Building Services Engineering Service and Maintenance Engineer
Careers Explorer:
Planning and completing a range of maintenance work such as ventilating, heating, water supply, waste and drainage.
Overview
Building Services Engineering is a specialist branch of engineering within the construction sector.
As a Service and Maintenance Engineer, you’ll play a key role in planning and completing a range of maintenance work encompassing industrial and commercial building services engineering systems such as ventilating, heating, water supply, waste (effluent discharge) and drainage.
In this multi-skilled and varied role, you’ll may find yourself working in industrial and commercial buildings like office blocks, shopping centres, hotels, factories, schools and hospitals.
Some of the work you may be involved in maybe related to:
- Electrical isolation, disconnection, reconnection and reactivation
- Monitoring and managing the operation of plant and equipment through building and energy management systems
- Taking responsibility for fault finding, fault diagnosis, repair and maintenance of systems, components and equipment
Also be prepared for a lot of sole-working and being able to think on your feet when a problem arises.
Top 5 Tasks
- Completing planned preventative maintenance and undertake any required remedial repairs.
- Deal with clients
- Adhere to safe working practices without endangering themselves or others
- Take responsibility for fault finding and fault diagnosis
- Work on a variety of projects within a short period of time.
Salary
Starting salaries for graduate building services engineers are generally in the region of £26,000 to £28,000.
Experienced engineers can earn a salary of £40,000, with those working at senior levels earning more than £55,000. Having chartered (CEng MCIBSE) or incorporated (IEng ACIBSE) status will generally increase your level of pay.
Partners in a firm of consulting engineers or highly experienced building services engineers with chartered status may earn over £80,000. In larger international consultancies, this figure could be in excess of £110,000.
Salaries depend on location, employer and level of responsibility. Salaries and career options also improve with chartered status.
Am I Suited?
- Problem solver
- Hands-on
- Efficient, yet effective
- Self-motivator
- Good time management
Public and private construction contracts can be worth billions of pounds. There’s nothing cowboy about that!
Qualifications
Entry into building services engineering is typically via an engineering qualification. In particular, a degree in one of the following subjects will be useful:
- building services engineering
- built environment engineering
- electrical engineering
- energy engineering
- mechanical engineering
- other engineering degrees.
Engineering or technology HNDs/foundation degrees can fulfil all the academic requirements to become an engineering technician (EngTech), or part of the requirements to gain incorporated engineer (IEng) status. Appropriate further learning to degree level would then be needed to progress further in the job.
Chartered engineer (CEng) or incorporated engineer (IEng) status can be gained through membership of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), or other engineering institutions licensed by the Engineering Council. For chartered status, an accredited first degree in engineering or technology, plus an appropriate accredited MEng or an accredited integrated MEng degree are usually required. Search for accredited degrees at Engineering Council – Accredited Course Search (ACAD).
Individuals with qualifications not listed on the Engineering Council website are assessed individually and may still qualify for incorporated or chartered status. CIBSE offers student membership to those on relevant courses, which can lead to valuable networking opportunities at industry events as well as discounted prices on publications and other resources.
