WHAT DOES AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER DO?

Updated: Jun 09, 2025 - The Electrical Engineer engages in sophisticated electrical design, cost estimation, and the preparation of bid documents to ensure project accuracy and competitiveness. This role involves coordinating installations and overseeing construction, ensuring compliance with ethical standards and operational requirements. The engineer also leads interdisciplinary teams, contributes to innovative solutions, and meticulously documents processes to enhance project outcomes and operational efficiency.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Electrical Engineer

1. Electrical Engineer Duties

  • Circuit Design: Design of complex electrical circuits including schematic capture and printed circuit board layouts.
  • Prototype Testing: Testing of prototype and early stage printed circuit board assemblies to confirm operation.
  • Design Modification: Recommend and implement design modifications to early stage circuit prototypes.
  • Mentoring: Work in conjunction with junior electrical engineering staff in the design and thorough documentation of electrical circuits and microprocessor-based systems-core to medical device development.
  • Documentation Generation: Generation of specifications, control documents, design verification plans, procedures, reports, and other engineering work in compliance with ISO-certified quality system.
  • Manufacturing Support: Support ongoing manufacturing of medical device activities and provide engineering oversight of these products, making modifications.
  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Collaborate with software and mechanical engineers for optimal system design.
  • MEP Teamwork: Work as part of an MEP design team to provide electrical engineering and design support on a variety of building projects.
  • Construction Documentation: Collaborate in the production of construction documents (drawings and specifications).
  • Load Calculation: Perform electrical lighting and power load calculations.
  • Coordination: Coordinate with architects, owners, and other engineering disciplines.
  • Timeline Management: Develop and maintain project timelines to ensure projects meet customer and/or internal timelines.
  • Change Management: Prepare and submit change requests for identified product revisions following the Engineering Change Notice Process.
  • Cost Estimation: Initiate cost estimates for new or existing products through the Engineering Cost Estimation process.
  • Test Development: Develop and coordinate execution of product tests and validation plans from an electrical basis- including EMC testing.

2. Electrical Engineer Details

  • Electrical Engineering: Electrical design, cost estimation, and preparation of bid documents
  • Materials Management: Order, receive, and specify material
  • Contract Review: Review contracts, bids, and vendor selection
  • Estimation Assistance: Provide electrical estimates, assist with design, standards and specifications
  • Project Oversight: Assist and oversee projects from conception to completion
  • Installation Coordination: Coordinate electrical installation with utilities, mechanical installation, and automation groups
  • Construction Oversight: Oversee field construction projects, electrical construction, and commission projects
  • Communication: Communicate clearly with Operations, managers, and all levels of plant personnel
  • Ethical Compliance: Ensure all responsibilities are performed in accordance with the Company’s Mission, Vision, and Values, and in compliance with the Company’s policies, procedures, and Code of Ethical Business Conduct
  • Management Reporting: Reporting to the Manager of Electrical Engineering
  • Team Collaboration: Collaborate with the rest of the engineering team to help conceptualize, plan, construct, and complete projects on time and on budget
  • Innovative Design: Providing a world-class finished product for Operations by applying innovative and safe electrical design
  • Lead Engineering: Be the assigned lead engineer on development and sustainment projects, responsible for bringing customer-inspired technical solutions to fruition
  • Interdisciplinary Interface: Interface with multi-disciplinary teams and communicate well with technical experts in optics, mechanical design, software development, and volume manufacturing
  • Documentation: Document the journey effectively, and preferably with flair
  • Scientific Collaboration: Work with and learn from celebrated scientists in the field of Raman spectroscopy and OCT

3. Electrical Engineer Responsibilities

  • Circuit Design: Schematic capture, design, and PCB layout of RF and high-speed broadband circuits
  • Circuit Testing: Bring-up, test, and debug analog, digital, high-speed electronic, and RF broadband circuits
  • Team Collaboration: Working closely with the system, hardware, ASIC, and photonic IC design teams
  • Specification Development: Develop Hardware Design Specification (HDS) and help define system requirements
  • Requirements Tracking: Define and track compliance with hardware requirements and specifications
  • Test Planning: Develop Design Verification Test (DVT) plans and qualification plans
  • Data Analysis: Characterize and analyze DVT results and reliability data
  • Best Practices Implementation: Develop and implement best engineering practices (DFT, DFM, and FMEA)
  • Test Infrastructure Development: Develop and implement HW/SW test infrastructure for bench and reliability testing
  • Product Support: Support released prototype and product performance, reliability, and quality improvements
  • Project Leadership: Lead new sensor integration projects, including development or selection of analog front-end
  • Assembly Maintenance: Develop and maintain circuit-card assemblies providing sensor control, light source control, communications, and power management
  • Resource Specification: Specify and use the technical kit and resources required to get the job done.

