optimize inspection frequency and maintenance spend.
Plan, specify and oversee inline inspection (ILI) campaigns for pipelines, including selection of tool types, setting acceptance criteria, coordinating launcher/receiver logistics and validating ILI results with field verification.
Perform fitness‑for‑service (FFS) and API 579 assessments for degraded components, pressure piping and vessels to determine remaining strength, defect acceptance, and safe operating limits or required repairs.
Lead corrosion management activities: design cathodic protection (CP) surveys, specify corrosion monitoring systems, evaluate corrosion inhibitor performance, and develop corrosion mitigation strategies for buried or submerged assets.
Develop and execute inspection scopes, technical specifications and tender packages for contractors (NDT providers, inspectors and engineering consultants), evaluate bids and manage contractor performance and QA/QC.
Evaluate and interpret NDT results (ultrasonic, magnetic flux leakage, radiography, eddy current) and inline inspection data to generate defect assessments, repair recommendations and confidence estimates.
Implement and maintain asset integrity databases (PIMS, PRMS or bespoke IMS) and GIS systems to ensure accurate, auditable records of inspection history, anomalies, repairs and corrosion control measures.
Perform root cause analysis and incident investigations for leaks, failures or near misses; produce formal reports with corrective actions, lessons learned and follow-up tracking until closure.
Prepare technical integrity reports, board-level summaries and KPI dashboards that summarize health‑of‑asset metrics, risk trends and planned interventions for stakeholders and regulators.
Design and review repair and remediation plans, welding and replacement scopes, specifying acceptance criteria, NDE requirements and post-repair testing to restore asset integrity.
Lead pressure test planning and verification (hydrostatic and pneumatic testing), ensuring testing procedures, safety protocols and record keeping meet standards and regulatory expectations.
Apply fracture mechanics and fitness-for-service methodologies to assess crack-like defects, perform remaining life calculations and recommend safe operating pressures and mitigation actions.
Support pipeline/piping design reviews and change management by assessing integrity impacts of modifications, pigging operations, third-party encroachments and temporary works.
Champion continuous improvement by analyzing inspection data trends, recommending optimization of inspection intervals, and piloting new inspection technologies (e.g., advanced ILI, PATs, robotics, remote sensing).
Manage integrity program budgets and schedules: forecast inspection costs, prioritize spend against risk, and report variances to asset owners and finance.
Ensure compliance with statutory reporting requirements and coordinate regulatory inspections and audits; prepare technical responses, non‑conformance actions and remediation schedules.
Provide technical support to operations during upset conditions, shutdowns and turnaround activities including risk assessments, isolation planning and temporary repair strategies.
Drive cross-functional coordination between operations, maintenance, procurement, HSE and engineering to ensure timely implementation of integrity actions and closure of open items.
Mentor and train junior engineers, inspectors and field personnel on integrity procedures, inspection reading, safe work practices and data reporting protocols to build internal capability.
Develop and maintain inspection and maintenance procedures, inspection matrices and standard operating procedures (SOPs) tailored to equipment types and site-specific threats.
Conduct supplier and contractor audits to verify competency, inspection methodology, calibration of equipment and quality of deliverables against contractual and technical requirements.
Perform life extension studies and technical risk assessments to support long-term asset planning, decommissioning decisions and capital expenditure proposals.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Support safety case and risk register updates by providing technical inputs and verification of mitigations.
Participate in HAZID/HAZOP reviews and safety reviews to verify integrity-related assumptions and safeguards.
Assist procurement in developing technical evaluation criteria for integrity-related goods and services.
Represent the integrity function in cross-site forums, industry working groups and technical workshops.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Asset Integrity Management (AIM) programs and integrity planning (IMP, RBI frameworks).
Inline Inspection (ILI) program management and data validation (MFL, UT, geometry tools).
Fitness-for-Service (FFS) and API 579 assessment methodologies.
Corrosion engineering and cathodic protection (CP) design/assessment.
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques and interpretation (UT, RT, ET, PT).
Fracture mechanics and remaining life assessment for pressure equipment.
Risk assessment methodologies (qualitative and quantitative), HAZOP and LOPA familiarity.
Regulatory compliance knowledge (PHMSA, DOT, OSHA, local equivalents) and reporting.
Integrity-focused data systems (PIMS, MAXIMO, SAP PM) and GIS competency.
Engineering drawing and specification review (P&IDs, isometrics, welding procedures).
Inspection planning, contractor scope writing and commercial evaluation of inspection services.
Statistical analysis and data visualization (Excel advanced, SQL, Python/pandas preferred).
Project and budget management for inspection and remediation campaigns.
Pipeline-specific knowledge: pigging operations, pressure testing, pipeline repair methods.

Soft Skills

Strong technical communication: translate complex findings into concise executive reports and actionable field instructions.
Stakeholder management: influence operations, procurement and contractors to deliver integrity outcomes on time.
Analytical problem solving with pragmatic bias-to-action in field-constrained environments.
Leadership and mentorship: develop junior staff competence and lead multi-discipline teams during turnarounds.
Attention to detail and quality orientation for audit-ready documentation and defect assessments.
Time management and prioritization across multiple simultaneous inspection campaigns.
Adaptability: work effectively in remote field locations and rapidly changing operational contexts.
Ethical judgement and safety-first mindset in all integrity decisions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Mechanical, Materials, Civil, Chemical, Petroleum, Corrosion or related engineering discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Corrosion Engineering, Materials Science, Structural Integrity, or MBA for senior roles.
Professional registration (PE, CEng) or equivalent preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mechanical Engineering
Materials Science / Metallurgy
Corrosion Engineering
Petroleum / Chemical Engineering
Structural Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–10+ years in integrity, inspection, corrosion or related engineering roles (mid-level 3–6 years; senior 7+ years).

Preferred:

5+ years of direct asset integrity experience in pipelines, refining, petrochemical or process industries.
Proven experience managing ILI programs, leading FFS/API 579 assessments and delivering RBI-based inspection plans.
Prior field inspection and contractor management experience, with demonstrated success closing integrity backlogs and reducing risk through targeted interventions.