What Does a Technical Engineer Do?

A technical engineer, or technical support engineer, may work in any number of fields or disciplines including computer technology, electrical, or mechanical engineering. His or her basic role is to understand the technical processes of a particular industry and to be able to help others with any technical issues. Most jobs in the technical engineering field require a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field of engineering as well as various types of professional and technical certifications. For most technical engineer jobs, ongoing training and technological skills advancement to keep abreast of ever-changing technology are critical.

The basic responsibilities of a technical engineer include providing engineering or technical support to company or organization in a specific field. Technical engineers make sure that all technical or mechanical equipment is functioning properly within safety margins, are always ready to troubleshoot equipment or systems and to provide solutions when these systems break down or are no longer functioning efficiently. Training people to use equipment properly and providing information on the use of equipment or systems may also be a big part of this job. Technical engineers may also be required to provide training to new or entry level technical engineers. Whatever the specific field of technical engineering, a strong knowledge of technical processes, systems, and equipment relevant to that particular field is critical.

A technical engineer with computer training or experience may work as an information technology (IT) professional for a company that has an extensive website or computer system. The technical engineer's role in this position is to ensure the proper functioning and maintenance of IT systems. Responsibilities in this position may include working on operating systems, servers, databases, web applications, and wireless networks. Other duties for might include systems design, implementation, testing, and ongoing support. The duties required vary with each employer but are typically a mix of technical support and overall IT systems maintenance.

A petrochemical company may hire a technical engineer to provide broad-based mechanical or electrical engineering knowledge to develop and support the operating functions of the equipment in processing plants, storage tanks, control systems, and other facilities common to the petrochemical industry. Identification and investigation of equipment performance problems and finding appropriate solutions to those problems are a big part of this technical engineer job. Other responsibilities may include providing expert advice to personnel regarding the safe operation of various mechanical or electrical equipment and systems, to maximize performance and ensure asset reliability.