Z

Zachry Group

Turnkey engineering and construction services

Principal Piping Designer

Full-Time
No salary listed
Expert
Bachelor's, Associate's
Houston, TX, USA
In PersonWork may occur in an office, warehouse, trailer, and construction-site environments.
Mechanical EngineeringDesign Engineering

About the job

Requirements
  • At least 15 years of experience and knowledge of piping design requirements for petrochemical, refining, pharmaceutical, or power plant construction projects.
  • Strong piping design skills in accordance with industry standards and codes, including the American Petroleum Institute, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and Process Industry Practices.
  • A high school diploma or an associate degree with drafting courses is required.
  • Expert knowledge of project change and change management.
  • Expert knowledge of complex schedule development, including predecessors, successors, and resource loading.
  • Advanced knowledge of expansion joint design and the differences among expansion-joint types.
  • Advanced knowledge of spring supports and their functionality, including differences among engineered-support types.
  • Advanced ability to recognize project changes, understand change-management procedures, and translate changes into engineering change notices.
  • Experience serving in field assignments involving piping design, constructability, installation means and methods, and fit-up.
  • Expert-level ability to support piping cost-estimate development, with general experience in risk assessments, risk registers, and contingency development for piping and project execution on large capital projects.
  • Advanced understanding of complex project planning and forecasting, including earned value and rules of credit.
  • Understanding of thermal expansion and basic dynamic stress-analysis principles for preliminary layout.
  • Detailed knowledge of major equipment and instrumentation, including differences in technology and process units.
  • Ability to lay out brownfield and greenfield facilities using equipment-spacing criteria, industry standards, and operational and maintenance access and clearances.
  • Ability to complete complex piping designs and advanced equipment layouts in accordance with industry practices.
  • Ability to review proposals and requests for quotations and complete complex work estimates for large projects, including developing competitive execution strategies for early front-end loading and front-end engineering design requests for quotations.
  • Advanced understanding of standard instrument design and installation requirements and differences in technology.
  • Advanced field constructability knowledge and fabrication means and methods sufficient to serve as a qualified checker for high-complexity jobs.
  • Advanced knowledge of equipment and instrument maintenance zones and pull requirements.
  • Ability to develop complex line-study layouts as a basis for detailed piping design.
  • Ability to audit and validate other designers' adherence to the project's quality process and workflow.
  • Ability to initiate conceptual physical-design requirements in coordination with responsible supervisors and engineers.
  • Ability to check and verify discipline design on projects and function as a certified checker for medium- to higher-complexity projects.
  • Ability to write detailed, complex execution plans.
  • Ability to coordinate and manage projects involving workshare efforts.
  • Advanced understanding of structural design and its impact on layout and pipe-support loads.
  • Ability to communicate in person, by telephone, and by email, and to perform work requiring arm-hand steadiness, manual dexterity, finger dexterity, multim limb coordination, oral expression, and comprehension.
  • Ability to safely lift, carry, and move objects as required.
Responsibilities
  • Lead engineering and design tasks for assigned piping projects based on instructions from the assigned supervisor.
  • Initiate conceptual physical-design requirements in coordination with responsible supervisors and engineers.
  • Develop complex line-study layouts as a basis for detailed piping design.
  • Complete complex piping designs and advanced equipment layouts.
  • Review proposals and requests for quotations and develop complex work estimates and competitive execution strategies for large projects.
  • Check and verify discipline design and serve as a certified checker for medium- to higher-complexity projects.
  • Audit and validate other designers' adherence to the quality process and workflow.
  • Coordinate and manage projects involving workshare efforts.
  • Support piping cost-estimate development, risk assessments, risk registers, and contingency development for large capital projects.
  • Develop complex project schedules, execution plans, planning, and forecasts.
  • Perform technical reviews and design reviews on project packages.
  • Work in office, warehouse, trailer, and construction-site environments.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
Desired Qualifications
  • A bachelor's degree with design experience.

About the company

Zachry Group provides turnkey engineering, construction, maintenance, turnaround and fabrication services for the energy, chemicals, power, manufacturing and industrial sectors in North America. It covers the full project lifecycle by helping customers plan, build and renew critical facilities, often as a single‑point provider responsible for the entire scope. The company executes projects through engineering, procurement, fabrication and on-site construction with a strong emphasis on safety and reliable delivery. What sets Zachry Group apart is its long history (since 1924), a purpose‑driven culture and a consistent focus on safety, quality and meeting customers’ immediate and long-term goals across diverse sectors. Its goal is to help clients achieve their objectives by delivering the best possible outcomes while maintaining high safety standards.

