Meter engineers are professionals who create meters, which are devices that measure the amount of something such as water, time, or money. These types of professionals need to have strong computer skills and drawing skills for producing models of these multifaceted devices. A person who is interested in becoming a meter engineer should complete a four-year bachelor’s degree in engineering with a focus on electrical engineering. Two-year master’s degrees in engineering also make industry professionals more attractive to employers. Engineers in the field must know how to not only develop, but also to confirm the effectiveness of meters and then train employees on engineering processes as well.
A meter engineer’s chief duty is to design and produce meter technologies using a combination of math and science principles. To do this, he or she needs to know how to use computer-aided drafting technologies to produce technical drafts of meter products. An engineer’s goals in this field should be to create meters that meet the needs of clients and are in line with a company’s established budget.
Testing the function of meters is also a responsibility of people who create meter products. Meter engineers need to perform quality audits and suggest improvements to meter prototypes before meters are made available to customers. After meters are installed, engineers check to make sure that the products are set up according to established codes and specifications. They additionally have to respond to customer complaints in a timely manner with viable solutions.
Keeping track of engineering processes and looking for ways to improve them additionally are a part of an electrical engineer’s job position. Meter engineers must have strong written communication skills to put together written process instructions for future reference. In addition, a meter engineer needs to have solid research skills for pinpointing alternate ways to achieve overall design criteria and to tackle major meter design issues before presenting these recommendations to his or her company's management team.
Leadership skills are critical for engineers who work in the meter industry as well. For instance, a meter engineer has to know how to determine how much staffing and money to assign to a meter project, as well as how much money to allocate to meter maintenance programs. Making sure that staff members are trained on engineering processes and remain up-to-date in the industry also is a requirement of the meter engineering role. As a result, a meter engineer needs to be well-versed in electrical theory principles as well as safety in the workplace.