Civil Engineering Designer Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a civil engineering designer. You can use our job description template in this article to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a civil engineering designer.
Who is a Civil Engineering Designer?
A Civil Engineering Designer develops plans for commercial and residential buildings using data from surveys and statistical analysis. As part of project proposals, civil engineering designers create detailed design plans according to the client’s objectives and organizational needs. They look at schematics and plans to find materials and resources to assist operational tasks effectively. A civil engineering designer should be highly technical and capable of critical thinking, especially when using computer programs and software to produce high-caliber design outputs.
Civil engineering designers make plans for civil engineering projects. They create power plants, sewage systems, trains, and other things. Before a project begins, civil engineering designers conduct surveys, perform feasibility assessments, and create land grading specifications for building sites.
You will report to a project engineer as a civil engineering designer and create 2D and 3D drawings of various infrastructure systems used for building. Civil engineering designers create, scale, and refine drawings and maps using computer-aided design (CAD) software for most infrastructure and construction projects like roads, bridges, railroads, and earthworks, as well as commercial, industrial, and residential projects.
Civil engineering designers will interpret created civil engineering blueprints, maps, and drawings to understand the circumstances. They use CAD software and other computer drawing applications regularly in the profession. They must have excellent communication skills, a passion for teamwork, and attention to detail.
Civil Engineering Designer Job Description
Below are the civil engineering designer job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of the civil engineering designer include the following:
- Create cost-effective design layouts based on the needs and standards of the building.
- Observe the standards and processes for design.
- Analyze problems with the design and suggest fixes.
- Perform calculations and analysis for civil engineering according to the project specifications.
- Use civil drawings, and calculate building costs and material estimates.
- Conduct field research and surveys to create engineering drawings.
- Review the project plan to ascertain the limits and design feasibilities.
- Create great designs by utilizing the most recent applications and technology.
- Update design records for reference.
- Take note of environmental, health, and safety standards when creating civil designs.
- Organize design projects to stay on schedule and under budget.
- Execute design modifications and enhancements according to shifting project requirements.
- Keep up with the most recent advancements in the civil design sectors.
- Ensure that the ISO quality standards are being met.
- Help the construction and design teams out.
Qualifications
- An associate’s degree in drawing technology or computer-aided design for architecture and engineering
- A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or its likes
- Possess relevant experience and certificates
Essential Skills
Here are the skills you require to excel in your role as a civil engineering designer:
- AutoCAD
- Building Materials Knowledge
- Communication
- Creativity
- Environmental Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Leadership
- Organizational
- Problem-solving
- Structural Engineering
- Surveying
- Transportation Engineering
- Mathematics Knowledge
- Time Management
- Mechanical Engineering
AutoCAD
Civil engineering designers produce and modify technical drawings using AutoCAD, a computer-aided design program. These specialists must be proficient in AutoCAD to correctly develop the blueprints that their customers require to build projects. Civil engineering designers also use AutoCAD to create models of construction sites to see how the project will turn out.
Building Materials Knowledge
Since civil engineering designers frequently collaborate on projects with construction firms and contractors, understanding building materials is an essential skill to have. They must know the many materials, including concrete, steel, wood, and brick, to use to construct structures. Civil engineering designers often draw on their understanding of building materials when designing buildings.
Communication
The ability to present knowledge in a way that others can understand is known as communication. You could collaborate with clients and coworkers who aren’t engineers as civil engineering designers. It’s crucial to clearly explain technical topics so that everyone involved knows what they’re talking about. Additionally, you must be able to express yourself clearly in drawings and other visual mediums.
Creativity
The ability to come up with original ideas and solutions is creativity. Civil engineering designers frequently employ their imagination to discover solutions to problems or fulfill criteria when developing a project. For instance, an engineer may devise a unique solution like creating a bridge out of recycled materials if they need to construct one that can sustain heavy traffic but is also affordable.
Environmental Engineering
Designing structures with little negative influence on their surroundings are known as environmental engineering. This entails thinking about how a building will affect its surroundings, such as by utilizing environmentally friendly materials and minimizing the quantity of trash generated during construction. Making sure that new structures adhere to local environmental rules may fall within the purview of civil engineers with expertise in environmental design.
Geotechnical Engineering
The process of creating and planning the foundations for buildings, bridges, and other structures is known as geotechnical engineering. Understanding different soil types, how they respond to various building techniques, and what influences their stability is necessary for this. It may be necessary to develop and construct models to show that you understand the fundamentals of geotechnical engineering as a civil engineer designer.
Leadership
You may inspire and direct your team members by using your leadership skills. On the same project, you could collaborate with several specialists as a civil engineering designer. You can manage these connections and ensure that everyone collaborates well by having excellent leadership skills. Teaching people how to carry out their work obligations is another instance you might employ leadership skills.
Organizational
Being organized means being able to keep track of your documents and tasks. Being organized is crucial since you could work on several projects at once as a civil engineer designer. This guarantees that you can locate all required papers when needed and finish assignments on schedule. Additionally, it aids in maintaining coherence throughout all of your designs.
Problem-solving
Having the ability to recognize and address problems is problem-solving. You could run into difficulties when developing plans for infrastructure projects as a civil engineering designer. It’s crucial to have the ability to assess problems and identify solutions that meet customer expectations and uphold safety and legal requirements.
