The Cool Sheep Careers

AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER

ALSO CALLED

  • Mechanical engineer
  • Civil engineer
  • Hydraulic engineer
  • Hydrologist
  • Soil engineer

WHAT’S THE JOB ABOUT?

  • Solving engineering and technical problems relating to agriculture

Sustainable agricultural production, management of natural resources, efficient use of machinery and equipment, production systems, post-production handling, storage and transport

  • Conducting research

Surveying existing literature, proposing hypotheses, designing experiments to test hypotheses under both laboratory and field conditions, analysing results, writing and presenting reports

  • Developing and applying new technologies

Minimum tillage, computer and satellite applications, controlled environments, packaging solutions, resource use efficiencies

 

Agricultural engineers often specialise in one of the following fields:

  • HYDROLOGY– The distribution, conservation and use of water.
      • Planning, supervising the building of and managing irrigation, drainage, flood and water control systems and effluent schemes

 

  • MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT– Designing agricultural machinery components and equipment
      • Developing new instrumentation such as sensing, measuring and recording devices
      • Designing, building and testing machinery and equipment to ensure adequate performance
  • PROPERTY STRUCTURES – Planning and supervising the building of farm and related structures such as animal housing and handling facilities, greenhouses, aquaculture sheds and processing and storage facilities

 

  • SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION – Designing soil conservation works, repairing sites of degradation, controlling water retention, water logging and soil salinity
  • Providing advice on water quality and pollution issues
  • Carrying out environmental impact studies and monitoring construction sites for environmental problems
  • Designing and supervising environmental and land reclamation projects and the construction of water storage facilities
  • Assessing irrigation and drainage requirements of soils
  • ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PRODUCTION – Designing and installing solar, wind and water energy supply systems and biofuels

 

  • CROP PRODUCTION – Supervising ground preparation, sowing and harvesting
  • Determining crop water requirements and designing and evaluating irrigation systems for efficient production
  • Examining soil compaction effects of controlled traffic systems
  • POST-HARVEST OPERATIONS – Supervising processing, packaging and transport of produce
  • Managing cleaning, grading, milling, mixing and processing of grains and fibres
  • Sorting of fruits and vegetables based on colour and size
  • Supply chain and “cool’’ chain analysis of refrigerated produce

 

WORK CONDITIONS

  • Agricultural engineers work for government departments, universities, research organisations, large companies and private consulting firms.

 

  • Careers may be in research, extension and advisory roles, teaching, management, administration, production and product development.
  • Work may take place in a laboratory and/or office, testing facilities, factories, outdoors with field trials and animal work and in classrooms or lecture theatres.

 

  • The job can be theoretical but mostly requires practical and applied scientific research.
  • The results of research are published and presented in reports and scientific papers.

 

  • There may be involvement in the stages of product development and marketing.
  • Depending on the workplace, the workday and hours may be structured or may be flexible with irregular, long hours depending on the activity.

 

  • Agricultural engineers may work on their own, as part of a team or monitor the work of others.
  • Opportunities exist to travel both within Australia and overseas to work and attend conferences.

 

EXPERIENCE AND RELATED TRAINING

  • To be employed as an agricultural engineer you must have a degree in a relevant field of study.

 

  • Initial specialisation occurs during undergraduate studies.
  • Further specialisation usually occurs through postgraduate studies.

 


 

Career path

 

Training Requirements

 

  • Graduate agricultural engineer

 

You undertake broad training in a range of the above fields with some specialisation.

TERTIARY EDUCATION

  • Degree in Engineering

With a major in Agricultural Engineering
 (or equivalent)

  • Postgraduate agricultural engineer

 

You specialise in one of the above fields with course work and/or research.

TERTIARY EDUCATION

  • Masters in Engineering

 (or equivalent)

  • Doctorate

 

You undertake new research in a field related to agriculture.

TERTIARY EDUCATION

  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

in a field related to agricultural engineering

Career paths in private industry, research organisations, the public sector and universities will depend on experience, published research and service.

 

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