Electrical engineers design, develop and maintain electrical control systems and/or components to required specifications, focusing on economy, safety, reliability, quality and sustainability.
They design and manufacture electrical equipment for use across many sectors, including:
Electrical engineers are involved in projects from the concept and detail of the design through to implementation, testing and handover. They may also be involved in maintenance programmes.
As well as having technical knowledge, electrical engineers need to be able to project manage and multitask. They also need to have commercial awareness. Additional attributes, such as team leadership or management skills, are required as careers progress.
He has to work in a multi-disciplinary project team, which is likely to include engineers from other specialist areas as well as architects, marketing and sales staff, manufacturers, technicians and customer service personnel. They may also work with representatives from client organisations.
Depending on the employer, the electrical engineer may be involved at every stage of design and development or may just be involved at one particular stage. The nature of the role varies according to industry or sector, but the range of activities common to many posts is likely to include: