Communications engineer

Communications engineers design, develop, install and maintain systems used to transmit information, such as voice, data and video, across a range of platforms

Your role as a communications engineer is to research, design, and develop communications equipment and systems, and you’ll also be involved in the production of these systems.

The technical aspect of the role includes using specialist knowledge to design and deliver solutions, as well as providing technical guidance to others within the employing organisation.

Managerial responsibilities include planning and managing projects, ensuring that they're delivered on time, within budget and to the agreed standards of quality.

Responsibilities

As a communications engineer, you'll need to:

• carry out site surveys
• travel or connect remotely to meet suppliers, customers and colleagues based in other offices
• negotiate product requirements with customers
• provide technical guidance to colleagues and other teams
• find creative solutions to the challenges of network design, mobile communications, data service requirements and internet and network signalling protocols
• test theoretical designs
• liaise with internal and external customers
• analyse and interpret data to inform your work
• work to tight timescales as part of a high-performing team
• arrange process meetings
• rewrite or modify processes to ensure all aspects of the service run smoothly and to schedule
• use collaborative tools and version control systems to support development work
• stay informed of industry trends and emerging technologies - e.g. 5G, SD-WAN, IoT and edge computing
• attend conferences and seminars to network and keep up to date with the latest developments in the sector.

If you have management responsibilities, you'll need to:

• manage projects and attend regular meetings to discuss products, action plans and team performance
• attend briefings on new networks and new products
• manage resources, including budgets, physical resources and staff
• prepare high-quality written reports and presentations for management and customer review
• ensure that projects are delivered on time, within budget and to agreed standards of quality
• support team CPD and ensure compliance with cybersecurity, EDI and data governance standards.

Types of communications engineering work

Communications engineers work across various sectors, including:

• IT - including the internet, Internet of Things (IoT) and emerging technologies
• telecommunications and mobile networks, e.g. cellular networks such as 5G and fibre optics
• satellite and aerospace communications
• cybersecurity and defence
• broadcast and media technology, e.g. radio, satellite, digital terrestrial television and a wide range of types of transmissions.

Many posts include elements of both managerial and technical responsibilities but it's also possible to focus on just one of these areas.

Salary

• Starting salaries typically range from £25,000 to £32,000 for graduate-level communications engineers.
• With experience, you can expect to earn £40,000 to £60,000, depending on the sector and location.
• Senior engineers or those with chartered status may earn £65,000 or more, particularly in high-demand areas such as telecoms, defence, or satellite communications.

Benefits vary between employers and may include profit-share schemes, discounted products and a company pension scheme.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are typically 9am to 5pm. Extra hours are sometimes required, particularly in more senior positions. Flexible working is sometimes an option.

Self-employment as a consultant is possible once you've built up experience and the necessary network of contacts. Career breaks are possible, especially if you've been working for the same company for a few years.

What to expect

• The role can involve pressure, as any system disruptions must be resolved quickly and at minimal cost.
• Work is office based, with opportunities available in most major cities and towns across the UK.
• Women are currently underrepresented in this area of work but initiatives such as Women's Engineering Society (WES) and WISE are in place to encourage more women into the industry.
• Some travel within the UK is likely, for meetings or site visits, for example.
• Overseas work is sometimes possible and there are opportunities for overseas secondments.

Qualifications

Employers typically look for graduates with a degree in engineering or in a physical science, particularly:

• computer science
• computer/software engineering
• electronic and communication engineering
• electronic engineering
• information technology
• mathematics
• physics
• telecommunications.

Entry with an HND in a relevant engineering subject may be possible at the level of technician. You can then choose to top-up to a degree to work towards the role of engineer.

A postgraduate qualification isn't essential to become a communications engineer, but it may be useful and could help with future career development. Masters degrees in communication engineering are available.

It's useful if your first degree or Masters is accredited by a relevant professional body, such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), as this can make achieving the status of incorporated engineer (IEng) or chartered engineer (CEng) more straightforward at a later date.

Details of accredited courses are available from the Engineering Council and TechSkills. The ITP lists relevant digital and leadership apprenticeships in communications.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• technical ability and knowledge
• a good understanding of networks
• coding or scripting experience - e.g. Python, C++
• understanding of cloud infrastructure - e.g. AWS, Azure
• familiarity with digital signal processing (DSP)
• organisational skills
• adaptability and the ability to learn new skills quickly
• good presentation and communication skills
• the ability to work efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision
• the capability to concentrate under pressure to meet tight deadlines
• analytical and problem-solving skills
• business/commercial awareness
• the ability to work well within a team
• project and people management skills.

