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. That includes inspection guidelines, review of project designs, and the implementation of project elements. Forecasting is also a significant aspect of a project engineer’s duties.
Project 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. Project engineers are responsible for the accuracy and quality of a project from the conception phase to completion.
Sample job description #1
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
Sample job description #2
Description
- 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
Profile
- 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
Sample job description #3
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 and activities
- 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
Entry-level project engineer 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
Average salary and compensation
The average salary for a project engineer is $76,000 in the United States. Position salary will vary based on experience, education, company size, industry, and market.
| Location | Salary Low | Salary High |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, Arizona | $75,600 | $102,250 |
| Los Angeles, California | $85,250 | $115,350 |
| Denver, Colorado | $71,050 | $96,150 |
| Washington, DC | $86,550 | $117,100 |
| Miami, Florida | $70,750 | $95,700 |
| Orlando, Florida | $65,250 | $88,250 |
| Tampa, Florida | $65,900 | $89,150 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | $69,100 | $93,500 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $79,450 | $107,500 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $85,900 | $116,250 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota | $68,500 | $92,650 |
| New York City, New York | $90,450 | $112,350 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $73,650 | $99,650 |
| Dallas, Texas | $71,700 | $97,000 |
| Houston, Texas | $71,050 | $96,150 |
| Seattle, Washington | $82,700 | $111,850 |
| National Average | $64,600 | $87,400 |
Sample interview questions
- What would you consider your management style to be?
- What project management tools do you prefer to use in your day to day?
- Can you describe what you consider to be the most difficult project you’ve worked on? Why was it so problematic and what did you do to overcome it?
- How do you translate technical concepts to clients and stakeholders with no technical background?
- What do you do to double-check your work and make sure you haven’t made any mistakes?
- How do you ensure a safe working environment for your team and clients?
