Career Description of a Project Engineer
Generally, the job descriptions for project engineers entail directing an engineering design team from start to finish, which is responsible engineering projects in accordance with customer specifications, within schedule and budget limitations.
The project engineer typically coordinates activities of the engineering team, contractors, and vendors, and the resources are typically employed by construction and manufacturing companies, which build prefabricated homes and commercial buildings.
Typically, the project engineers work in the following areas:
Electrical Project Engineers
Construction Project Engineers
Skill-Set & Competencies
Planning and Organizing, Time & Resource-Management
Firstly, job descriptions for project engineers require the elements of planning and organizing. Because of the collaborative nature of the work, there needs to be constant liaison with other employees and management, to ensure that every one is on the same page across the project. Natural leadership abilities have to be successfully put to the test.
Analysis & Problem-Solving
Additionally, the project engineer job description entails high-level problem-solving abilities. Often an operational bottleneck occurs, and the project engineer needs to involve all resources involved and then chalk out an action plan.
Such wide-impacting problems cannot be solved through a confrontational approach, so the individual needs to be very analytical, because all the while, the project dead-line clock is ticking. In such testing situations, the project needs to identify the the easiest way around it to create a win-win situation. Hence, to keep a cool mind is central to the job.
Decision-Making & Information-Management
The remaining core chunk of the project engineer job description is his decision making ability. Quite a few times, the situation demands an immediate switchover in the engineering process, for example when a certain supplier is late in giving supplies and employee resources are sitting idle, the project engineer needs to sit down and relocate resources till their actual work commences.
Duties and Responsibilities
Core Duties
Generally, project engineers are responsible for the planning, direction, coordinating, and budgeting in a plethora of construction projects, including residential, commercial, and industrial structures, roads, bridges, wastewater treatment plants, and schools and hospitals. Whilst they themselves are not involved in the construction, they execute all the design and construction processes.
Additionally, they also overlook the human-resources aspect by the selection, hiring, and supervision of specialty trade contractors such as carpenters, plumbers, or electrical technicians. Project engineers can supervise an entire project or just a specific area.
Coordination & Information-Management
Typically, project engineers may be owners or salaried employees of a construction management or contracting firm, or they may work under contract as a third-party contractor.
The resource has to coordinate with owners, engineers, architects, and others who are involved in the process, to make sure that the project gets completed on time and within budget. Once the designs and blueprints are in place, for anything from buildings, roads, bridges etc., project engineers supervise the real-life implementation of those designs.
Diverse Nature of Projects
Large-scale projects such as an industrial complex are often too diverse and demanding complicated for a single resource to manage, hence, these projects are divided into various segments eg. clearing and excavation of the land, sewage systems, landscaping and road construction etc.
Duties and Responsibilities
Core Duties
Generally, project engineers are responsible for the planning, direction, coordinating, and budgeting in a plethora of construction projects, including residential, commercial, and industrial structures, roads, bridges, wastewater treatment plants, and schools and hospitals. Whilst they themselves are not involved in the construction, they execute all the design and construction processes.
Additionally, they also overlook the human-resources aspect by the selection, hiring, and supervision of specialty trade contractors such as carpenters, plumbers, or electrical technicians. Project engineers can supervise an entire project or just a specific area.
Coordination & Information-Management
Typically, project engineers may be owners or salaried employees of a construction management or contracting firm, or they may work under contract as a third-party contractor.
The resource has to coordinate with owners, engineers, architects, and others who are involved in the process, to make sure that the project gets completed on time and within budget. Once the designs and blueprints are in place, for anything from buildings, roads, bridges etc., project engineers supervise the real-life implementation of those designs.
Diverse Nature of Projects
Large-scale projects such as an industrial complex are often too diverse and demanding complicated for a single resource to manage, hence, these projects are divided into various segments eg. clearing and excavation of the land, sewage systems, landscaping and road construction etc.
Education and Qualifications
The norm of the day has become companies requiring project engineers to possess at least a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or related discipline. Additionally, it pays off to be part of any engineer’s professional association or accreditation council.
Other special requirements and training include:
AutoCAD
BATC Safety Training
Experience in working with multiple discipline projects
Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Suite
This article has been posted by Omar. S. For More information about the job description of a project engineer, visit www.writeawriting.com.