Electrical engineers design, develop and maintain electrical control systems and components to required specifications. Their work focuses on:

• economy;
• quality;
• reliability;
• safety;
• sustainability.

The electrical equipment that they design and manufacture is used across many sectors, including:

• the building industry and services, including lighting, heating and ventilation;
• transportation and transport networks;
• manufacturing and construction;
• production and distribution of power.

Electrical engineers are involved in projects from the concept and detail of the design, through to implementation, testing and handover. They may 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.

Responsibilities

Most electrical engineers 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.