4. Electrical Engineer Accountabilities

  • Integration: Integrating the Railster electrically and mechanically inside the train
  • Schematic Analysis: Analysing the train electrical schematics to identify connection points on the train
  • Cabling Design: Designing clever cabling schematics and cabling kits with easy-to-assemble connectors for field busses (MVB, Can Bus, J1708, RS484, Ethernet, RS232, Ethernet, FIP) and sensors (battery, level sensors, temperature sensors, vibration sensors, etc.)
  • Production Oversight: Producing and following up the production of the cabling kits
  • Mechanical Design Participation: Participating in the design of mechanical installation in the train
  • Technical Writing: Writing up technical documentation, as simple and pragmatic installation instructions so that clients can easily install the Railster and the cabling kit themselves
  • Electrical Verification: Participate in electrical design and verification efforts, including compliance and standards testing and system compatibility verification to meet the requirements of Clinical Accessories products
  • Product Development Engagement: Engage in all phases of new product development, including concept, documentation, design, prototype, test, and manufacturing introduction as well as improvement/sustaining activities for installed base products
  • Design Verification: Verify product designs meet all requirements for performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability
  • Verification Ownership: Own and execute verification/testing activities for assigned project
  • Project Execution: Execute the design, analysis, or evaluation of assigned projects using sound engineering principles and adhering to business standards, practices, procedures, and product/program requirements.

5. Electrical Engineer Functions

  • Standards Management: Manage Global Standards documentation supporting the electrical engineering discipline, includes partnering with project team to develop global execution strategy and managing change life cycle
  • Integration Assurance: Ensure the electrical discipline is well integrated with the rest of the disciplines within the standards
  • Partnership Building: Build strong global cross-functional partnerships
  • Program Analysis: Assist in program health analysis
  • Consultant Management: Managing consultant scope, including authoring scope of work and developing proposals
  • Process Development: Develop process/tool to increase efficiency and help team scale
  • System Review: Provide electrical mission critical system review services to local data center operations teams
  • Engineering Support: Support the implementation of data center engineering and commissioning (Integrated System Test) for new data center concepts undergoing standardization
  • Incident Analysis: Participate in equipment failure or power outage related incident Root-Cause-Analysis 
  • Emergency Response: Respond on an as-needed basis to emergencies

6. Electrical Engineer Overview

  • Business Development: Develop and significantly grow GHD’s presence and market share across the power, renewables, and defence industry
  • Project Support: Provide support to power projects being delivered across Australia and internationally
  • Technical Reporting: Generate technical reports for clients
  • Proposal Preparation: Support project managers and bid coordinators to prepare successful proposals for winning new work
  • Team Contribution: Contribute to the overall functioning of the Wide Bay Region
  • Mentoring: Provide mentoring support to developing Engineers.

7. Entry Level Electrical Engineer Details and Accountabilities

  • Electrical Testing: Conduct Electrical Engineering testing and evaluation.
  • System Analysis: Perform electrical system analysis using electrical power system modeling programs.
  • Field Troubleshooting: Perform field investigations and troubleshooting to resolve problems that occur in the electrical power distribution system.
  • Technical Guidance: Provide verbal and written technical direction to operations personnel.
  • Safety Analysis: Perform and document safety analyses.
  • Safety Compliance: Obtain and maintain qualifications in areas related to environmental safety, quality control, and electrical safety.

8. Electrical Engineer Tasks

  • Project Design: Design basic projects with guidance.
  • Specification Interpretation: Read and interpret customer project specifications.
  • Material Ordering: Take responsibility for ordering materials.
  • Drawing Preparation: Create and transmit project drawings to manufacturing and the customer.
  • Cross-Functional Coordination: Interface with sales, purchasing, customer (with assistance), shop, and service technicians.
  • Diagram Supervision: Direct designers in completing wiring diagrams.

