Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for Civil Engineer

construction site

A Civil Engineer is responsible for producing engineering designs and drawings. They inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications. In this blog post we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Civil Engineers.

Get market insights and compare skills for other jobs here.

Main Responsibilities of Civil Engineer

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Civil Engineer:

Advise

  • Advise management regarding structural repairs and design, construction, and program modifications.

  • Advise on technical problems.

Aid in

Aid in product development by assisting in research and development.

Analyze

  • Analyze and improve any company department processes.

  • Analyze and improve a plant process for optimum safety, efficiency and capacity.

  • Analyze contractual and financial performance and direct activities to improve performance.

Anticipate

Anticipate site grading issues and solutions as project progresses.

Assist in / Assist with

  • Assist client to obtain building permit for residential, commercial and industrial development.

  • Assist Estimating Team in winning work for VanPile.

  • Assist in defining project scope.

  • Assist in processing and administration of submittal tracking and document control.

  • Assist in the management of materials.

  • Assist in the preparation of reports, studies, evaluations and cost estimates.

  • Assist senior fire protection specialists in the evaluation of larger communities.

  • Assist senior management with bid proposals and business development.

  • Assist staff in resolving problems concerning work with the various business units.

  • Assist team in preparing drawings and reports.

  • Assist to compile field data in report form for review of project designer.

  • Assist various departments to resolve all issues in engineering processes.

  • Assist with and complete calculations.

  • Assist with layouts and piping / mechanical detailed design drawings.

  • Assist with or performing periodic field reviews and site visits when required.

Assure

Assure clear technical communication with the members of your team.

Attend

Attend meetings and provide input to the project manager and owners.

Benefit

Benefit from informal mentorship from some of the leading minds and authorities in the industry.

Bridge

Bridge and roadway construction supervision.

Build

Build a strong, healthy and sustainable connection between the business and the target company.

Calculate

Calculate quantities for payment or for completion estimation and design purposes.

Check

  • Check and seal the work of co-workers.

  • Check compliance against and input into the ongoing development of client data requirements incl.

Collaborate with

Collaborate with different people across a multitude of cultures around our global organisation.

Communicate with

  • Communicate project progress / status to senior management and alerts them of performance problems.

  • Communicate with clients, agencies, stakeholders, and the public.

  • Communicate with client staff and senior project management.

Complete

Complete transcript of tertiary academic record.

Conduct

  • Conduct design calculations and ensure that plans are consistent with guidelines, code.

  • Conduct field work, site visits, and review construction as required.

  • Conduct inspection and condition assessment of Park Board's assets.

  • Conduct onsite inspections and prepare takeoffs.

  • Conduct permitting and approvals.

  • Conduct pre-construction condition surveys photographs and write up reports.

  • Conduct quality assurance and quality control on projects and tasks.

  • Conduct quantity calculations and cost estimates.

Coordinate

  • Coordinate and assist preparing engineering plans and designs.

  • Coordinate and liaison with contractors, and vendors.

  • Coordinate Civil aspects of projects with other discipline designs and drawings.

  • Coordinate multi-discipline teams and sub-consultants.

  • Coordinate related workflow both within the city and with outside agencies.

  • Coordinate with other engineering and related disciplines to produce engineering deliverables.

  • Coordinate with public and utility agencies.

  • Coordinate with the regulatory review to seek final approval.

Create

Create opportunities and secure meetings / presentations with township decision makers.

Determine

Determine client requirements and contribute to the development of scopes, schedules, and budgets.

Develop

  • Develop and maintain construction guidelines.

  • Develop and oversee the change management and communication plan.

  • Develop a soil settlement monitoring program with short and long term recommendations.

  • Develop budgets and monitor work of assigned team to ensure budgets and schedules are met.

  • Develop designs and drawings from preliminary concepts.

  • Develop drawings, plans and exhibits as necessary to determine land use opportunity.

  • Develop Hydraulic Profiles.

  • Develop project management plan for unique, complex projects in the military sector.

Document

Document daily activities and ensure project files are kept up-to-date and complete.

Enforce

Enforce contract specifications.

Engage

Engage in leadership in professional organizations that align with expertise.

Enrich

Enrich your summer break as a part of Garver's hands-on intern development program, Garver Launch.

Ensure

  • Ensure construction activities are in conformance with engineering scope.

  • Ensure engineering deliverables are technically accurate, complete, and in compliance.

Establish

  • Establish and foster partnerships to support policy changes and programs.

  • Establish goals and objectives of major financial impact.

