Job Description
As a member of the military, Construction Engineers provide engineering support, such as facilities management, fire engineering, contract and project management, and construction and environmental engineering.
As a member of the military, Construction Engineers provide engineering support, such as facilities management, fire engineering, contract and project management, and construction and environmental engineering.
As members of the Military Engineer Branch, Construction Engineers plan, develop and implement projects involving a wide range of military engineering tasks. Their primary responsibilities are to:
- Prepare or approve construction drawings, designs and cost estimates
- Advise superiors on military engineering matters
- Exercise leadership and technical control over organizations involved in engineering services
- Provide mapping, charting and geodesic support to sea, land and air operations
- Lead and manage a team of skilled personnel
Work environment
Construction Engineers work as part of a Construction Engineering Flight or Unit. Although the primary role of Construction Engineering Officers is to support the operations of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Construction Engineering Officers may also support Canadian Army operations and missions. After a period of time gaining practical experience, Construction Engineers may be posted to a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) base or headquarters. Over the course of their careers, Construction Engineers will likely be deployed on a domestic or international mission, including operations in support of UN, NATO or Coalition missions.
If you chose a career in theRegular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.
MAJOR AARTHI PRABHAKARAN: I’m Major Aarthi Prabhakaran originally from Surrey, B.C. I’m a Construction Engineering Officer posted to 8 Wing Trenton, here in Ontario.
Wherever the Canadian Armed Forces are based or deployed, providing Canada’s soldiers, aviators and sailors well-functioning infrastructure is a vital part of the mission.
On base in Canada, Construction Engineering Officers fill the role of a town engineer, setting up and taking care of buildings and facilities, roadways, airfields, jetties, ranges and training areas, the power grid, as well as water supply and sewage systems.
MAJOR AARTHI PRABHAKARAN: To me, the most attractive thing about being a Construction Engineering Officer was marrying what I had learned in my civil engineering degree with practical, real-life scenarios. I really enjoyed my education at the Royal Military College and I wanted to apply it.
Theirteam includes a wide range of expert technicians who work in Construction; Water, Fuels and Environment; Electrical Distribution; Electrical Generating Systems; Plumbing and Heating; Refrigeration and Mechanical Systems; Fire Fighting, as well as Drafting and Surveying.
MAJOR AARTHI PRABHAKARAN: So the job of a Construction Engineer is extremely vast. The great thing about the trade is that there are a few different streams that you can go down, and most officers actually get exposed to all of the streams at some point or another in their career. So you have the construction stream, you’ve got the firefighting stream, you’ve got the project management stream, and all of those are different aspects of what a Construction Engineer does.
Whether the job calls for setting up humanitarian assistance camps in Haiti, weatherproofing a radar installation in the High Arctic, or flood control in Manitoba, Construction Engineers are always ready to travel anywhere in the country… and the world.
When the Canadian Armed Forces deploy to a theatre of operation, Construction Engineers are the first ones in; and the last ones out. They build the camps for the Task Force to live in and operate from. They’re the ones responsible for maintaining the camp infrastructure throughout the mission. And they’re the ones that stay behind to dismantle and pack up the camp when the mission is complete.
MAJOR AARTHI PRABHAKARAN: I’ve had two great opportunities to deploy so far in my career. My first opportunity was to Egypt for a year, and my second opportunity was on Operation Impact based out of Kuwait. Both of those opportunities were very different, but they were both fantastic. I learned a lot about myself, and all of the training that I had done leading up to those deployments was really great practice, but to be able to take all of that practice and put it into action was a really special feeling.
MAJOR AARTHI PRABHAKARAN: I’m extremely proud of the work that we do here. There aren’t too many places where you come to work with fantastic professionals who are also dedicated and motivated to be there. And that’s by far the best part of the job, is working with all of these extremely talented people.
Once they complete their military and occupational training, Construction Engineering Officers are typically posted to an engineering support unit at one of Canada’s military bases, where they’ll lead teams of highly-skilled technicians in the planning, budgeting, and execution of operating, repairing, and maintaining the base infrastructure. They could also be tasked to manage a wide range of construction projects, from conception to completion.
MAJOR AARTHI PRABHAKARAN: The first couple of years of your career you’ll spend learning the trade, learning the various components, getting to know the different trades that work for Construction Engineering Officers – it’s very much a period of soaking up as much knowledge as you can, but you’ll continue to do that throughout your career.
Even during their first posting, Construction Engineers can expect to be deployed on an operational tour, either here in Canada or around the world.
Construction Engineers always emulate their motto, “UBIQUE”, which means “everywhere.”
MAJOR AARTHI PRABHAKARAN: So many moments in my career so far where I’ve had to pinch myself because I’ve been lucky enough to be flying into Iraq, and I’m it – I’m the engineer. And I’ve got to take the information in, and make a plan for execution. So it’s moments like those that I look back on and really think that I’m extremely lucky to have chosen the profession that I’ve chosen, and know that every step along the way I’m able to do my job alongside some fantastic people.
If you already have a university degree, the CAF will decide if your academic program matches the criteria for this job and may place you directly into the required on-the-job training program following basic training. Basic training and military officer qualification training are required before being assigned.
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