| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Energy and Solar |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Solar Project Manager |
| Direct reports | Site Supervisor |
| Experience | 2 to 5 years on solar or infrastructure sites |
Solar Project Engineer 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: Solar Project Engineer
Department: Energy and Solar
Reports to: Solar Project Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Solar Project Engineer executes the site works of a solar project under the project manager, coordinating construction, quality and progress. They supervise contractors, check installation against design, track progress, and support commissioning. The role reports to the Solar Project Manager. A good solar project engineer keeps site work on schedule and to spec, catches quality problems during construction, manages contractors on the ground, and keeps accurate progress and quality records that feed the project plan.
Key responsibilities
- Supervise site construction of civil, structure, module and cabling works.
- Check installation against the drawings, specifications and agreed quality standards.
- Coordinate contractors and labour to keep works on the daily plan.
- Track site progress against the schedule and report daily.
- Raise and follow up material and drawing requirements for site.
- Enforce site safety, permits to work and safe work practice.
- Inspect and record quality at each stage and raise non conformances.
- Support pre commissioning checks and commissioning activities on the site.
- Coordinate with design and project management on site queries.
- Maintain site records, measurements and daily progress documentation with care.
Requirements
- Engineering degree or diploma in electrical or civil
- Solar or construction site experience
- Electrical safety awareness
- 2 to 5 years on solar or infrastructure sites
KRAs and KPIs for a Solar Project Engineer
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 |
|---|---|
| Progress | Site works kept to the construction schedule each week |
| Quality | Installation passing quality checks with non conformances below target |
| Safety | Zero lost time incident on the works supervised in the month |
| Contractor coordination | Contractor labour and materials kept aligned to the daily plan |
| Documentation | Progress and quality records maintained accurately each day |
| Material follow-up | Material and drawing needs raised early so work is not held up |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Multimeter and test tools, Measuring instruments, Progress and quality checklists, AutoCAD drawings, Site diary.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Solar Project Manager, Commissioning Engineer, Senior Site Engineer
Interview questions for a Solar Project Engineer
- How do you keep site works on schedule when labour is short?
- How do you check that module and cabling installation meets spec?
- How do you manage a contractor who cuts corners on quality?
- How do you enforce safety on a busy construction site?
- How do you track and report daily site progress?
- Tell me about a quality problem you caught during construction.
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What does a solar project engineer do?
A solar project engineer executes the site works of a solar project under the project manager. They supervise construction of civil, structure, module and cabling works, check installation against design, coordinate contractors, track progress, and support commissioning. They keep site work on schedule and to spec and maintain accurate progress and quality records.
What is the difference between a solar project engineer and a project manager?
A solar project manager owns the whole project, including schedule, budget, contracts and safety. A solar project engineer executes the site works under the manager, supervising construction, quality and progress on the ground. The engineer is a site level role that feeds progress and issues up to the project manager.
What qualifications do you need to be a solar project engineer?
Most solar project engineers hold an engineering degree or diploma in electrical or civil, with solar or construction site experience. Employers look for site execution and supervision skills, the ability to read drawings and check quality, contractor coordination, and strong site safety awareness. Willingness to be based at remote sites is important.