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Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officer

OFFICER | Full Time, Part Time

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    • Overview

    Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers maintain and support all Army equipment, and the land-based equipment of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force. They are commissioned members of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

    Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers lead the soldier technicians who keep equipment in top condition and work in every equipment life-cycle phase, from design, evaluation and acquisition through in-service support to eventual disposal. Their duties involve leading staff and providing specialized engineering knowledge. They lead a team of highly skilled technicians of the Vehicle, Weapon, Electronic-Optronic and Materials occupations.

    Work environment

    Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers experience the unique adventures and challenges that come with working in different environments. Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers are employed at bases and garrisons across Canada and on deployed operations around the world. In the field or on deployment they may work outdoors.

    Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers are first posted generally to a large workshop, where they lead a group of up to 30 technicians who maintain a wide range of equipment. Under the guidance and supervision of more senior officers they make the technical, administrative and training decisions for their team.

    Career Overview

    Transcript

    Canadian Armed Forces Recruiting Videos

     

    ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING OFFICER

     

    Reviewed – 23 Mar 23 


     

    CAPTAIN MATTHEW DORIS: I'm Captain Matthew Doris from Oshawa, Ontario, a Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineering officer serving at the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment here in Petawawa, Ontario.

     

    NARRATOR: Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers – or RCEME Officers – are leaders in the field, commanding groups of Vehicle, Weapons, Electronic-Optronic and Materials Technicians who are responsible for maintaining military equipment.

     

    CAPTAIN MATTHEW DORIS: Generally a RCEME Officer is a liaison between a higher headquarters and the technicians on the ground. We take the commanding officers’ intent of what they want to achieve with land equipment. We translate that into specific tasks, down to the specialized trades and how we can achieve that, giving them their timelines, their specific tasks. Your role really as a RCEME Officer is to enable those technicians to do their job. You don't need to be an expert on every single system. You just need to make sure that the person who is has the tools they need to succeed in that job.

     

    CAPTAIN MATTHEW DORIS: Management administration as a RCEME Officer can be challenging – you have to be a human being at the end of the day, talk to your troops, and do what's best for them. You're trying to balance what the Canadian Army or Canadian Forces needs, but also the individual needs.

     

    NARRATOR: RCEME Officers are employed at bases and garrisons across Canada as well as on exercises or deployed operations both here at home and around the world. In addition to managing the people who maintain and support all Army equipment, they also manage the care of the land-based equipment of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force. They may even have the opportunity to work with Canadian Special Operations Forces.

     

    CAPTAIN MATTHEW DORIS: You may see equipment going down the trace, or weapons firing, and it looks really cool. But none of that happens without the RCEME technicians in the back, enabling those combat operators to do what they need to do.

     

    NARRATOR: RCEME Officers can also be employed in other technical or logistical staff officer roles and at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, where they can expect to work on procurements or engineering projects at the strategic level, influencing and making decisions on the equipment that the Canadian Armed Forces will use for years to come.



     

    CAPTAIN MATTHEW DORIS: The coolest part of being a RCEME officer is actually getting to see the equipment up close. You come down to the shop, you can see light-pattern vehicles or heavy-pattern vehicles, armoured vehicles – and then down to even the weapons. And you feel a lot of pride in enabling these technicians to do what they need to do and to succeed.



     

    NARRATOR: Once they’ve completed their training, RCEME Officers are posted to one of the many Canadian Armed Forces bases across the country – generally to a large workshop, where they will lead a group of up to 30 technicians who maintain a wide range of equipment. They act as technical advisors to their commanders, planning and controlling the workload of their unit’s maintenance organization while handling unit-level personnel administration. 

     

    CAPTAIN MATTHEW DORIS: Once you get into the seat, there's a great deal of problem-solving you have to do on the fly that you learn very quick, and you learn by experience once you're in those positions. However, you typically have other RCEME Officers in the area and senior RCEME Officers who you can always look to for guidance. 





     

    CAPTAIN MATTHEW DORIS: One of the more memorable moments I’ve had was as an operations officer in Kuwait, was to serve my country and do what I can do to assist. Being a younger adult, you’re handed such high-level responsibility. And to work with other nations and achieve tasks that you didn’t think you’d actually be working on. It’s very interesting to see how you can jump into something at such a young age and have such a profound effect on an international scale.

