What Does a Project Engineer Do?
A project engineer plans, schedules, coordinates, and manages the engineering and technical aspects of projects to complete them. They also develop the criteria by which the success of the project will be measured. This includes inspection guidelines, a review of project designs, and the implementation of project elements. Forecasting is also a significant aspect of a project engineer’s duties.
Most project engineers work in the construction, manufacturing, and technology industries. These engineers frequently interact with clients and stakeholders to interpret their needs and represent them in the field. They must also communicate effectively with project managers to provide assistance and technical support. Individuals in this role are also responsible for the accuracy and quality of a project from the conception phase to completion.
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National Average Salary
Project engineer salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.
The average U.S. salary for a Project Engineer is:
$92,290
Project Engineer Job Descriptions
Crafting the perfect job description may be the key to finding an exceptional project engineer. To help you with your recruiting search, our team has put together some examples from past openings.
Example 1
[Your Company Name] is hiring for a project engineer! Do you have an excellent collaborative spirit? Do you like handling the complex technical aspects of projects to ensure their success? If so, you might be our perfect fit! Project engineers use their technical expertise and understanding to assist with forecasting, resourcing, and managing the technical portions related to projects. These engineers are typically multi-disciplined masters of supervision with excellent time management and organizational skills. They’ll use a variety of equipment and programs to stay organized and properly account for all factors under their purview.
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Prepare, schedule, coordinate, and monitor engineering projects
- Ensure projects meet all codes, practices, QA/QC policies, performance standards, and specifications
- Represent clients and stakeholders in the field to make sure projects meet their needs
- Lead overall quality control of the work, including budgeting, scheduling, planning, and personnel performance
- Report regularly on project status
- Mentor project team
- Communicate effectively with the project manager and other project participants
- Review engineering deliverables and take corrective actions, if needed
Education and experience
This position requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field. Some employers prefer job candidates with a master’s degree or Ph.D. for specific positions or career advancement. Many companies also require a Professional Engineer (PE) license.
Required skills and qualifications
- Analytical, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
- Teamwork and interpersonal communication skills
- Project management and supervision skills
- Skill in working with process engineering and computer-assisted design (CAD) software
- Demonstrated ability in solving highly technical problems
- Advanced knowledge of production machinery and processes
- Expertise in computer technology and systems operations
Preferred qualifications
- Familiar with project engineering software
- 1-2 years of experience working as a project engineer
- Excellent time management skills
- Expert level in Microsoft Office and Google Suite
- Master’s degree in engineering or a related field
Example 2
ABC Company, an award-winning, multi-discipline environmental engineering firm specializing in water, wastewater, and civil infrastructure, is seeking a licensed Lead Water Project Engineer to join our company. The ideal candidate has a passion for working on drinking water projects and enjoys being technically challenged working with a team of leading experts in the water industry.
Responsibilities
- Technical planning, design, and construction of drinking water source, distribution, storage, and treatment projects
- Provide technical support to project managers and project engineers
- Hydraulic Design – pumps/pipes
- Construction administration and oversight
- Conducting treatability and preliminary engineering studies
- Perform QA/QC
Essential functions
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Personal organization and time management skills
- Able to build strong relationships with coworkers
- Committed to continual learning
- Excellent attention to detail
- Diligent and dependable
Experience
- Minimum 5-8 years of experience
Certifications
- Professional Engineer License
Education
- B.S. Degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering
Example 3
Responsibilities
- Material procurement and ordering
- Oversee Subcontractors and full construction project on a daily bases
- Coordinate subcontractors, architects, inspectors, and suppliers to resolve any problems with materials or methods
- Establish and maintain an effective and professional on-site working relationship with Owners, Architects, Consulting Engineers, and other parties related to the project
- Enforce a safe work environment, practices, and culture on the project
- Provide planning, designing, and construction services for municipal infrastructure projects
- Ensure tasks will be completed on time and within budget
- Practice collaborative research with fellow team members
Qualifications
- College degree and some experience in commercial construction working for a GC
- High attention to detail regarding project organization
- Career oriented individual who wants to progress further in their career and take on additional responsibility
- Proficient use of MS products ( Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.)
- 1-3 years experience in the field preferred
- Strong mathematical and computer aptitude is also necessary
Example 4
ABC Company is actively seeking an Entry-Level Project Engineer for a remote contract position.
The Project Engineer supports the project engineering team with the responsibility for integrating the various engineering, scheduling, and purchasing aspect of the project.
Responsibilities
- Support the planning, setup and monitoring of the project systems (e.g. MDL and DOR), inter-discipline workflows and coordination of design activities through engineering disciplines as well as resolution of inter-disciplinary issues
- Supports the periodic reviews of engineering execution schedule and budget, expediting of engineering teams (e.g. two-week deliverables look-ahead), escalation of needs (e.g. action items) and reporting of project technical delivery status (e.g. monthly reports)
- Supports Project Engineers in tracking and compiling any design or specification changes and their resultant impacts (e.g. ECNs and contract deviations)
- Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables
- Ability to write reports and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from the group
- Participate in proactive team efforts to achieve departmental and company goals
- Strive for excellence through developing concepts to improve processes and reduce costs
- Protect Company confidential information by not communicating, disclosing, or using for benefit of third parties and maintain the highest degree of honesty and integrity at all times
- Comply with all safety policies, practices, and procedures, and reporting all unsafe activities to Management and/or Human Resources
- Maintain the highest degree of honesty and integrity at all times
Requirements
- Knowledge of spreadsheet (e.g. MS Excel), word processing (e.g. MS Words), electronic mail (e.g. MS Outlook), 3D graphics, and technical diagrams/flow charts (e.g. MS Vision)
- 2 years of project engineering experience is required
Education/experience requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering
Candidate Certifications to Look For
- Engineer in Training. The EIT is the certification granted by a state’s engineering certification board after completion of the training exam. This is the first of two exams candidates must pass in order to move towards their goal of becoming a state-recognized engineer.
- OSHA Safety Certificate. Little is more important than being able to demonstrate a candidate’s ability to manage and supervise a safe working environment. This 40-hour program covers basic construction and engineering standards, how to interpret the Federal Register, and the recognition and prevention of health issues and physical hazards related to these projects.
- Project Management Professional. The PMP designation demonstrates a solid foundational understanding of competently leading a project. After candidates meet specific educational and experience requirements, they can agree to adhere to a code of conduct and pass a rigorous exam to assess their abilities and knowledge.
- Six Sigma Green Belt. The International Associate of Six Sigma offers the ICGB, which demonstrates a thorough understanding of the Lean Six Sigma Methodology, and shows a thorough understanding of all things management and interpretation of the tools and principles of effective leadership.
Sample Interview Questions
- In what ways do you approach the design and development of projects?
- What measures do you take to make sure that project designs are completed on time and within budget?
- Share a time when you collaborated with project teams and stakeholders.
- How do you cultivate the most critical technical skills for a project engineer?
- How do you translate technical concepts to clients and stakeholders with no technical background?
- What are your methods for managing and prioritizing technical tasks?
- In what ways have you addressed project risks and issues, and how have these strategies worked for you?
- What tools or systems do you use to manage your project documentation, and how do you ensure that it is accurate and up-to-date?
- What strategies do you use to mitigate project risks and issues?
- How do you ensure a safe working environment for your team and clients?