Site engineer

As a site engineer, you will be working on large building projects providing technical advice to management teams, and also planning, organising and supervising the work of contractors.

Also known as:

Setting out engineer

Work activities

As a site engineer, you will be working on building projects providing technical advice to management teams, as well as planning, organising and supervising the work of contractors. You will be in charge of the engineering aspects of the construction site, monitoring all the activities, and making sure that every aspect of the project is performing as it should. What happens on-site is your responsibility, including the safety of everyone working there.

Your day-to-day activities could include:

Making sure that everything is going to plan.
Carrying out risk assessments and method statements (RAMS).
Maintaining the on-site health and safety standards.
Agreeing prices for materials.
Checking quality control.
Studying architectural and structural drawings.
Organising staff training and development.
Surveying the construction site and setting out.
Attending regular management team meetings.
Writing reports.
Using it systems to monitor processes.
Working to agreed deadlines.

Personal qualities and skills

As a site engineer, you need:

Experience within a relevant construction environment.
An awareness of the safety standards and legislation which exists within the industry you choose to work in.
IT skills.
To be able to identify and solve potential problems.
Hazard management skills (how do you deal with a safety problem?)
To be willing to keep up to date with advances in technology in this fast-changing area.
Personal skills – you will need to be creative and able to solve problems.
Have good communications skills, including the ability to explain technical and complex ideas clearly, so that non-technical people can understand.

You might have responsibility for a team of engineers, so the ability to motivate and encourage others will be an advantage. You will need to be well-organised because may be asked to plan and carry-out several different tasks at the same time, and so you will need to prioritise.

You will need to work carefully with the staff who currently operate machinery and processes, in order to fully understand the process.

Pay and opportunities

As a site engineer, you could earn from £28,000, up to £52,000 with experience.

You will most likely work around 37-40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Occasional late finishes and weekend work may be required.

Employers include firms operating in all different areas of the construction industry, including:

Motorways.
Housing.
Retail outlets.
Renewable energy projects.
HGV vehicles.
Rail.
Utilities (e.g. water, gas, electricity).

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local/national newspapers, trade industry publications, and on the Government’s Find a Job and Find an Apprenticeship services.

Entry routes and training

Most employers require you to have an HND, HNC or a degree before you become a site engineer. HNDs, HNCs and degrees in relevant subjects are available at many universities. In order to get onto one of these courses, you will usually need at least two A-levels.

Relevant apprenticeships include:

Building services engineering technician (level 3/advanced)
Civil engineering technician (level 3/advanced)
Building services engineering senior technician (level 4/higher)
Civil engineering senior technician (level 4/higher)

Depending on their qualification, site engineers can progress by taking on more responsibility for the management of engineering projects and teams of engineers. Some engineers choose to become self-employed or take contract work on a freelance basis.

Qualifications

To enter a relevant degree course in this career, the usual requirements are:

Two to three A-levels.
GCSEs in your A level subjects at grades 9-4.
A further two to three GCSEs at grades 9-4.

English, maths and a science subject are usually required at GCSE at grades 9-4.

To get onto an advanced apprenticeship in this career, you’ll usually need GCSEs in English and maths, although you can often complete these while undertaking your apprenticeship if you don’t already have them. For a higher apprenticeship, you’ll need two A-levels as well as GCSE English and maths.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course (e.g. Access to Engineering) could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

Many people enter this career after gaining relevant skills, and perhaps qualifications, in the engineering and/or construction industry. Industry experience is very highly valued by employers.

Funding for postgraduate courses may be available through universities from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Related careers

Civil engineer
Project engineer
Site manager
Structural engineer
Surveyor