Engineering consultants work for independent firms, internal consultancy departments, research departments and occasionally university and college departments.

What engineering consultants do

• liaise with clients to define the tasks to be performed
• appoint project teams and leaders
• design the product and construction required
• appoint and supervise contractors
• maintain communication with the client and negotiate changes in the contract as necessary
• ensure that the work is completed to the specification and quality required, on time and within budget.

Key skills for engineering consultants

• excellent technical skills
• ability to distinguish between the strategically important and the trivial
• excellent communication skills
• tact and diplomacy
• negotiation
• good attention to detail
• organisation
• ability to get on with people at all levels.

Training to be an engineering consultant

New graduates start in design work, or by undertaking routine technical tasks on a range of projects. Training for chartered engineer status includes a greater variety of work, after which engineers become more involved with clients and the supervision of contractors.

Salaries for engineering consultants

Salaries vary between industries. In general, starting salaries for engineers are around £18,000 to £22,000, but can be higher. The average salary for a qualified chartered engineer is approximately £49,000.

Professional bodies

• Association for Consultancy and Engineering
• Institution of Engineering and Technology
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers
• Institution of Structural Engineers

Related jobs

• Design engineer
• Mechanical engineer
• Structural engineer