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Design studies · Delivery · Commissioning

Freelance engineering specialists.

Engineering knowledge.
Site experience.

Finishing a design study, coordinating a construction project or modifying an automated line? Our Engineering talent agents find freelance engineers and technical specialists in energy, construction and automation. We consider their equipment knowledge, previous responsibilities and availability for site work before introducing professionals suited to your project.

An engineer inspecting automated equipment on a production line.
Our specialisms

Energy, construction and industrial automation

01

Energy

Design the installations. Coordinate the engineering. Deliver the commissioning.

Electrical design, thermal engineering or commissioning: we look for the freelance energy engineer who knows your discipline and your project stage. You choose, they work with your team.

Electrical design and grid connection interfacesThermal engineering and energy efficiencyTechnical coordination of installationsTesting and preparation for operations
Profiles to considerEnergy project manager · Electrical design engineer · Thermal and energy engineer · Project technical coordination manager · Energy systems commissioning engineer
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02

Construction

Estimate the works. Manage construction. Coordinate schedule and BIM.

Estimating, construction management or BIM coordination: we look for the freelance construction expert who knows your project type and its stage. You choose, they work with your teams.

Cost estimating and project preparationConstruction management and leadershipConstruction scheduling and coordinationBIM coordination and model exchange
Profiles to considerConstruction director · Senior construction manager · Estimating manager · BIM manager / BIM coordinator · OPC coordinator
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03

Industrial automation

Program the PLCs. Supervise the equipment. Integrate and commission.

Programming, instrumentation or commissioning: we look for the freelance automation engineer who knows your equipment and software. You choose, they work on your site.

Functional analysis and sequencingIndustrial PLC programmingSupervisory control and operator interfacesWorkshop testing, integration and commissioning
Profiles to considerIndustrial automation engineer · Control systems engineer · Supervisory control / SCADA engineer · Test and commissioning engineer · Automation project manager
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Practical requirements

What is
your situation?

Upgrade an energy installation

THE CONTEXT

The industrial team needs to compare technical options while planning interfaces with existing equipment and accounting for the site’s operational constraints.

THE OBJECTIVE TO DEFINE

Bring in the expertise to document options, prepare decisions and plan a delivery sequence suited to the site.

Energy studies and technical coordinationAnalysis of interfaces with existing installationsDesign study management and construction preparation

Coordinate a construction phase

THE CONTEXT

Several trades are working on an ongoing project. The team needs additional management capacity to maintain the schedule and resolve blockers with the parties involved.

THE OBJECTIVE TO DEFINE

Clarify the work sequence, track commitments and organise handover with site management.

Construction management or OPC coordination, depending on the remitContractor and interface coordinationProgress tracking and decision preparation

Modify an automated production line

THE CONTEXT

An equipment modification requires changes to automation and supervisory control. The teams want to prepare tests before the shutdown and support the return to operations.

THE OBJECTIVE TO DEFINE

Prepare modifications and test scenarios, support site inspections and provide documentation the maintenance team can use.

PLC programming in the relevant environmentSupervisory control and functional analysisTesting, diagnostics and maintenance handover
Reference points

Before they arrive on site

“How do I check they have actually done this?”

Two installations with the same name have almost nothing in common. Have them describe a comparable job: the structure, what they produced themselves, and what went wrong.

A job title says very little. In energy, experience may cover electrical calculations, thermal analysis or commissioning tests, which call for neither the same tools nor the same counterparts. On an automated line, it may cover functional analysis, PLC programming, supervision or on-site integration. In construction, the gap between cost studies, site management and scheduling is of the same order.

Ask which documents the person worked from and which ones they handed over: drawings, diagrams, functional analyses, programs, test reports, measurements. Ask what went wrong, and how. Someone who speaks precisely about a late delivery, an unavailable machine or a test that had to be run again is describing a site they actually worked on.

“They need to be on site: where do I start?”

With the calendar, not the contract. Safety induction, the prevention plan and the windows when the equipment is available set the real start date.

List what has to happen before the first visit: safety induction, prevention plan, permits tied to concurrent works, electrical or working-at-height certifications depending on the role, protective equipment supplied or brought along. Each has its own lead time, and none depends on the professional.

Then say when the installation is accessible. A test, a lockout or work inside a production area follows a planned shutdown, not an assignment schedule. Give the available windows, the design, works and maintenance contacts, and the tracking tools the team already uses.

“What is maintenance left with when they go?”

What is not written during the work will not be written afterwards. Versions, backups and test results are prepared as the work goes.

For an automation job, the team needs the deployed program version, the backups, the supervision settings and the test scenarios with their results. For an energy installation, the calculation notes, the options chosen and the reservations still open. For a construction phase, the commitments made, the sequencing and the blocking points passed to site management.

Name the person who will pick up the follow-up, in maintenance or operations, at the start, and have them take part in the tests rather than in a closing meeting. Documentation read by the person who will use it is the only kind that holds.

“A specialist, or someone who coordinates?”

Both exist and neither replaces the other. A design engineer produces a technical deliverable; a site manager or planning coordinator holds a schedule and its interfaces.

An electrical design engineer, a thermal engineer or a control engineer brings technical output: calculation notes, functional analyses, programs, test protocols. A works director, a senior site manager, a planning coordinator or a project manager brings coordination: sequencing, interfaces between trades, follow-up of commitments, schedule trade-offs.

A cost studies manager, a BIM manager or a commissioning engineer sits in between, with their own output and a coordinating role. Describe what the team is missing today in terms of work rather than title: that is what points to the profile, and it is also what tells you whether presence needs to be continuous or in blocks.

Understand the role

Responsibilities
and skills.

Industrial automation engineer: role and skillsUnderstand the work, the skills involved and the questions worth asking.

Energy engineer: role and skillsDesign, testing and preparing for operation.

Frequently asked

Your questions,
answered.

Does WheelOfWork carry out technical studies itself?

Our Engineering team searches for professionals and connects them with businesses. Technical studies and other engineering work fall within the professional’s agreed scope and the responsibilities defined with the project participants.

Can we search for an automation engineer or technician?

Yes. Engineering includes automation engineers and technical specialists. The search is based on the work and experience required, beyond the job title alone.

How do you choose between energy and automation?

Energy covers electrical or thermal design and installation coordination. Automation covers sequences, process control and supervisory systems. If your project involves both, describe the equipment and planned changes so we can identify the skills you need.

Is on-site presence always necessary?

It depends on the project phase and available data. Some studies can be carried out remotely; surveys, tests and work with site teams need arrangements suited to the site.

How can I submit my Engineering profile?

Use the talent pathway to describe your installation experience, tools, completed project phases and availability. Specify your personal responsibilities and willingness to travel.

Engineering / The next step

Tell us about the site and the work

Describe the installation or project, the equipment and the next deadline. Include available drawings and programs, tools and contacts in design, construction or maintenance. Location, working windows and access arrangements help us find professionals who can work under those conditions.

Explore our guides
Complementary expertise across the group

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General management · Corporate functions · Operations

Executive Search

General management · Key functions · Tech & industry

To go further

An engineer inspecting equipment on an industrial production line.
Engineering

Automation brief: preparing a production line change

Prepare an automation assignment around the site: equipment, programs, interfaces, shutdown windows, testing and the documents your maintenance team needs.

Updated 11 September 2026 · WheelOfWork · 6 min

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