Company Size

5,001-10,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

San Antonio, Texas

Founded

1924

Get referred to Zachry Group

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • NiSource awarded Zachry a 2025 EPC contract for a 2,600-megawatt Indiana project.
  • Zachry Maintenance Services won 10-year Cheniere renewal on March 30, 2026.
  • Chevron Phillips extended Zachry Maintenance Services five years on February 2, 2026.

What critics are saying

  • Zachry's May 2024 Golden Pass bankruptcy exposed brutal project overruns and liquidity strain.
  • July 30, 2026 Sabine Pass worker death triggered wrongful-death litigation against Zachry and Cheniere.
  • Texas operations still carry labor and safety overhangs after 4,000-plus layoffs and WARN scrutiny.

What makes Zachry Group unique

  • Zachry's 100-plus gas plants and 60,000-megawatt pedigree wins utility EPC work.
  • Zachry's 2026 nuclear push, including Terrestrial Energy and new nuclear leaders, broadens optionality.
  • Quanta joint venture on NiSource pairs Zachry engineering depth with stronger field execution.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

  • Hybrid Work Options

Company News

Business Wire
Oct 30th, 2025
Zachry Group Awarded Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Contract for NiSource's Combined Cycle Generation Project

Zachry Group awarded Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract for NiSource's Combined Cycle Generation Project. SAN ANTONIO-(BUSINESS WIRE)-Zachry Group (Zachry) has been awarded the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract for NiSource Inc.'s Combined Cycle Generation Project, a major infrastructure project located near Wheatfield, Indiana. The facility will support NiSource's delivery of electricity to a third-party customer and includes two nominal 1,300-megawatt gas-fired combined cycle units in a 2 x 2 x 1 configuration. A subsidiary of NiSource Inc. will own and operate the facility. The EPC contract will be executed by a joint venture between Zachry Group and Quanta Services, Inc. (Quanta). Zachry will lead engineering, procurement, project management, construction planning, and commissioning, drawing on its five decades of experience designing and building over 100 gas-fired facilities totaling more than 60,000 megawatts. Quanta will contribute field-level leadership and craft workforce management through its operating companies. This collaborative approach is designed to enhance execution certainty, optimize labor resources, and deliver cost-effective, high-quality infrastructure. "We are honored to partner with NiSource Inc. on this landmark project that reflects our shared commitment to delivering reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions," said John B. Zachry, Chairman and CEO of Zachry Group. "Working alongside Quanta, we're combining our complementary strengths to execute a project of this scale with precision and innovation. Together, we're proud to support the region's energy future." "NiSource is committed to advancing transformative growth while ensuring that customer affordability remains at the heart of our strategy," said Lloyd Yates, President and Chief Executive Officer of NiSource. "Through this collaboration with Zachry and Quanta, we are expanding generation and grid infrastructure in a way that supports economic development and innovation while protecting customers from the costs of infrastructure investment. We are excited to partner with Zachry and Quanta to meet the evolving energy needs of our customers and communities." "We're proud to collaborate with Zachry Group, a company that shares Quanta's commitment to safety, performance, and delivering results that matter," said Duke Austin, Quanta's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We have respected Zachry's capabilities for decades, and together, we look forward to delivering this critical infrastructure project for NiSource." About Zachry Group Zachry Group is North America's pacesetter in turnkey engineering, construction, maintenance, turnaround and fabrication services to the energy, chemicals, power, manufacturing and industrial sectors. We work with customers to plan, build, and renew their most critical facilities, so they can achieve their immediate and long-term goals, all at the highest safety standards. Since 1924, we have been a purpose-driven organization, united by a shared set of values and the desire to deliver the very best outcome for our customers. Visit www.zachrygroup.com for more information.

MySA
May 27th, 2025
How a 101-year-old San Antonio company began climbing out of bankruptcy

Shortly after the company pulled away from the natural gas project, the Zachry Holdings subsidiary (Zachry Industrial Inc.) laid off more than 4,000 workers.

12NewsNow
Jul 9th, 2024
Zachry Holdings lays off 126 more workers

BEAUMONT, Texas - Zachry Holdings has once again found itself facing scrutiny, after laying off 126 more people between Beaumont, Orange, Sabine Pass, and Baytown.

Natural Gas Intelligence
Jun 27th, 2024
Plaquemines Export Project Receives Feed Gas as Testing Continues - Three Things to Know About the LNG Market

As the lead contractor in charge of staffing construction activities, Zachry's financial issues and ongoing bankruptcy proceedings have prevented the remaining contractors from resuming large-scale construction.

12NewsNow
Jun 18th, 2024
Zachry Holdings faces lawsuit, accusation of violating federal law in mass layoffs at Golden Pass LNG

Zachry Holdings faces lawsuit, accusation of violating federal law in mass layoffs at Golden Pass LNG.