Control Engineer

Also known as:

Engineer, Control
Control and Instrumentation Engineer

Introduction

Control engineers research, design, develop and manage the equipment used to monitor and control systems and machinery. They work on systems where precision is vital, for example, in chemical processing and power generation plants.

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Work Activities

Control engineers research, design, develop, maintain and bring into production the equipment and instruments to monitor or automate an industrial process. They ensure that processes work safely and efficiently.

The systems that control industrial processes include mechanical, electronic and computer technology.

Some control engineers research, design and develop control equipment, such as transmitters, analogue and digital instruments, control valves, meters and sensors.

There is a wide range of uses for this type of equipment, including measuring temperatures in jet engines, and the flow of oil or gas in pipelines.

Control engineers often work in teams, discussing how best to produce, market and sell the finished products. They may visit customers to explain developments.

In order to design a complete control system, control engineers need an in-depth understanding of the processes that will occur. This may involve talking to staff who currently operate process equipment and the engineers who designed it.

Control engineers then choose the instruments they will need to make the right measurements for the system. They may write the computer software the system will need to analyse data from these instruments.

Control engineers sometimes buy equipment before overseeing its installation, taking into account costs and timescales.

Once a system is installed, control engineers train staff in how to use the system and how to deal with any problems that may come up. They may lead teams, including other engineers, technicians and craftspeople.

Control engineers also modify existing systems, improving them to make them safer, more efficient and more economical.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

To be a control engineer, you need to have technical ability and an interest in maths, science and technology.

You must be able to combine an analytical, logical approach with creativity and imagination to solve problems.

Engineers must be able to work as part of a team. The ability to encourage other people's ideas is important, and you must also be flexible and able to compromise. You will need strong communication skills to write reports and to explain complex engineering information to people from non-technical backgrounds.

You will need organisational skills to plan your own time and to co-ordinate resources. Willingness to take on responsibility and to lead and motivate other is essential.

Engineers must have good information technology skills.

You should be willing to keep up-to-date with advances in technology in this fast changing area.

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Pay and Opportunities

Salaries for control engineers vary, depending on employer, role and responsibilities.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Control engineers earn in the range of £24,000 - £27,500 a year, rising to £34,000 - £41,500. Higher earners can make around £50,000 a year.

Most control engineers work around 35-40 hours, Monday to Friday. Occasional late finishes and weekend work may be required.

Employers include control equipment manufacturers, firms involved in chemical and biochemical processing, manufacturing industry, aerospace, power generation and robotics companies.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

If you don't have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course (eg, Access to Engineering) could be the way in.

These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

Sponsorship for higher education study in control and instrumentation engineering is available from the larger engineering and manufacturing companies.

Funding for postgraduate courses is available through universities from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Financial support for study in the form of grants for undergraduates and bursaries for postgraduates is available from the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers, for students at ten universities. These are:

Brunel, Cambridge, City, Glasgow Caledonian, Imperial, Oxford, Teesside, UCL, University of Manchester and Warwick. Applications are made through university departments.

There are other pathways through which candidates can register as Chartered or Incorporated Engineers, such as career progression from other levels of registration and routes based on the achievement of occupational standards.

• 6% of people in occupations such as control engineering work part-time.
• 10% have flexible hours.

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New Developments

Some people working in this occupation may be involved in the green jobs sector in areas such as renewable energy or waste management.