Behind the construction of every building, road, and crucial network of piping is an architectural and engineering manager. They are the leaders who research and develop new projects and ensure high standards of quality and safety, while also considering the impact on the environment and user needs. These managers craft detailed plans to meet technical goals, from mapping out training, staff, and equipment needs, to evaluating welding subcontractors and asphalt grades, to calculating the structural stability of a building site. Based on this research, they propose budgets and lead teams of architects and engineers to execute the project. Architectural and engineering managers often work more than 40 hours per week to meet deadlines and budgets. While many work in offices, it’s also fairly common to work in a lab or on a construction site. They typically enter the position with at least a bachelor’s degree in either architecture or an engineering specialty. They must have very thorough work experience in the field to earn a management role, and may add a second degree in business administration or in a related field.
What they do:
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these fields.
On the job, you would:
Manage the coordination and overall integration of technical activities in architecture or engineering projects.
Direct, review, or approve project design changes.
Confer with management, production, or marketing staff to discuss project specifications or procedures.
Engineering and Technology
product and service development
design
Math and Science
arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
physics
Business
management
customer service
Arts and Humanities
English language
Basic Skills
reading work related information
thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Verbal
read and understand what is written
communicate by speaking
Ideas and Logic
make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
notice when problems happen
Math
choose the right type of math to solve a problem
add, subtract, multiply, or divide
People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.
They do well at jobs that need:
Attention to Detail
Integrity
Adaptability/Flexibility
Analytical Thinking
Dependability
Stress Tolerance
You might use software like this on the job:
Computer aided design CAD software
Dassault Systemes CATIA
PTC Creo Parametric
Data base management system software
Apache Hadoop
MySQL
Analytical or scientific software
SPSS
The MathWorks MATLAB
bachelor's degree or master's degree usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
In the military:
see titles from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy.
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