Job Profile
Engineering technicians work in a variety of different engineering fields, such as civil, mechanical, industrial, and environmental. Engineering technicians work within their engineering field to help engineers plan, design, evaluate, and improve the performance of hydropower equipment, processes, and facilities. Depending on their field of specialty, these technicians may work in a variety of different settings including hydropower sites, component manufacturing facilities, and office spaces.
Civil engineering technicians help civil engineers plan, design, and build hydropower infrastructure projects. They work with engineers to develop plans, estimate construction costs, test construction materials and soil samples, prepare project updates and reports, and maintain files among other duties.
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians help electrical engineers design and develop equipment that is powered by electricity or electric current. They often evaluate and test equipment, using measuring and other devices to test, adjust, and make repairs to the electrical equipment. Mechanical engineering technicians perform similar tasks to electrical engineering technicians, but they work on machines and devices as opposed to the electrical components.
Industrial engineering technicians help industrial engineers solve problems affecting manufacturing layout or production. They prepare machinery and equipment plans, design workflows, conduct statistical production studies, and analyze production costs.
Environmental engineering technicians help environmental engineers develop solutions to control, prevent, and mitigate damage caused by pollution and other environmental problems. They may work in the field collecting samples from the environment and setting up sampling and monitoring equipment. They may also work in the lab running tests on samples, documenting test results, and keeping records and inventory of equipment and materials.
Engineering technicians typically do several of the following tasks:

Analyze plans or blueprints
Build, calibrate, and repair instruments, machines or testing equipment
Test and evaluate the performance of equipment, materials, or systems
Identify solutions to design problems
Estimate costs for building or operating equipment or larger systems and facilities
Conduct field surveys to collect data on site conditions and inspect structures
Ensure that construction or manufacturing of equipment or facilities conforms to design specifications and applicable codes
Prepare reports that document project activities and testing results, and recommend changes for product improvement
Set up and help maintain project files and records