Evaluate

  • Evaluate Process Alternatives and Equipment / Technology Selection.

  • Evaluate, select, specify, and engineer all civil engineered systems or products for a project.

Find

Find satisfaction in creating positive change.

Help

Help guide and mentor junior staff.

Hold

Hold the certificate awarded by ASP Construction.

Identify

Identify, develop and handle tools for tracking process data for analysis and metrics reporting.

Implement

Implement corrective actions when needed.

Improve

  • Improve our team by adding diverse perspectives and innovative ways of problem solving.

  • Improve production profiles to support long range plans.

Input

Input data into the SAP WMS and SmartMap systems, GIS, others and reconcile project completion.

Inspect

  • Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications.

  • Inspect and investigate development and drainage issues.

Lead

  • Lead and coordinate design teams.

  • Lead a team of Technicians on delivering projects to control design programme and cost budgets.

  • Lead design teams consisting of technicians and engineers.

  • Lead new and ongoing Civil initiatives.

  • Lead others by assigning work.

  • Lead the development of Traffic Control Plans.

  • Lead the preparation and coordination of the project specifications with construction documents.

  • Lead with industry knowledge to support customers in solving issues.

Maintain

  • Maintain a list of suppliers.

  • Maintain a value engineering mindset throughout development, design, and construction.

  • Maintain daily reports in Heavy Job.

  • Maintain project schedule by monitoring project progress.

Make

Make preliminary and final estimates for payments to private contractors.

Manage

  • Manage construction support tasks such as submittals and RFIs between the contractor and designer.

  • Manage EIT workloads and participates in the development of EITs.

  • Manage multiple civil land development projects within different market sectors.

  • Manage multiple projects simultaneously.

  • Manage supplier resources to deliver projects to time, quality and budget.

  • Manage the develop​ment and maint​enance of sales tools.

Meet

  • Meet quality control / quality assurance requirements of Stantec's project management framework.

  • Meet scheduling and attendance requirements.

  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.

  • Meet with clients regarding projects, progress reporting, and the resolution of issues, as required.

  • Meet with Project Manager and engineers to review schedule.

  • Meet with third party utility authorities to discuss mitigation / relocation strategies.

Monitor

Monitor construction works, so it proceeds according to the design.

Operate

Operate computer-assisted drafting equipment or a conventional drafting station.

Oversee

  • Oversee and review engineering work done by consultants for the city.

  • Oversee and review work of staff engineers.

  • Oversee preparation of Contract Documents.

Participate

  • Participate in constructability review.

  • Participate in evaluating performance of team members during annual and mid-year review processes.

  • Participate in local Professional Development Programs, once you have qualified.

  • Participate in quality assurance and quality control review on own projects and projects of peers.

  • Participate in team and client meetings.

  • Participate in the preparation of service offers.

  • Participate in the preparation of tender documents when required.

Perform

  • Perform administrative duties associated with project management for civil projects.

  • Perform all other related and relevant tasks related to the project.

  • Perform data download / upload to / from various Survey equipment and computer.

  • Perform design activities for fastenings in concrete.

  • Perform drafting and design using MicroStation software.

  • Perform field observations of construction where appropriate.

  • Perform field work and construction phase services support.

  • Perform hydrologic and hydraulic calculations to support project design.

  • Perform other duties assigned by supervisor.

  • Perform preliminary engineering calculations, and develop preliminary designs.

  • Perform such other duties as supervisor may from time-to-time deem necessary.

  • Perform such other duties as the supervisor may from time to time deem necessary.

  • Perform tasks related to the collection and evaluation of data required to monitor project schedules.

  • Perform technical verifications of civil engineering documents for their building.

  • Perform technical writing and oversee / prepare technical reports.

Prepare

  • Prepare and complete Daily Inspection Reports, photo logs and as-constructed records while on site.

  • Prepare and review technical reports, calculations and specifications.

  • Prepare design work packages including scope, duration, and level of effort estimates.

  • Prepare engineering designs and drawings.

  • Prepare and execute quality control plans to meet goals, budgets, and schedules.

  • Prepare project control documents and effectively manage project time and costs.

  • Prepare record and construction plans for agency / municipal review.

  • Prepare technical reports documenting project progress and specifications.

Produce

  • Produce construction drawings and plans using computer-aided drafting programs.

  • Produce engineering plan sets and submit documentation packages.

  • Produce engineering plan sets and assist CADD Technicians in order to complete design details.

  • Produce reports and engineering drawings in conjunction with drafting resources.

