Engineering job titles 4

[Plasmech]

Hope this is the right forum for this...

What is the difference between the following engineering job titles:

1. Lead Engineer
2. Head Engineer
3. Senior Engineer

Is there any difference at all?

We're trying to establish some job titles and having a bit of difficulty.

-Plasmech

Mechanical Engineer, Plastics Industry

 

[MintJulep]

We've discussed titles here before - with the general consensus that they don't mean much, or can mean whatever you want them to mean.

My opinion on the three that you listed:

Lead Engineer = The engineer responsible for a specific project or product.

Head Engineer = The engineer in charge of the engineering department.

Senior Engineer = An engineer with more than some years of experience.

 

[monkeydog]

I second MintJulep.

 

[TheTick]

They all mean more work for the same money. But, hey, at least you've got a cooler title.

 

[Plasmech]

Thanks guys. LOL so "Senior Engineer" doesn't really mean much of anything other than you've been there the longest which again means...nothing in some (not all of course) cases. "Head Engineer" really seems obe the only title that means much of anything.

-Plasmech

Mechanical Engineer, Plastics Industry

 

[zdas04]

Just think about the guys that think it is cool to call the trash collector a "Sanitary Engineer", so the guy that drives the hydraulics would be the "Lead Engineer", the guy that drives the truck must be the "Head Engineer", and the dispactcher is the "Senior Engineer". None of it means very much in an absolute sense.

Within a company, the different titles can have a big impact on scope of control and delegation of authority--a couple of areas that can have a huge impact on job satisfaction.

David

 

[msquared48]

I thought "Head Engineer" was referring either to a Psychologist or Brain Surgeon...

"Senior Engineer" just means everyopone knows you are over the hill and soon out the door.

"Lead Engineer"? I always thought that was the metalurgist.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[Noway2]

This discussion reminds me of the joke about the two buddies who get laid off and go down to the unemployement office. The first one says that he sews the elastic on the womens underwear. The clerk looks up the job description, declares it unskilled labor, and offers him $200/wk. The clerk then asks the next guy what he does and he responds that he is a diesel fitter. The clerk looks up the job description and says that is a skilled job and offers him $1000/wk.

At this, his buddy, asks the clerk, "how is it that we work on the same production line, right next to each other and he gets 5x more money?"

The clerk responds that it is because as a diesel fitter his job is a skilled trade and that pays more.

The guys then jumps out of his chair and says, "Are you kidding? I sew the elastic on, he holds em up and says, 'Yep, des' will fit her'!"

The moral is, in some cases title can make a huge difference in salary for the same job.

 

[KENAT]

Job titles normally mean something only in the comany in which they are assigned.

There are some slightly more standardized titles, the engineer 1, 2, 3 etc titles as used on I think it's Salary.com.

These do correspond to some kind of job categorization which in turn are linked to pay scales. The name of the organization that come up with these categories escapes me right now. These are typically used by HR/management to justify not giving raises.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[MechanicalChef]

When I hired on, I was Engineer/Scientist - Polymers/Composites Technology.

I'm mechanical by schooling, aero by career field, and composites by specialty. So I pretty much choose my own title, depending on the day.

 

[DiscoP]

A little story - at a place I used to work, a colleague applied for a management position. He missed out on it and was upset. He was made a senior engineer as a result.

We never had one before then. He was neither the engineer with the most experience nor the most knowledgeable. There was no responsibilities for his new position. So it was merely a political title.

I have never put too much credence on a position title (but maybe that might change if I ever get a nice one !!)

 

[corus]

As the Principal Head Senior Lead Engineer I think I can speak with some authority here... Job titles mean nothing. What really counts is who owns the stapler... for he who hath sratcheth his name on the office stapler doth rule the minnions. Well, that's my claim to power anyway.

corus

 

[Gymmeh]

If your the only engineer in an office, could you be considard the Sr. or Head engineer?

 

[MadMango]

Be the Principle Engineer... heck, you could even abbreviate it as "PE". I doubt anyone in the office would care.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[Gymmeh]

I dont think anyone would know the difference!

 

[swertel]

I'm getting new business cards printed. The admin asked me what P.E. stood for at the end of my name. Project Engineer? Which happens to be my title.

Funny thing is, I sign my documents and forms with P.E. after my name. I was looking at other documents written by other project engineers here, and they started doing the same - thinking that P.E. stood for project engineer. These are fellow engineers who don't even know what P.E. means, or the benefits of licensure even in an industry exempt world.

Worst of all, the quick crash course in the meaning of P.E. and the legal liabilities you take by falsely representing yourself as one fell on deaf ears.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[salmon2]

That is a good one. Can you stop other people from doing it?

 

[Twoballcane]

Would it make more sense to have it as Proj Engr instead of P.E.?

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

 

[jistre]

P.E. is, unfortunately, not a protected designation in many states.

Technically, it is in this one, as the law says that any title or designation meant to imply that one is a professional engineer is illegal and punishable. However, the law's pretty vague as written, and it doesn't explicitly list "P.E.". So, a good lawyer could claim that "P.E." was not meant to mean "professional engineer" and maybe get someone cleared... or killed.

 

[whyun]

Job titles don't mean a thing. It's the salary and the benefits package.

I've noticed a general trend of self-promotion in the industry of AEC. There are just too many fancy titles.