     

    Related Civilian Occupations

    • Electrical and Electronics Engineers
    • Metallurgical and Manufacturing Engineers
    • Mechanical Engineering
    • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineer
    • Chemical Engineer

    Training

    After enrolment, you start basic officer training at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, for 12 weeks. Topics covered include general military knowledge, the principles of leadership, regulations and customs of the CAF, basic weapons handling, and first aid. Opportunities will also be provided to apply such newly acquired military skills in training exercises involving force protection, field training, navigation and leadership. A rigorous physical fitness program is also a vital part of basic training. Basic officer training is provided in English or French and successful completion is a prerequisite for further training.

    Following basic officer training, official second language training may be offered to you. Training could take from two to nine months to complete depending on your ability in your second language.

    Learn more about Basic Training here.

    Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers attend the Infantry School at the Combat Training Centre in Gagetown, New Brunswick. They build upon the leadership and other skills training they received and develop the skills required of all Army officers, including more advanced weapons-handling, field-craft and section-level tactics. They also continue the rigorous fitness-training and sports program.

    Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers then apply their field skills to maintenance operations and begin to apply their engineering skills to military technology. Through classroom instruction and practical work, they learn the maintenance engineering requirements of combat and special-purpose vehicles, land weapons, electronic and optronic sensors, and instrumentation and communications systems. Training also covers safe handling and storage of petroleum products and ammunition.

    Throughout the final stages of training, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers learn the tactical deployment of a Maintenance Company comprising about 200 Soldier maintainers and 100 vehicles. They control and plan the workload of a maintenance organization, and to handle unit-level personnel administration.

    Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers may be offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills through formal courses and on-the-job training, including:

    • Ammunition Technical Officer
    • Nuclear Engineering
    • Guided Weapons System

    As they progress in their career, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers who demonstrate the required ability and potential will be offered advanced training. Available courses include Advanced Ammunition Engineering.

    Entry plans

    If you already have a university degree, the CAF will decide if your academic program matches the criteria for this job and may place you directly into the required on-the-job training program following basic training. Basic training and military officer qualification training are required before being assigned.

    Regular Officer Training Plan

    Due to the requirement for CAF officer to obtain a university degree, the CAF will pay successful recruits to complete a bachelor degree program in the Royal Military College System. Recruits will receive full-time salary including medical and dental care, as well as vacation time with full pay in exchange for working in the CAF for a period of time. Typically, candidates enter the Canadian Military College System as an Officer Cadet where they study subjects relevant to both their military and academic career. In rare instances, based on the needs of the CAF, candidates may be approved attend another Canadian University. A determination will be made on a case by case basis. If you are applying for this program, you must apply to the CAF and it is recommended to apply to other Canadian universities of your choice should you not be accepted for ROTP.

    Learn more about our Paid Education programs here.

    Part time options

    This position is available for part-time employment with the Primary Reserve at certain locations across Canada. Reserve Force members usually serve part time at an Air Force Wing in their community, and may serve while going to school or working at a civilian job. They are paid during their training. They are not posted or required to do a military move. However, they can volunteer to move to another base. They may also volunteer for deployment on a military mission within or outside Canada.

    Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers serve with the Canadian Army and maintain and support all Forces land-based equipment. They lead a soldier team of highly skilled technicians and provide the team with specialized engineering knowledge. When employed on a part-time or casual full-time basis they usually serve with military units at locations within Canada.

    Find a Recruiting Centre

    Reserve Force members are trained to the same level as their Regular Force counterparts. They usually begin training with their home unit to ensure that they meet the required basic professional military standards. Following basic officer training, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officers attend the Combat Training Centre in Gagetown, New Brunswick and then the Canadian Forces School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering in Borden, Ontario to achieve their qualification.

    Reserve Force members usually serve part-time with their home unit for scheduled evenings and weekends, although they may also serve in full-time positions at some units for fixed terms, depending on the type of work that they do. They are paid 92.8% of Regular Force rates of pay, receive a reasonable benefits package and may qualify to contribute to a pension plan.