Civil Engineer Corps Officer (Reserve)

About Every year huge investments are made on construction projects that support the Navy’s high-tech fleet of ships, aircraft, equipment and personnel. At the center of these projects is a talented group of Civil Engineers who help to ensure that each initiative is conceived, planned and completed on time, in budget and according to specification. If you’ve ever dreamed of building the most advanced military projects in history, the opportunity to become a Navy Civil Engineer awaits. The CEC Collegiate Program introduces you to Navy life at your own pace. There are no uniforms, no drilling, and no service obligation until after you graduate. Simply work toward your degree, earn as you go, and then begin the process of becoming a commissioned Navy Civil Engineer Corps Officer.

Responsibilities As part of the Navy Civil Engineer Corps, you can receive unrivaled hands-on experience and advanced training in civil engineering areas including architecture, construction engineering, environmental engineering, water resources engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydraulic engineering, land surveying, structural engineering, transportation engineering and community planning. You’ll quickly find yourself in charge of vital Navy projects, where you might:

• Oversee construction of everything from runways to docks to buildings of all kinds
• Supervise and manage utilities and other critical services
• Manage a variety of skilled construction workers (Seabees)
• Arrange budgets and schedules
• Approve completed work More specifically, you can focus your work on any or all of the following areas:
• Contract Management: Be the primary contact between Navy and civilian contractors, managing contracts worth up to hundreds of millions of dollars. Handle every aspect of a project from overseeing construction to resolving design problems, to ensuring that payments are correctly processed.
• Public Works: Assume responsibility for any of the hundreds of Navy shore facilities—some as large as entire cities. Supervise and maintain utilities. Oversee construction and repair, manage budgets, approve public works plans and provide services to visiting ships.
• Construction Battalions: Command up to 600 Enlisted Seabee construction workers in the construction of airfields, bridges, ports or buildings—all in support of both humanitarian outreach and military deployment.

Pay and Benefits From the day you start, you’ll receive:

• Competitive salary
• Free health insurance
• Free housing
• A retirement plan
• 30 days paid vacation per year
• Prospective Navy Civil Engineers may qualify for the Civil Engineer Collegiate (CEC) Program, which earns between $2,900 and $5,800 per month, depending on your rank and basic allowance for house, while in school. If accepted into the program, you will earn a salary and medical benefits while you’re in school for up to 24 months.

Education Opportunities Following your initial tour as a Civil Engineer, you can attend the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, CA, where you may be able to earn a master’s or doctoral degree while being paid full-time. Opportunities for further education within this platform include:

• Post-9/11 GI Bill
• Navy Tuition Assistance Program
• Navy College Program
• VOLED Assistance Center
• VOLED Region Advisors
• Navy War College (NWC)
• USAF Air University Air Command and Staff College

Qualifications and Requirements

• U.S. citizen
• Bachelor’s degree—preferably in the field of civil, mechanical or electrical engineering
• General qualifications may vary depending upon whether you’re currently serving, whether you’ve served before or whether you’ve never served before.

Work Environment As a Civil Engineer, you may work at Navy bases or ports of call around the globe. You may be deployed to help develop or rebuild areas affected by natural disasters. Your day-to-day work may be indoors, outdoors, in a shop environment or in office surroundings.

Part-Time Opportunities There are part-time roles as a Civil Engineer in the Navy. Serving part-time as a Reserve Sailor, your duties will be carried out during your scheduled drilling and training periods. During monthly drilling, Civil Engineers in the Navy Reserve typically work at a location close to their homes.

• Take a moment to learn more about the general roles and responsibilities of Navy Reserve Sailors.