Correct title? Principal engineer / Head engineer / Engineering Manager 1

[dhutch98]

I currently work as the most senior engineer in a small OEM company. What would be an appropriate title for the role?

When I started I was the sole engineer, taking over from the 'Technical Director' who has sold back his shares and retired, I now have two engineers working under me as the company has grown. On starting and with limited guidance from the company I gave myself the title of 'Principal Engineer' for use on my email signature etc, as balance between being able to appear significantly senior, without making to too obvious how small the company was at times where I was covering what would otherwise be a far more junior role. I predominately oversee and evolve myself in design and development of new and existing products and product attachments, however given the size of the company also cover quality control, technical support, supplier expediting and anything else which needs an engineering hand.

18 months on the have finally issued me with a contract, and I wonder if this self-styled title is the correct one to use on the contract. Might be a minor detail, but I would like it to be right if it can be.


Thanks

Daniel

 

[JAE]

Not sure about your country but in the US, the term "Principal" is used primarily to describe owners/partners in the business, whether engineers or not.

I'm sure its use may vary from country to country.

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[dhutch98]

Thanks.

Should have said, I am based in the UK, in England.

Daniel

 

[ScottyUK]

At a well-known UK consultant power engineering firm I was Principal Engineer, reporting to the Chief Engineer. I now have the dreadful title 'Technical Authority, Electrical' which seems to be an oil industry thing. The all-seeing oracle of all things involving electrons - if only it were true!

Principal Engineer sounds fine to me.

 

[zeusfaber]

Although Scotty was a Principal Engineer reporting to a Chief Engineer, in other bits of UK industry the pecking order is the other way round. I suspect it doesn't really matter all that much.

A.

 

[Ron]

You might consider something like "Senior Principal Engineer".

I worked many years for an international consulting firm and our "pecking order" was "Engineer", "Senior Engineer", "Principal Engineer", "Chief Engineer" and Corporate Consultant (later renamed to Senior Principal. The King of the Hill was the Director of Engineering. The technical titles did not bestow corporate officer status; however, many of us at very senior levels (Chief Engineer, Senior Principal)were also corporate officers. Starting at the Principal Engineer level, the engineer had to pass a technical review board for each succeeding level.

 

[ScottyUK]

zeusfaber,

I should have said 'American-owned UK consultant power engineering firm' - sounds like our hierarchy followed Ron's very closely.

 

[rotw]

Being myself in a transition period, I would be happy if I can get my original title back which is as "mechanical engineer". I have as career goal (without any sarcasm) to try very hard to eliminate similar words as "manager" or "leader" from any positions I would hold in the future - unless of course I am sort of damned in this life and sentenced to evolve in a different a path otherwise.
With all due respect to Managers.

Sorry about my incompetence in helping the OP with their query - best of luck in finding the title that suits best.

 

[dhutch98]

...pecking order was "Engineer", "Senior Engineer", "Principal Engineer", "Chief Engineer" and Corporate Consultant (later renamed to Senior Principal) The King of the Hill was the Director of Engineering.

Sounds like my last big company which was a UK owned multi-national, which was "Engineer", "Senior Engineer", "Principal Engineer", then typically "Design Manager/Engineering Manager" , "Chief Engineer/Engineering Manger" with the later grades varying much more between business units depending on the individuals choice I think! Typically Principals where team leaders for projects, Managers covered an umbrella area such 'new product', and then the top man over saw everything for that site/business unit. Chief engineer sounds so American influenced.

Being myself in a transition period, I would be happy if I can get my original title back which is as "mechanical engineer". I have as career goal (without any sarcasm) to try very hard to eliminate similar words as "manager" or "leader" from any positions I would hold in the future - unless of course I am sort of damned in this life and sentenced to evolve in a different a path otherwise.
With all due respect to Managers.

Yeah, I can emphasise with that too. I am really enjoying the challenge of being more senior, having people to do the leg work, and I still get to do bits of CAD work which was starting to decrease in my role within the larger company which I was actually ok with, but equally it was really nice having at least one engineer above you or along side you. Feels quite exposed here, with a chasm between me and the MD who is very much a salesman mindset rather than any engineering understanding. Still, challenge is good sometimes, everyone here is nice enough, pays the bills!

Daniel

 

[epoisses_]

Principal engineer, head engineer, chief engineer are all terms that I would interpret as the most senior engineer in the company.
Engineering manager on the other hand is the boss of the engineering dept. The eng manager is not supposed to design anything, not on my planet.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Not sure about your country but in the US, the term "Principal" is used primarily to describe owners/partners in the business, whether engineers or not.

In the larger companies (Raytheon, Lockheed, KeyW, Northrup, etc.), Principal is a title of seniority, not ownership. In fact, the only time I've seen "Principal" to mean "owner" is in small, sub-100 people companies.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[Terratek]

I think you should title yourself "Engineering Division President". And each of your engineers are vice presidents of their particular concentration. Then your company will sound HUGE.

Seems the best title would have simply been "Engineer" when it was just you. Now, "Senior Engineer", "Engineering Manager" or "Principal Engineer" would be okay. Principal implies ownership, but I've learned that it could mean little of nothing - especially at large companies. Decision makers in companies are pretty wise to all this jargon, so I'd just stick with a title that seems accurate. "Engineering Department Manager" sounds like what you are. Inflating your title will not gain you respect.

 

[JAE]

MacGyverS2000 - I believe you are correct about "principal=owner" being more in line with smaller companies.



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[CWB1]

In the US a principal engineer isn't necessarily an owner, its a legal term denoting an executive level engineer (typically a PE) who has accepted personal liability outside the industrial exemption for certain aspects of the company's work, in aero & automotive its typically safety and environmental regulation. I wouldn't recommend using the title without proper legal consultation.

I also wouldn't recommend over-titling yourself. If you are only over a small engineering team you are simply an engineering manager. Anything more is unethical as its falsely representing yourself and your company, and is a great way to lose potential customers and job prospects elsewhere.

 

[Ron]

dhutch98....was Gibb the firm you worked for in the UK?

 

[dhutch98]

Principal engineer, head engineer, chief engineer are all terms that I would interpret as the most senior engineer in the company.
Engineering manager on the other hand is the boss of the engineering dept. The eng manager is not supposed to design anything, not on my planet.

Sounds fair. I am very happy not to be a manger, and have no desire to inflate my title, just questioning my own thoughts out loud.

Sounds like both "Senior Engineer" or "Principal Engineer" are reasonably acceptable and suitably understood, in the UK and further afield.

Thanks all.

 

[dhutch98]

dhutch98....was Gibb the firm you worked for in the UK?

I have not and do not work for Gibb, no.

Daniel

 

[MacGyverS2000]

In the US a principal engineer isn't necessarily an owner, its a legal term denoting an executive level engineer (typically a PE) who has accepted personal liability outside the industrial exemption for certain aspects of the company's work, in aero & automotive its typically safety and environmental regulation. I wouldn't recommend using the title without proper legal consultation.

Perhaps in certain industries, like structural engineering... but the legal distinction is hardly true in others. For electrical engineering positions, such as ones I've been dealing with my entire career, there is no legal distinction for the title "Principle"... it is simply a denotation of company seniority. Principals are typically the top of the food chain in the engineering track, usually topped only by "Fellows" of SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) if they exist for that particular company. Of course, these distinctions only really start to show up as the company grows into mega-corporations... for example, Fellows don't usually exist until the company is in the 10k+ employee range.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com