Work in sensitive, security-related industries may require you to pass strict security clearances.

Competition can be tough, particularly for structured graduate-training schemes, so it's important to have skills or experience that will make your application stand out. Student membership of the IET provides access to current industry information, including new developments in the industry, regular newsletters and access to networks and contacts.

Reading industry resources helps you to keep up to date with the latest news and opinion in the field. Relevant titles include:

• Electronics Weekly
• Engineering & Technology

Work experience

Relevant pre-entry work experience through a vacation placement or industrial year out is valuable. Work experience provides the opportunity to work on real projects, show your potential, build up a network of contacts and develop a range of business and specialist skills. Many engineering degrees have the option of time in industry so look carefully at the course options when making your decision where to study.

There's usually a strong link between placement schemes and graduate recruitment programmes, so if you make an outstanding contribution when you're on placement you could leave with a conditional job offer.

Useful resources for further information about work experience, include:

• IET - Work Experience - types of work experience available and how to get it
• The Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP) - for help with student resources, placements and mentoring
• Digital Boost - for industry-led training, mentoring and digital career development.

Employers

The main employers of communications engineers are:

• the leading telecommunications companies
• equipment manufacturers and installers of communication devices/systems
• technical services companies
• emerging tech start-ups
• space tech firms - e.g. satellite communications companies
• national infrastructure bodies - e.g. National Grid, Network Rail
• cloud service and data centre providers
• large government departments
• local authorities
• transport providers.

Vacancies can also be found in the public sector and in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that specialise in communications technology and telecommunications consultancies.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Electronics Weekly Jobs
• Engineering & Technology Jobs
• The Engineer Jobs
• Technojobs

Specialist recruitment agencies, such as Matchtech, may handle vacancies.

Networking is important, so make sure you establish contacts during any vacation or placement work. Making contacts at employer presentations and engineering career fairs can also be productive.

Self-employment and freelance work are possible once you have several years' relevant experience and a network of contacts.

Professional development

It's likely you'll carry out some on-the-job training and may be offered the chance to work in various departments to broaden your experience and knowledge of the company.

Depending on the size of your employer, external courses and professional development activities may be provided. Training provision varies between employers, so it is worth checking what arrangements are in place.

You may decide to work towards gaining incorporated (IEng) or chartered (CEng) engineer status, which is awarded by the Engineering Council. This can provide you with higher earning potential and improved career prospects.

You'll need to be a member of a professional institution, such as the IET, so that you can apply through them for professional registration.

The process of getting IEng or CEng status is more straightforward if you have accredited qualifications, but it's still possible to achieve without them. You'll also need to demonstrate that you're working at a particular level and have the required professional competences and commitment, as set out in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). Find out more at Engineering Council - Professional Registration.

You may wish to study for an IT qualification in your specialist field. For example, a range of relevant qualifications which are widely recognised in the industry are available from Cisco. Employers will sometimes pay for courses, or you can take them independently.

In addition to Cisco, consider gaining certifications such as:

• CompTIA Network+ or Security+
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect
• Certified Wireless Network Professional (CWNP).

CPD and lifelong learning are essential in this rapidly evolving field, and you should be proactive to seek out opportunities for this. See the IET and Engineering Council (UK) for guidance and support with CPD. Depending on your role, the BCS, may also be helpful.

Career prospects

As your career progresses, you'll take on a more senior role with greater responsibility for other staff and larger projects and budgets.

To progress in the profession, it's becoming increasingly important to achieve professional CEng status. This is an internationally recognised qualification, which shows you're capable of working at a particular level. It's likely that in your role you'll be problem-solving, making key contributions through innovation, and promoting advanced methods and techniques. More information is available at Engineering Council - Chartered Engineer.

Once you have become chartered, you will be eligible to apply for European Engineer (EUR ING) status, which is recognised throughout Europe. This, combined with a second language, is a great advantage when entering the increasingly global engineering marketplace.

Engineers with professional status are likely to pursue roles at a more senior level. If you do not want to be involved in management, you can develop your technical knowledge and become a specialist, start your own company, get involved in training or work as a contractor/consultant.