Military engineer

Description

Military engineers perform technical and scientific functions in the military, such as the development of concepts for military technical equipment, support of the manufacturing of military equipment, and technical research, maintenance, and quality assurance.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to military engineer:

defence technology engineering adviser
ballistics engineer
defence technology engineering consultant
army engineer
defence engineering expert
defence technology engineer
weaponary developer
army engineer officer
defence engineering consultant
combat technician
defense engineer
field engineer
defence technology engineering specialist
defence engineering adviser
defence engineering specialist
combat engineer
defence technology engineering expert
defence technician

Minimum qualifications

High school diploma is generally required to work as military engineer. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Military engineer is a Skill level 1 occupation.

Military engineer career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to military engineer.

sergeant
army corporal
warfare specialist
special forces officer
bomb disposal technician

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of military engineer. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of military engineer with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

avionics technician
non-destructive testing specialist
refurbishing technician
electromechanical equipment assembler
radio technician

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of military engineer.

Engineering principles: The engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.
Mechanical tools: Understand machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Engineering processes: The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.
Military weaponry: The types of arms used by different military organisations, such as army, navy or air force and in different nations worldwide; the weapons’ aspects, damage potential and ways to defend against them.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of military engineer.

Define technology strategy: Create an overall plan of objectives, practices, principles and tactics related to the use of technologies within an organisation and describe the means to reach the objectives.
Adjust engineering designs: Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.
Advise superiors on military operations: Advise on the strategic decisions made by superiors on deployment, mission tactics, resource allocation or other military operation specifics, to help superiors reach a better decision and to provide them with any relevant information for a military operation or functioning of the military organisations in general.
Oversee quality control: Monitor and assure the quality of the provided goods or services by overseeing that all the factors of the production meet quality requirements. Supervise product inspection and testing.
Monitor technology trends: Survey and investigate recent trends and developments in technology. Observe and anticipate their evolution, according to current or future market and business conditions.
Design engineering components: Design engineering parts, assemblies, products, or systems.
Supervise the maintenance of military equipment: Plan and supervise the routine maintenance and repair work of military equipment and weaponry to ensure proper working order.
Examine engineering principles: Analyse the principles that need to be considered for engineering designs and projects such as functionality, replicability, costs and other principles.
Monitor military equipment use: Monitor the use by military staff of specific military equipment to ensure that no unauthorised personnel gains access to specific types of equipment, that everyone handles the equipment according to regulations, and that it is only used in appropriate circumstances.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of military engineer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Military logistics: The operations of the supply and demand of goods and recources on military bases and during military operations on the field, the disruption of enemy supplies, cost analysis, equipment demands, and other military logistics activities.
Military code: The code language used in specific intelligence or military organisations and operations, how to use and decipher them.
Electrical engineering: Understand electrical engineering, a field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
Electronic and telecommunication equipment: The offered electronic and telecommunication equipment and products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
Electronics principles: The study of electric energy, more specifically electron, control and its prominent principles regarding integrated circuits and electrical systems.
Mechanical engineering: Discipline that applies principles of physics, engineering and materials science to design, analyse, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems.
Military combat techniques: The fighting techniques specific to military operations, using military weapons and equipment, and the regulations concerning military combat actions.
Concepts of telecommunications: The telecommunication principles, theories, models, equipment and processes such as transfer rate, bandwidth, signal-to-noise ratio, bit error ratio and C/N ratio, as well as the effect of the qualities of the transmission path on the operation and quality of telecommunications.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of military engineer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Provide technical documentation: Prepare documentation for existing and upcoming products or services, describing their functionality and composition in such a way that it is understandable for a wide audience without technical background and compliant with defined requirements and standards. Keep documentation up to date.
Maintain electrical equipment: Test electrical equipment for malfunctions. Take safety measures, company guidelines, and legislation concerning electrical equipment into account. Clean, repair and replace parts and connections as required.
Perform physical stress tests on models: Perform tests on products’ models to analyse the ability of products to endure temperature, loads, motion, vibration and other factors.
Perform test run: Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
Report test findings: Report test results with a focus on findings and recommendations, differentiating results by levels of severity. Include relevant information from the test plan and outline the test methodologies, using metrics, tables, and visual methods to clarify where needed.
Perform maintenance on installed equipment: Perform the maintenance on installed equipment on-site. Follow procedures to avoid uninstalling equipment from machinery or vehicles.
Calibrate electronic instruments: Correct and adjust the reliability of an electronic instrument by measuring output and comparing results with the data of a reference device or a set of standardised results. This is done in regular intervals which are set by the manufacturer and using calibration devices.
Write situation reports: Write reports according to specifications and regulations of an organisation on the situation which needs to be reported on, such as the status of an investigation, of intelligence gathering, or of missions and operations.
Maintain electronic equipment: Check and repair electronic equipment. Detect malfunction, locate faults and take measures to prevent damage.
Design prototypes: Design prototypes of products or components of products by applying design and engineering principles.
Test electronic units: Test electronic units using appropriate equipment. Gather and analyse data. Monitor and evaluate system performance and take action if needed.
Perform minor repairs to equipment: Conduct routine maintenance on equipment. Recognise and identify minor defects in equipment and make repairs if appropriate.
Determine production feasibility: Determine if a product or its components can be produced by applying engineering principles.

ISCO group and title

310 – Armed forces occupations, other ranks

 

 


 

 

References
  1. Military engineer – ESCO
Last updated on August 8, 2022