Field Project Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Field Engineer

Industrial Construction — Traveling, Nationwide

Reports to: Project Superintendent (day-to-day), working closely with the Project Manager

Location: Project sites nationwide, primarily east of the Mississippi

Travel: 75–100%

Schedule: About 60 hours a week; six-day weeks are common

About the Company

JGM is a national, self-perform industrial contractor and structural steel fabricator — built to take on the fast-track, high-complexity projects other companies turn away. Founded in 2001 and still family-led today, JGM operates AISC- and ASME-certified fabrication shops in Coatesville and Sinking Spring, PA, plus a national Construction Services team performing erection, rigging, hauling, and industrial construction for Fortune 500 clients across power generation, pharmaceutical, mining, steel and metals, infrastructure, and manufacturing.

We don’t subcontract our workforce — we build it, direct-hire, from the shop floor to the field to the front office. Safety comes first in every role at JGM, not just on the job site — because taking care of our people is something we’ll never compromise on. Paired with real apprenticeship and leadership programs behind every role, JGM offers more than a job: it’s a career with a company where family is our foundation and whatever it takes is how we get it done.

About the Role

JGM self-performs structural steel, mechanical, piping, and heavy industrial construction across the country. As a Field Engineer, you're the link between the crews building the job and the team managing it.

This isn't a role with a typical day. Every project and every superintendent is different, and plans change constantly. What doesn't change: you own the quality issues, the material, and the productivity numbers on your job. Everything else, you jump in wherever you're needed.

What You'll Own

• Quality issue resolution. Foremen and crews flag problems, ideally on the ground and sometimes after a piece is up. You investigate, come back with a fix (not just the problem), get sign-off from the fabricator and PM, and work the correction with the crew.

• Material tracking. Track incoming pieces and deliveries closely enough to know what can go up next and keep the erection sequence moving. Build your own tracking tools if what exists doesn't work.

• Productivity tracking. Build and roll out foreman tracking sheets so crews can see their daily goals, then report productivity to project leadership daily and weekly.

What Else You'll Do

• Write and track RFIs: print clarifications, clashes, and erection-sequence questions (submittals are handled by the PM).

• Act as the superintendent's right hand: field questions from customers and foremen, and make the day-to-day calls when he's off site, knowing which decisions still go to him.

• Serve as the go-between for the field and the office, helping drive schedule-acceleration and cost-control efforts.

• Support safety through pre-task planning, JHAs, and toolbox talks.

• Whatever the job needs that no one else is positioned to do, from customer meetings to picking up bolts.

Who Does Well Here

• You're curious. You want to know how and why something works, not just what to do.

• You take ownership without being told.

• You're comfortable when plans change. You plan for what could go wrong and adjust when it does.

• You're social with the crew, and just as comfortable on your own on the road.

• You show up on the crew's schedule, including the occasional Saturday. That's how trust gets built out here.

What You Bring

• A degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or Industrial Engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience in welding, fabrication, manufacturing, or the trades.

• Construction experience is a plus but not required. Hands-on trade experience translates directly and earns real respect with crews.

• Ability to read drawings and specifications, or the drive to learn quickly.

• Strong communication skills and comfort with spreadsheets for tracking and reporting.

• Willingness to travel 75–100% and work extended hours for months at a time.

What to Expect

• The first few months are a lot. You'll be learning construction vocabulary and context fast, and your team knows that.

• You'll be trusted with real responsibility early. Our superintendents mentor by giving you room to figure things out, not by micromanaging.

• You'll start with an initial training period at our Downingtown, PA office. When you're between assignments, you can work from your nearest office or from home.

• You get to see what you built. Walking away from a finished structure, and the camaraderie of the field crew, are a big part of why people stay.

Pay & Benefits

• Field Engineer I (recent graduate to 2 years): $65,000–$75,000

• Field Engineer II (2–3 years): $70,000–$85,000

• Field Engineer III (3–5 years): $80,000–$100,000

• $120/day per diem, paid 7 days a week while on assignment

• Travel reimbursement to and from project sites

• Visits home

• Medical, Vision & Dental Insurance

• PTO (Paid Time Off) & Holidays

• $15,000 Company Paid Life Insurance Policy

with the opportunity to purchase Additional Life Insurance

• Short/Long Term Disability

• Generous Referral Program

• Training and Further Education

• Annual merit reviews, with a clear path into senior field leadership and project management