Work may be based in an office, laboratory or factory, depending on the nature of the organisation.
Visiting clients and working on-site is a common aspect of the work.
Some positions may carry high levels of responsibility and may be stressful, particularly at a very senior level, where accountability lies directly with the C&I engineer. Similarly, C&I engineers often have to work under pressure, to tight deadlines and within budget.
There are far fewer women than men working in C&I engineering, as in the engineering sector in general. However, aiming to redress the imbalance are organisations such as WISE.
There is continued growth in sectors such as power generation and renewable energy research, which means there are good opportunities for C&I engineers.
Positions are available across the UK and opportunities to work overseas are widely available, particularly within the oil and gas industry or with global pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies.
Some locations may be remote or hostile, particularly within the oil and gas sector, but greatly increased salaries and a range of benefits are often used to attract employees and contractors to these areas.