9. Electrical Engineer Roles

  • Power Specifications: Understand the voltage and power specifications at the location where the equipment is installed
  • Capacity Calculation: Calculate the maximum/minimum capacity of the input power of the equipment
  • Load Analysis: Determine the load capacity of the equipment and calculate the voltage drop to determine the input capacity and specification of the protective equipment
  • Device Identification: Identify the type of power device used and the allowable capacity of the equipment
  • Device Selection: Selecting a power device suitable for the designed power capacity of the equipment
  • Compatibility Design: Design considering the compatibility between selected power devices and other electrical components
  • Component Selection: Select electrical components and materials, considering the installation environment and safety, is reflected in the design
  • Panel Design: Consider the space and position of the electric panel/designed for maintenance
  • EMC/Safety Testing: Understand testing of EMC (EN61326) or Safety (EN61010)
  • Software Verification: Software verification for electrical parts

10. Electrical Engineer Additional Details

  • Engineering Solutions: Develop sophisticated and innovative engineering solutions and approaches.
  • Team Collaboration: Work with all levels of the development team to resolve problems and ambiguities.
  • Performance Management: Interact with project managers and teams in order to manage the performance criteria.
  • Design Review: Participate in the product design specification review process and contribute to the product documentation.
  • Tech Research: Participate in ongoing technology research.
  • Standards Compliance: Identify product variances from standards and suggest modifications to conform.
  • Performance Benchmarking: Establish benchmarks for product performance.
  • Program Improvement: Recommend program improvements or revisions.
  • Test Oversight: Oversee the testing process of sub-projects.
  • Testing Software Use: Install, maintain, and use testing software programs to test products and compare observed performance to specifications and documentation.
  • Test Documentation: Design, document, track, and communicate test plans, test results, analysis, and unresolved problems.
  • Test Procedure Creation: Create new test procedures and test cases for new functionality.
  • Defect Analysis: Identify, analyze, and document defects, questionable functions, errors, and inconsistencies in product performance.
  • Log Review: Review computer logs and report to identify program processing errors and possible improvements.
  • Standards Development: Contribute to the establishment of standards and procedures for program design and testing.
  • Technical Support: Respond to inquiries from technical support regarding the functions and operations of software programs.

11. PV Electrical Engineer Essential Functions

  • Visual Inspection: Complete visual inspections on a high number of solar PV installations across the portfolio
  • Quality and Safety: Ensure the ongoing quality and safety of systems
  • Issue Reporting: Ensure that on-site issues are raised with the Fleet Manager/Fleet Coordinator for scheduled resolution
  • User Liaison: Liaise with the end user to ensure maximum benefits are achieved
  • Pyranometer Maintenance: Undertake pyranometer maintenance as part of the scheduled visual inspections
  • System Replacement: Safely remove and replace all aspects of the solar PV systems
  • Panel Replacement: Safely remove and replace the roof-mounted panels in line with the planned maintenance by the clients
  • Issue Resolution: Respond and liaise with the end user to resolve and answer on-site enquiries
  • Operational Diagnosis: Diagnose and resolve operational issues at the first opportunity
  • Cost and Safety Control: Responsibility for controlling costs, time, and health and safety as an individual and as a team

12. Electrical Engineer Role Purpose

  • Hardware Design: Analog and digital hardware design, schematic capture, and layout of new designs, keeping in mind product cost and reliability requirements.
  • Specification Collaboration: Work with Sales, Marketing, and customers on hardware product specifications.
  • Manufacturing Support: Help Production with various manufacturing issues, including board failures, component changes, improving throughput, and troubleshooting
  • Troubleshooting Training: Provide troubleshooting training for local colleagues and partners
  • High Voltage Design: High voltage circuit design.
  • Component Sourcing: Provide electrical hardware design support for supply chain issues by finding and qualifying electrical component alternatives
  • Technical Support: Provide technical support for Customer Work Requests (CWRs), Non-Conformance Reports, Product Manuals, and Work Instructions

