Civil Engineer Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the civil engineer job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the civil engineer role by most employers/recruiters.

What Does a Civil Engineer Do?

Civil engineers are responsible for designing, building, supervising, operating, and maintaining large construction projects and systems, such as roads, airports, buildings, tunnels, bridges, community water supply and drainage systems, and dams.

The civil engineer job description involves managing repairs, maintenance, and replacement of both private and public infrastructure.

He/she analyzes data such as survey reports, long range plans, and maps to be able to plan projects effectively.

When planning for each stage of a project and its risk analysis, the role of the civil engineer will entail consideration for cost of construction, possible hazards to the environment, government regulations, and other necessary factors.

He/she will ensure that projects adhere to the various regulations, as well as gather and submit permit applications to the relevant government agencies, including the local, state, and federal governments.

Responsibilities of civil engineers also cover coordinating soil testing process to be sure that the soil is right for the structure to be put on it, and that the foundation has the needed strength to hold the structure.

His/her duties also include testing asphalt, concrete, steel, and other building materials to be applied in a project to be certain they comply with standard and specifications.

He/she also determines the economic feasibility of a project by working out its estimated cost of production, including the cost of equipment, materials, and labor.

The work description of a civil engineer also involves application of design software in planning and designing hydraulic and transportation systems, and structures following established government and industry standards.

Civil Engineer Job Description Example/Sample/Template

Civil engineers perform various functions depending on their area of specialization. Engineers may specialize in one of the following areas: construction engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and transportation engineering.

Here is a typical civil engineer job description, comprising tasks, duties, and responsibilities commonly associated with the role:

• Perform preparation of design specifications
• Incorporate special features which relate to the project at hand into specifications. These include order of work, physical conditions at the site, construction work schedules, method of payment and measurement, construction procedures and special methods, and coordination with contractors and other stakeholders
• Perform technical review on specifications to ensure clarity, completeness, and exactness, and to remove restrictive descriptions so as to ensure competitive bidding
• Prepare project for advertisement by compiling contract specification into Electronic Bid Set (EBS)
• Visit proposed project site to obtain necessary information for use in creating project specification. This include condition and location of project site, location of storage and staging areas, and character and scope of work
• Provide guidance and technical advice to various persons and departments, including engineering personnel, Branch Chief, Section Chief, Engineering and Construction Department, and Architect-Engineer firms where necessary to develop basic specification procedure and policies to cover new types of projects and structures, and to make clearer various phases of the construction work
• Communicate with higher authorities on issues concerning specifications, engineering interpretations and explanations, supply of items, and items of work, and offer recommendations on reviewing specifications.

Requirements – Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities – for Civil Engineer Role

If you are seeking the job of a civil engineer, here are major requirements and qualifications you may be expected to possess to be considered by most employers for the position:

• Minimum 4-year Bachelor’s degree in civil/construction engineering
• Strong skills in analysis and problem solving
• Solid understanding and ability to adhere to local, state, and federal guidelines and regulations
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently – for at least 40% of the time
• Strong ability to supervise tendering procedures and compile job specifications
• Ability to carry out effective technical and feasibility studies, as well as site investigations
• Ability to effectively monitor and drive project activities
• Ability to prepare safety and function analyses
• Possess strong organizational and site management skills to effectively coordinate site activities
• Ability to perform calculation, dimensioning, and control of concrete and metallic construction
• Profound ability to carry out safety analyses and stability and quality control
• Ability to effectively work with professionals from other fields, including subcontractors and architects
• Strong ability to plan and manage project resources and budgets
• Excellent in the use of relevant civil engineering software programs, including AutoCAD and Civil 3D
• Strong communication skills, including verbal and written.

Conclusion

If you are an employer in the process of hiring a new civil engineer, you will need to publish a good description of the role to get the best applicants responding to your offer.

To help you create an effective civil engineer job description, you can apply the sample copy provided in this post.

This article is also helpful to individuals interested in the civil engineering career. They will learn all they need to know about the duties and responsibilities of a civil engineer and so be able to make wise decisions about the career.