Electrical project manager

How to become an electrical project manager

There are several routes to becoming an electrical project manager. You could complete a university or college course, or an apprenticeship.  

You should explore these routes to becoming an electrical project manager to find out which is the right one for you. Although some of these options have certain qualification requirements, many employers are more interested in people who are enthusiastic, willing to learn and can follow instructions.  

You will need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card to work on a construction site. 

University 

You could complete an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering to help you  become an electrical project manager. 

Find out what the entry requirements are where you live.

• Equivalent entry requirements explained 
• Find a university course 
• Funding advice 

College/training provider 

You could gain qualifications through a specialist college or training provider to help you become an electrical project manager. 

You could study a Level 4 or 5 Higher National Diploma (HND) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering to help you get into the industry. You could gain further training and experience to progress into a project manager role.  

Find out what the entry requirements are where you live.

• Equivalent entry requirements explained 
• Find a course near you 
• Funding advice  

Apprenticeship 

You could complete a higher apprenticeship in electrical engineering to help you become an electrical project manager. 

You’ll need 4 - 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C). 

Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16. As an apprentice, you will be fully employed by a company and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Your time will be split between on-the-job experience and a college or training provider. 

Find out what the entry requirements are where you live.

• Find an apprenticeship near you
• Guide to apprenticeships

Work 

If you have previous experience in electrical engineering and an understanding of project management, you may be able to apply directly to an employer for a role as an electrical project manager. Your employer may offer you training to gain further on-the-job skills. 

Work experience 

Work experience is essential to gaining employment within the construction industry. You could gain this at school, or by working weekends and holidays with a company or relative who works as an electrical project manager. Potential employers will always be pleased to see work experience listed on your CV. 

• Find out more about work experience  

Skills  

Additional skills which may benefit anyone considering a job as an electrical project manager include:  

• Understanding of electrical engineering 
• Leadership skills 
• Excellent organisational skills 
• Ability to carry out logical problem solving 
• Communication skills. 

Qualifications

What does an electrical project manager do?

As an electrical project manager you would be responsible for overseeing the design, installation and supply of electrical systems. Day-to-day, you’d draw up schedules, allocate time, resource and budget, as well as manage staff to ensure work is completed on time, to a high standard.  

You could be supplying energy to housing estates, businesses and urban infrastructure, or working on renewable energy projects such as solar, wind or wave farms, or gas plants.  

The job role of an electrical project manager you could be:  

• Understanding what the client or company wants to achieve 
• Defining the technical requirements and feasibility of a project 
• Outlining timescales, costs and resources needed to design and deliver an electrical operations project 
• Making sure the work follows strict health and safety guidelines  
• Complying with the National Grid and other regulators and managing grid connections 
• Developing step-by-step project plans 
• Leading a multi-disciplinary project team 
• Negotiating with designers, engineers, contractors and suppliers 
• Liaising with staff at every level 
• Overseeing several aspects of a project at the same time 
• Ensuring each stage of the project happens on time, on budget and to a high standard 
• Sharing regular progress reports with the client and stakeholders 
• Resolving any issues or delays 
• Working in an office or onsite. 

How much could you earn as an electrical project manager?

The expected salary for an electrical project manager varies as you become more experienced. 

• Newly trained electrical project managers can earn £40,000 
• Electrical project managers can earn £75,000*. 

Hours and salary depend on location, employer and any overtime you do. 

* Salaries have been collected from multiple industry sources

Check out the latest electrical project manager vacancies:  

• Totaljobs 
• Indeed 

As these are external websites, the number of vacancies related to your preferred role will vary. New jobs will be posted as they come up. 

Career path and progression

As an electrical project manager you could work in a range of industries, from construction to transport, building services to transport systems or renewable energy. 

You could work for the National Grid or an energy company and eventually progress to become a senior manager or project director.