Site Engineer job description
A Site Engineer turns drawings into finished work on a construction project. They plan daily work, check quality on the ground and keep the site on schedule with the contractor's crews.
Why the role exists
The Site Engineer is the technical link between the design team and the labour on site. In a typical Indian builder or contractor, they report to the project manager, guide foremen and gang leaders, and keep the billing and quality teams informed of progress.
What the person does
- Read structural and architectural drawings and mark out work for foremen and mason gangs before each pour or masonry stage.
- Check reinforcement, shuttering and levels before concrete is poured, and record the checks in the site register.
- Plan the week's work with the foreman, matching labour, materials and equipment to the project schedule.
- Raise material indents for cement, steel, aggregates and bricks, and check deliveries against the challan on arrival.
- Supervise concrete pours, curing and cube sampling, and make sure test results reach the quality team.
- Measure completed work and share quantities with the billing surveyor for running bills and subcontractor payments.
- Walk the site daily to spot safety lapses such as open edges, loose scaffolding or missing helmets, and fix them with the foreman.
- Prepare the daily progress report with photos, labour count and delays, and send it to the project manager before close of day.
Skills and tools
- Reading working drawings, bar bending schedules and sections
- Setting out with total station, auto level and measuring tape
- Basic quantity take-off for concrete, steel and masonry
- Knowledge of concrete mix, curing and cube testing practice
- Site safety practice including scaffolding and excavation checks
- MS Excel and AutoCAD for reports and drawing checks
- Clear instructions to foremen and labour in the local language
- Record keeping for pours, pour cards and material receipts
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Preferred: diploma or degree in civil engineering, or equivalent site experience on residential or commercial projects.
- Preferred: two or more years on active construction sites, including slab and masonry stages.
- Preferred: familiarity with Indian building practice and standard testing methods used on site.
- Preferred: working knowledge of site safety practice, with any training or certification confirmed with the employer's adviser.
How the work is judged
- Work completed against the weekly plan agreed with the project manager.
- Quality of finished work, judged by inspection and rework found.
- Accuracy and timeliness of daily reports and measurement sheets.
- Material use compared with the budgeted quantities for the work done.
- Safety observations raised and closed on the site.
Where the role can lead
- Senior Site Engineer with charge of a block or tower.
- Project Engineer or Planning Engineer on larger projects.
- Project Manager after leading a full site team.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- Describe how you check reinforcement and shuttering before a slab pour. What would make you stop the pour?
- A foreman says the drawing is wrong, but the crew has already started. What do you do?
- How do you handle a cement delivery that arrives short or with damaged bags?
- Tell us about a delay on a past site. How did you recover the schedule?
- How do you explain a drawing detail to a gang of masons who do not read drawings?
- Describe a safety problem you found on site and how you fixed it.
Hiring tips for this role
- Test drawing reading with a real sheet from a past project, and ask the candidate to list the checks before a pour. Certificates alone do not show site skill.
- Ask for the stage of work handled in the last role. A person who only did finishing may struggle with structure.
- Meet the candidate's likely foreman or ask for a site reference. A good engineer earns the trust of crews on the ground.
- State site location, shift and travel needs plainly in the job description so that the new hire is not surprised after joining.
Questions about hiring a site engineer
They walk the site, check work against drawings, plan the day with the foreman, receive materials and record progress. They also take measurements and report to the project manager.
The engineer plans, checks and reads drawings. The foreman runs the crews and the daily work on the ground. On many projects the engineer instructs and the foreman carries it out.
It depends on the employer, the state and the type of project. Confirm any requirement with your own legal or technical adviser before you advertise the role.
GullyHR helps with permanent hiring. We agree the job description with you, find and screen civil candidates against it, and support the offer stage.
Hiring a site engineer?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.