Provide

  • Provide civil engineering technical support to field operations and commercial stakeholders.

  • Provide design work to support drafters and designers.

  • Provide engineering support during construction.

  • Provide production support as necessary.

  • Provide quality checks on the design drawings as per the RAM standards.

  • Provide support and design on commercial, residential, municipal and other site development projects.

  • Provide technical assistance to project managers as and when needed.

  • Provide timelines and project updates to clients on a consistent and timely basis.

  • Provide training and support for others in creating Civil 3D models.

Reach

Reach with hands and arms.

Receive

  • Receive, analyse and verify the consistency of the input data.

  • Receive meaningful rewards and recognition.

Recommend

Recommend changes or improvements to plans and programs.

Respond to

Respond to client queries using GIS systems and other aggregated datasets.

Review

  • Review all subcontractor submittals.

  • Review and comment on changes in specifications and plans, work techniques and materials.

  • Review and cross reference of construction grade sheets for issuance to contractors.

  • Review and editing of plans for subdivisions and site developments.

  • Review design / drawings and specifications for inconsistencies.

  • Review designs and drawings to ensure accuracy, adequacy, and conformance to the design.

  • Review project design criteria.

  • Review shop drawings and other support documents for construction.

  • Review the site materials to ensure they meet design and municipal specifications.

Seek

Seek and evaluate proposals for engineering and construction services for project civil works.

Supervise

Supervise the work of other engineers.

Support

Support the drafting department to produce engineering designs and drawings.

Take

  • Take initiative on tasks and in coordinating with other members of the design team.

  • Take part in the preparation of service offers.

  • Take pride in and ownership of team's work.

  • Take remedial action when necessary.

Understand

  • Understand and uses computer software and applications associated with engineering assignments.

  • Understand basics of enhanced 3D Software and knowledge of CAD Standards.

  • Understand client expectations, project budgeting, proposal writing, invoicing.

  • Understand project budgets, quality control, and adherence to project schedules.

Undertake

Undertake design reviews and checking.

Upload

Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes.

Utilize

  • Utilize a number of applicable tools such as wood as a shoring or wall formwork system.

  • Utilize staff to develop plans, details and Opinions of Probable Costs.

Work with

  • Work closely with the global design centre (GDC - Bangalore) to deliver design.

  • Work on a variety of local, national and international projects.

  • Work on Phase II plan production in bid documents and design build type projects.

  • Work truck provided for use in the field.

  • Work with Project Managers to develop design plans and create overall cost estimates.

  • Work under supervision of Project Manager or Senior Civil Engineer.

  • Work with colleagues from other disciplines to resolve clashes and deliver on key projects.

  • Work within established project budgets and schedules.

  • Work with regions to actively drive specifications of plate products.

  • Work with the team to develop novel approaches and solutions to technical problems.

Write

  • Write technical papers and delivers technical presentations for conference and symposia events.

  • Write technical reports in the context of structural projects.

Most In-demand Hard Skills

The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Civil Engineer:

  1. Civil Engineering

  2. Autocad

  3. Design

  4. MS Excel

  5. Autocad Civil 3D

  6. Project Management

  7. Microstation

  8. Valid Driver's License

  9. MS Word

  10. Structural Engineering

  11. Land Development

  12. Construction

  13. Drainage

  14. GIS

  15. MS Powerpoint

  16. Health and Safety

  17. MS Office

  18. Civil Engineering Design

  19. Energy

  20. Inclement Weather

  21. BIM

  22. EIT

  23. Hydraulics

  24. Blast

  25. Civil Design

  26. Hydrology

  27. Outlook

  28. Site Grading

  29. Watercad

  30. Chartered

  31. First Principles Analysis

  32. Geology

  33. Microsoft Office

Most In-demand Soft Skills

The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Civil Engineer:

  1. Written and oral communication skills

  2. Interpersonal skills

  3. Organizational capacity

  4. Problem-solving attitude

  5. Attention to detail

  6. Time-management

  7. Creative

  8. Leadership

  9. Collaborative

  10. Innovation

  11. Presentation

  12. Work independently with little direction

  13. Team player

  14. Flexible

  15. Self-motivated

  16. Analytical ability

  17. Motivated

  18. Teamwork

  19. Enthusiastic

  20. Positive attitude

  21. Highly motivated

  22. Multi-task

  23. Work ethic

  24. Adaptable to changes

  25. Act on your own initiative

Stay on top of the sports job market!

Subscribe to our newsletter