Heating & Ventilation Engineer

Job Description:

Building services engineers design, install and maintain equipment in buildings, like air-conditioning, heating or water systems.

Job Category:

Energy & Utilities

What you will do:

You’ll be responsible for the heating, water, electrical and telecoms systems inside a building, such as an office block or shop. You might also involved in the design and installation of systems, or oversee their maintenance once up and running.

Your day-to-day duties could include:

providing maintenance support
overseeing contractors on site
drawing up plans using CAD and building information modelling software
estimating costs
making sure jobs meet building regulations and health and safety requirements
attending meetings and presenting ideas and progress reports
coordinating the work of technicians and craftspeople (teamwork skills)

Skills:

You’ll need:

knowledge of building and construction
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

As well as:

the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
customer service skills
the ability to use your initiative (drive)
analytical thinking skills
practical skills for installing equipment
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations

Illustration of employee looking at workspace

Entry Requirements:

You’ll need to either:

start on a graduate trainee scheme after completing a Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) accredited HND, foundation degree or degree in building services engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, or systems control engineering
take a degree apprenticeship, then take further qualifications to qualify as an engineer

Employers may also consider you if you have:

experience of working as an engineer in a different industry, like acoustic, electrical, energy, environmental, mechanical, or power engineering
a related degree, like electrical engineering, construction and the built environment, or sustainable construction

Working Hours and Environment:

You’ll work for design consultancies, major building contractors, building services contractors, manufacturers of equipment, local authorities, government departments, hospitals, factories or power stations.

You’ll usually work 35 to 40 hours a week. You may have to work extra hours to meet deadlines. You may be on-call.

You’ll work in an office and on building sites.

You’ll usually need a driving licence.

Career Path & Progression:

With experience, you could move into senior project management, quantity surveying or engineering design.

You could become a consultant.