Project Engineer

A Project Engineer can also be called a Project Coordinator; they are the same role and depend solely on what the employer calls the job role within their organisation.

A job as a Construction Project Engineer will see you coordinating all on-site engineering activities, to ensure that the project’s time and budget constraints are met. When it comes to the construction and engineering sector, Project Engineers are a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Without them, there is no one to supervise the preliminary stages of the build, and ensure the ball is rolling on what ultimately becomes the overall construction project.

Key responsibilities include the assessment of production costs and other important data related to any given project, using this data to review preliminary reports and revise time schedules and budgets accordingly, and generally overseeing the quality of work that’s being produced on site.

From a creative perspective, a Project Engineer will typically collaborate with architects on revising and refining structural blueprints to ensure the building has everything it needs.
Should you be successful in your search for a Construction Project Engineer job (also known as Project Coordinator, depending on the construction company’s internal terms and definitions), you will typically be tasked with the following day-to-day duties:

• Proactively driving company safety policies, practices and procedures in compliance with Occupational Health & Safety legislative requirements, in order to provide a safe workplace at all times
• Reporting to the Project Manager for distribution of duties, as well as liaising with Site Managers, Safety Officers, Site Administration and other key project roles
• Preparing and monitoring project management plans including traffic, quality and environment plans, work methodologies, HSEQ project systems and registers
• Attending project hand-over and start-up meetings
• Establishing and monitoring quality levels and controls as per specifications and project management plans, in addition to reporting variances and rectifying quality defects
• Identifying and managing project resources for optimum productivity, and assisting the Project Manager during start-up to acquire resources
• Managing and reporting costs – everything from preparing project reports and making informed cash flow predictions, to progress claims, variation, EOT and contractual claims for the client
• Reviewing, revising, interpreting and implementing all requirements listed within works programming documentation to meet contractual requirements and to ensure efficiency and productivity
• Ensuring that HSEQ incident and compliance reports are prepared and submitted in accordance with the contractual requirements, government legislation and company policies and procedures

• A degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management or recognised equivalent
• Excellent communication skills and ability to build strong business relationships
• Results-driven attitude and the ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines
• Solid reasoning, listening and decision-making skills, as well as the ability to work autonomously
• A logical approach to project management, which can be applied to a diverse range of intellectual and practical issues that arise
• Experience in a construction environment

Dependant on the size of construction company you’re applying for, you may be able to step straight into a Project Engineer/Coordinator role or you may be required to begin in a Graduate role.
You may also be eligible for Design Coordinator or Assistant Contract Administrator or Contract Administrator roles again dependant on company size, Tier and internal career pathways.

You deal directly with the company hiring on Conecta: that is often the Director or Construction Manager and their HR Team.

To learn more about how Conecta propels your construction career by getting you in front of the construction company’s key hiring manager and decision-maker, read more here. Alternatively, please get in touch.

As a graduate or cadet, you can expect to be promoted to the next level of PC/PE within two to three years. After around four years as a Project Engineer, the next step is into the Senior Project Coordinator or Assistant Project Manager.