Job responsibilities

As a construction engineer, your responsibilities may include:

• Planning and overseeing the construction operations of a project

o Conducting site layout
o Scheduling
o Selecting equipment
o Organizing the work crew
o Managing materials
o Safeguarding the environment
o Building temporary structures
• Designing both temporary and permanent structures
• Checking and modifying plans and specifications for constructability,
efficiency, and safety
• Developing cost estimates and preparing bids
• Utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) software for 3D models
• Managing subcontractor firms
• Working with the owner to ensure that the project meets requirements
• Solving job site problems, moving between the field and office
• Gaining additional education and training
• Successful construction projects require a highly coordinated team
effort. Builders and skilled tradespeople are required to lay brick,
construct frames, install plumbing and electrical systems, and ensure
completion of a long list of other elements. Complex projects also
require high-level strategic oversight, which is where construction
engineering comes in.
• With a large-scale construction project, construction engineers play
an essential role in designing and implementing complicated building
plans. They may also oversee the development or maintenance of
critical infrastructure, ranging from roads and bridges to dams and
water supplies.
• Those who work in construction engineering influence all aspects of
the building process and their leadership can prove essential for
completing a project on time, on budget, and in accord with agreed-
upon specifications. Construction engineers supervise the ultimate
design strategy, as well as ensure compliance with construction best
practices. They also communicate progress or setbacks to the
project’s stakeholders.
• Ultimately, construction engineering professionals play the crucial
role of ensuring building projects are completed as safely, efficiently,
and cost-effectively as possible.