| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Engineering |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | General Manager Engineering |
| Direct reports | Project Engineer, Piping Designer, Electrical Design Engineer |
| Experience | 8 to 12 years in project engineering with 3 years managing packages |
Engineering Manager (Projects) job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Engineering Manager (Projects)
Department: Engineering
Reports to: General Manager Engineering
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Engineering Manager on projects owns the engineering scope of a project or a group of projects from kickoff to handover. They coordinate all disciplines, control the engineering schedule and man-hour budget, manage client and vendor interfaces and close technical queries. The role keeps engineering aligned with procurement and construction. A strong project engineering manager prevents interface clashes, holds the schedule and delivers engineering that site can build without surprises.
Key responsibilities
- Own the engineering scope, schedule and man-hour budget for the assigned project from kickoff to handover.
- Coordinate all engineering disciplines and manage interfaces so packages fit together.
- Run the engineering deliverable register and drive issue of drawings on the dated schedule.
- Manage technical queries with the client and consultant and close them within the agreed time.
- Review and approve vendor drawings, and align engineering with procurement lead times.
- Control engineering changes, assess their cost and schedule impact and get approvals.
- Support procurement and construction with timely drawings, data sheets and clarifications.
- Track earned progress on engineering and report status to the project and engineering heads.
- Manage the discipline engineers assigned to the project, their workload and priorities.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in engineering (BE or BTech)
- Project management certification is an advantage
- Experience across at least two disciplines
- 8 to 12 years in project engineering with 3 years managing packages
KRAs and KPIs for a Engineering Manager (Projects)
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Engineering schedule | Deliverables issued on the dated schedule for 90 percent of packages |
| Man-hour budget | Project engineering hours held within the approved budget |
| Interface control | Zero site stoppages caused by unresolved engineering interface clashes |
| Query closure | Client technical queries closed within 3 working days |
| Change control | Every engineering change assessed and approved before drawings are revised |
| Procurement support | Vendor drawings reviewed within 3 working days of receipt |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Primavera or MS Project, AutoCAD and 3D CAD, Deliverable tracking sheets, ERP or procurement system, MS Excel.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: General Manager Engineering, Project Manager, Chief Engineer
Interview questions for a Engineering Manager (Projects)
- How do you build and control an engineering deliverable schedule for a project?
- How do you manage interfaces between piping, electrical and civil so nothing clashes on site?
- A client query is stuck for a week. How do you drive it to closure?
- How do you assess the cost and schedule impact of an engineering change?
- How do you align vendor drawing approvals with procurement lead times?
- How do you keep engineering man-hours inside budget when scope grows?
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What does an Engineering Manager on projects do?
An Engineering Manager on projects owns the engineering scope, schedule and man-hour budget of a project. They coordinate all disciplines, control interfaces and changes, close client queries, review vendor drawings and support procurement and construction. Their job is to deliver correct engineering on the dated schedule so the site can build without surprises.
What is the difference between an Engineering Manager and a Project Manager?
An Engineering Manager owns the engineering deliverables, disciplines and technical decisions of a project. A Project Manager owns the whole project: cost, schedule, procurement, construction, safety and the client relationship. Engineering is one part of what the Project Manager runs, and the two work closely from kickoff to handover.
What qualifications does an Engineering Manager (Projects) need?
A BE or BTech in a core engineering discipline plus several years of project engineering across more than one discipline. A project management certification such as PMP helps. Employers look for a record of meeting engineering schedules, managing interfaces and coordinating clients and vendors.