Many people may find it difficult to understand the job titles and titles of engineers because there are many ways to call them. Here, we will explain the job titles and titles of engineers in the following two categories.
1. The position and title of the engineer within the project
2. Job titles and titles of engineers within the company
Breaking it down into these two parts makes it easier to understand the job titles and titles of engineers that seem complicated.
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Engineer’s job title and title within the project
General engineers are given titles and titles according to their role within the project to which they are assigned. It can be said that these positions and titles are easy to imagine for those who want to change jobs and newcomers who are aiming to become engineers. Here, we will explain the job titles and titles of engineers within the project.
What is the title and position of the engineer in the project?
The most obvious example of positions and titles within a project is in the field of system development. In the field of system development, there are the following positions and titles.
・ PG (programmer) … a person who does programming
・SE (system engineer): person in charge of upstream processes
・PM (project manager): A person who manages the QCD (cost, quality, schedule) of the project
In addition, as you build up your skills and career, you may be assigned to a high-level position called a specialist. Specialists have the following titles and roles:
・Senior engineer: SE who is technically excellent or has specialized skills
・Tech Lead: Technical leader of the project
・Architect: People involved in upstream processes such as business analysis and design of system development
These job titles and titles are more or less the roles themselves. In the case of the development site, it is easy for the type of job to become the role and title within the project. These job titles and titles can also be found on business cards, meeting materials with clients, etc.
How are roles within a project determined?
How are roles within a project determined? This is determined by the language you can use, your track record, experience, company history, and qualifications you hold.
In the case of system development at a major company, it is common to work as a programmer for one to two years after joining the company as a new graduate. After that, I will gradually acquire know-how such as design and become a system engineer.
However, the number of people in each position is usually predetermined for each project. Therefore, if there are not enough programmers, the system engineer will also be in charge of programming work, or the project manager will also design the system. There is
Job titles and titles of engineers within the company
The positions and titles of engineers within the company are given as ranks in organizational management. In the case of engineers who work for companies as salaried workers instead of freelancers, those positions and titles may be given.
How are these job titles different from job titles within a project? Here, let’s take a closer look at the roles and titles of engineers within the company.
What is the job title of an engineer in the company?
What an engineer’s job title is within a company varies from company to company. In general, you will be given the following positions:
・Chief
・ Chief
·Manager
・Director
·general manager
・General Manager
If your experience and achievements are recognized, you may become a manager such as a director.
What does an engineer’s title mean in a company?
The meaning of an engineer’s title within a company can be easily understood by thinking of it as an “employee rank.” Job titles within the company are used for personnel evaluations, salary increases, and personnel training. Even if the type of work and the year of joining the company are the same, if the position in the company is different, the treatment such as wages will be different.
If there is a change in position, a letter of appointment will be announced within the company. This is the part that is different from the job title in the project. For example, even if a system engineer becomes a project manager, it is common that the appointment is not announced.
Job description of an engineer who became a manager
When you become a section manager, general manager, or general manager, you will have more work related to organizational management within the company than your work as an engineer. Therefore, at the same time as becoming a manager, I sometimes leave the engineering field. I would like to explain here what the job content of an engineer who became a manager is like.
What is the job of a managerial engineer in the company?
For example, if you are the manager of the system development department, the job content of a managerial engineer within the company may include personnel coordination and budget management for the entire development department. The project manager handles personnel adjustments and budget management only within the project, but the section manager’s scope of work is “inside the department.”
In the case of large companies, managers are also in charge of interviews for personnel evaluations. In addition, there are many things that managerial engineers have to do, such as approval of requests for approval, notification of paid leave, approval of travel expenses, and interviews with job seekers.
Management = No connection with the field
However, in the case of managerial engineers, the connection with the field is not zero. For example, in the case of a large-scale development project, the manager or general manager may visit the client to greet them.
In addition, when the number of management positions is saturated due to the aging of employees, there are cases where “project managers” and “project managers” who manage small units called “project members” are born. . In this case, the project manager may also be the project manager.
Job description of an engineer who became a specialist
Another way to advance your career without becoming a manager is to become a specialist. Engineers with a wealth of specialized knowledge and experience can be active as “specialists” in some cases.
Specialist positions generally have the same salary and other treatment as managerial positions such as section chiefs (however, they do not have administrative authority). If you become a specialist, you will be able to make full use of your skills and abilities.
What are design and development?
Specialists are required to have a high level of design and development capabilities. For example, it is necessary to have the technical ability to accomplish projects that cannot be realized by normal development, such as databases that require responses within 0.1 seconds.
It is the work of specialists to demonstrate their abilities in high-level projects that cannot be achieved by ordinary design.
A specialist is a role model for an engineer
For many engineers, being a specialist is something they aspire to be. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly upskill and show a willingness to learn.
In addition to skills, personality and communication skills are also required. As the technical leader of the team, I am in a position to facilitate development. Also, if necessary, I may answer or advise on technical issues from team members.
In this way, it can be said that the existence of a specialist is a combination of high technical skills that are respected by those around them and reliable communication skills.
Is there a way for engineers not to become managers?
After reading the contents so far, there may be some engineers who think, “I don’t want to leave the site after becoming a manager!”In that situation, there are other options besides becoming a manager, such as changing careers or going freelancing.
If you acquire a certain amount of skills and become a manager soon, if you change jobs or become a freelancer, you can expect to be more active in the field and improve your skills.
However, if you change jobs, you may become a manager at the new company. Also, when you turn to freelance, you lose the stability you had when you were employed, because it is a test of your ability.
There are probably many people who would like to continue working in the field by changing jobs or turning to freelance instead of being in a managerial position. In that case, it is important to comprehensively judge the merits and demerits and decide on a career plan.
Think about your position in line with your career as an engineer
Engineers have two job titles: “inside the project” and “inside the company.” Positions such as programmers, system engineers, and project managers are also positions within the project. On the other hand, in-house positions are generally assistant managers, section managers, department managers, etc., just like other occupations other than engineers.
In either position, you need to gain experience, increase your knowledge and skills, and be recognized as a useful resource for projects and organizations.
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