Structural Engineering
Structures are designed and built using engineering concepts by civil engineers. Because it enables you to comprehend how the building will work when created, knowing these principles will help you more effectively design structures. Understanding concepts like statics, for instance, may help you decide what materials are required to sustain the bridge weight if you’re creating one.
Surveying
The ability to measure and label locations on a map is known as surveying. Civil engineering designers use surveying techniques when making maps of building sites or other locations where they intend to erect structures. They use these skills to ensure that their designs are precise and to calculate the amount of material needed for tasks.
Transportation Engineering
The process of developing and building transportation systems, such as roads, highways, bridges, railroads, and airports, is known as transportation engineering. Civil engineering designers design these structures using their transportation engineering expertise to ensure they adhere to safety requirements and laws. You may improve in your profession by having good transportation engineering skills since they enable you to produce more complicated designs that could need more planning and investigation.
Mathematics Knowledge
A civil engineering designer has to be proficient in math and science. It may be necessary to estimate the number of materials required for a project, or it may be necessary to examine data from scientific research to establish the safety of specific building techniques. You may more correctly depict your design concepts in your drawings and models by understanding fundamental mathematical formulae.
Time Management
The ability to organize your duties and carry them out in a way that guarantees you fulfill project deadlines is time management. Because they frequently oversee numerous projects at once, civil engineers must be adept at time management. Knowing how long each stage of the design process usually lasts may help you plan as a designer.
Mechanical Engineering
The process of developing and constructing hydraulic systems, which are mechanical devices that use pressurized fluids to accomplish various tasks, is known as hydraulic engineering. Civil engineering designers use this information when developing dams, water treatment plants, and other projects that need sophisticated gear.
How to Become a Civil Engineering Designer
Below are the steps to take to become a civil engineering designer:
Step One: Achieve a Degree
An associate’s degree in drawing technology or computer-aided design for architecture and engineering is the very minimum needed for a profession in civil engineering design.
A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering is often required for civil engineering designers. However, if you have job experience in the industry, some companies would accept an associate’s degree or other similar training.
You will take science and math courses throughout your undergraduate degree to prepare for graduate-level work. Along with these subjects, you’ll study others including environmental engineering, hydrology, surveying, and structural design.
Programs often include initial courses in surveying, interpreting blueprints, and computer-aided design (CAD). Other courses could cover building planning, geographic information systems, and design graphics.
Some programs are designed with a career in mind. For instance, certain civil engineering design courses may place a greater emphasis on architectural principles, while others could pay more attention to concerns specific to the construction industry, such as project estimating, safety, and contract law.
Step Two: Gain Relevant Experience
While a degree might serve as a helpful starting point for future civil engineering designers, certain organizations prefer candidates with professional experience. An organized, practical learning environment can be provided via an internship in civil engineering design or computer-aided drawing, which will provide aspiring civil designers with the first-hand experience that many businesses want. Regardless of the sector, many internships can result in employment following completion and are an excellent way to network and build a contact list to use when seeking employment or a higher-ranking position.
Step Three: Obtain Certification
Civil engineering designers can obtain relevant certifications. Although not required, a design certificate lets businesses know that a job applicant is competent, which might lead to more prospects for employment and career growth.
Step Four: Advance Your Skills
Hone your advanced design skills. Some job postings request applicants with design and drafting software knowledge, such as AutoCAD or MicroStation. While some firms could hire individuals with 2-D design software skills, others are searching for someone with experience with GIS or other 3-D design applications.
Candidates for higher-level roles could be required to have specific knowledge in a particular industry or type of construction, such as drainage systems for buildings, structures, or other facilities. Understanding these initiatives may help civil engineering designers stand out from the competition and create possibilities for career advancement.
Where to Work as a Civil Engineering Designer
Civil engineering designers work for governments, commercial enterprises, building and architectural firms, construction companies, and independent contractors.
While working in offices, civil engineering designers may also spend time on construction sites to monitor the status of ongoing projects and address any issues that may develop. They typically put in a 40-hour work week, but they could need to put in more if there are deadlines or if they need to communicate with other experts like architects and landscape architects. Many civil engineering designers also work on community planning and development projects, which could call for meetings on the weekends and evenings.
Civil Engineering Designer Salary Scale
In the United States, civil engineering designers typically earn $57,842 per year or $27.81 per hour. Their salary range is around $40,000 to $82,000.
In the United Kingdom, a civil engineering designer makes an average pay of £42,500 per year or £21.79 per hour. Most experienced professionals earn up to £58,048 yearly, while entry-level roles start at £35,000.
The typical civil engineering designer makes CA$77,500 a year, or CA$39.74 an hour in Canada. Most experienced professionals earn up to CA$77,500 per year, while entry-level roles start at that amount.
In Australia, the average civil engineering designer’s pay is AU$78,373 or AU$38 per hour.
In Ireland, a civil engineering designer has an average yearly pay of €50,453.
A civil engineering designer makes an average yearly pay of €40,812 in Germany. Starting salaries for Civil Engineering Designer entry-level roles are €20,220.
Salary ranges can vary significantly based on various crucial aspects, including education, credentials, skills, and the length of time working in a given field.