13. Lead Electrical Engineer General Responsibilities

  • Health and Safety: Maintain high levels of health and safety at all times
  • Project Management: Manage projects through to completion, carry out activities following statutory requirements, company policies and procedures, i.e., RAMS, Quality instructions, etc
  • Technical Leadership: Act as Technical Lead, providing technical support for engineers
  • Customer Liaison: Liaise with the customers' on-site personnel, in person/phone/email
  • Testing Equipment: Work with testing equipment, e.g., Fluke, understanding test results.
  • Lift Operation: Operate Boom, Scissor lifts, etc, as authorised
  • Stock Control: Ensure engineers adhere to stock control procedures
  • PPE Compliance: Maintain and use the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provided following the instructions.
  • Housekeeping Standards: Ensure that a high standard of housekeeping is maintained in the warehouse, stores, prep, and training room, and company vehicles.
  • Training Participation: Participate in the induction training of new and temporary workers

14. Electrical Engineer Key Accountabilities

  • Power Testing: Performs power testing of protective relay panels, medium voltage switchgear line-ups, tests communication, and HMI components on the relay panel (testing also involves panel boards, automatic transfer switches, fire alarm systems, air conditioning, and other power distribution components)
  • Schedule Maintenance: Maintains testing schedule per Crown project schedule and production schedule with guidance from the Electrical Engineering Manager.
  • Status Monitoring: Monitors testing status daily, gathers feedback from all test technicians.
  • Procedure Implementation: Reviews project specifications and implements testing procedures to comply with project requirements.
  • Plan Review: Reviews test plans of all projects against schematics with test technicians before submittal
  • Test Folder Maintenance: Maintains test folder for all projects with relevant test reports, test drawings, and test pictures.
  • Equipment Review: Reviews and maintains the testing equipment list with Test Technicians.
  • Procedure Creation: Creates and maintains test procedures, including testing forms.
  • Problem Solving: Leads problem-solving initiatives to analyze quality failures and help drive quality improvements (e.g., ways to improve the efficiency of testing to reduce the time required).
  • Standards Compliance: Ensures all team members follow testing standards and safety procedures, promptly reports and investigates all quality failure incidents.

15. Electrical Engineer Roles and Details

  • Design Specification: Developing design specifications under guidance and carrying out design activities in line with specifications and all quality and technical standards, e.g., engineering output such as mechanical schematic diagrams, mechanical design calculations, and mechanical specifications
  • Process Development: Participating fully in developing, maintaining, and modifying engineering processes and procedures in mechanical engineering areas in response to technical developments and operational needs
  • Technical Analysis: Carrying out technical analysis and investigations, including evaluation and selection of technical options, and preparing reports with suggested recommendations to support the design of improvements
  • Mechanical Design: Preparing mechanical technical equipment specifications, developing mechanical designs in line with all specifications and standards
  • Process Improvement: Contributing to process improvement within the operational and/or engineering team to deliver continuous improvements in quality, cycle time, and asset utilisation
  • Engineering Liaison: Liaising with customers and suppliers in assigned areas on engineering matters
  • Team Support: Providing help and direction to less experienced team members to support both their effective work and their development
  • Team Contribution: Contributing to engineering team decisions to support the effective performance of the team

16. Electrical Engineer Responsibilities and Key Tasks

  • Standards Management: Manage Global Standards documentation supporting the electrical engineering discipline, including partnering with the project team to develop a global execution strategy and managing the change life cycle
  • Discipline Integration: Ensure the electrical discipline is well integrated with the rest of the disciplines within the standards.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Build strong global cross-functional partnerships
  • Program Analysis: Assist in program health analysis.
  • Scope Management: Manage consultant scope, including authoring the scope of work and developing proposals
  • Process Development: Develop a process/tool to increase efficiency and help the team scale
  • System Review: Provide electrical mission-critical system review services to local data center operations teams
  • Commissioning Support: Support the implementation of data center engineering and commissioning (Integrated System Test) for new data center concepts undergoing standardization
  • Site Visits: Travel to datacenter sites for engineering studies, electrical systems audits, startup testing, and full commissioning
  • RCA Participation: Participate in equipment failure or power outage-related incident Root-Cause-Analysis (RCA)
  • Emergency Response: Respond on an as-needed basis to emergencies
Relevant Information
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