Attribute 2: Management and Leadership

This attribute is about how you organise work and deliver through others.

Engineering is as much about technical ability as it also is about planning tasks, managing resources, and ensuring work is completed effectively and to the right standard.

Most engineers begin developing this attribute early in their careers, often through managing their own time and workload. As experience grows, this extends into coordinating others, improving processes, and influencing outcomes.

What this attribute covers

Attribute 2 focuses on three main areas:

  • planning and organising work

  • managing people, tasks, and resources

  • contributing to quality and continuous improvement

These develop gradually as your level of responsibility increases.

How this looks at different levels

This attribute applies across EngTech, IEng and CEng, but the expectation changes depending on your level of responsibility.

At a simple level:

  • EngTech focuses on organising tasks and delivering work reliably

  • IEng focuses on managing tasks, resources, and supporting delivery

  • CEng focuses on leading teams, influencing outcomes, and developing others

The structure remains consistent. What changes is the scale of responsibility, the level of influence, and the extent to which you lead others.

Official ICE Attribute Definitions

The definitions below are based on the ICE attributes for EngTech, IEng and CEng and show how expectations develop through to Chartered Engineer.

EngTech (Engineering Technician)

Focus is on organising work, taking responsibility, and delivering tasks to the required quality.

  • Identify tasks and organise resources to complete them effectively

  • Work reliably and accept responsibility for their work or the work of others

  • Complete tasks with due consideration for quality

At EngTech level, the emphasis is on being dependable, organised, and consistent in delivery, ensuring that work is completed safely, accurately, and to the expected standard

IEng (Incorporated Engineer)

Focus shifts towards managing tasks and resources, with increasing responsibility for delivery.

  • Plan the work and resources needed to enable effective implementation of engineering tasks and projects

  • Manage the planning and organisation of tasks and resources

  • Manage teams or technical specialisms

  • Assist others to meet changing technical and managerial needs

  • Manage quality processes and contribute to quality improvements

CEng (Chartered Engineer)

Expectation moves towards leadership, influence, and responsibility for delivery through others.

  • Plan the work and resources needed to enable effective implementation of engineering tasks and projects

  • Manage the planning and organisation of tasks and resources

  • Manage (organise, direct and control), programme or schedule, tasks and resources

  • Manage teams or technical specialisms

  • Lead or influence teams / technical specialisms, understanding the limits of their skills and knowledge

  • Assist others to meet changing technical and managerial needs

  • Develop others to meet changing technical and managerial needs

  • Manage quality processes and contribute to quality improvements

  • Demonstrate continuous quality improvement and promote best practice

Planning and organising work

A key part of this attribute is how work is planned and organised.

At an early stage, this may involve:

  • managing your own time and priorities

  • organising tasks to meet deadlines

  • understanding how your work fits into a wider programme

As you develop, this extends to:

  • planning work packages

  • allocating resources

  • coordinating activities across a team

Good planning is not just about creating a programme, but it also is about understanding what is required, identifying constraints, and ensuring work can be delivered effectively.

Managing tasks and resources

Engineering work relies on the effective use of people, time, and information.

This part of the attribute looks at how you:

  • organise tasks

  • manage workload

  • ensure resources are used efficiently

Early in your career, this may focus on your own work. Over time, it includes coordinating others and contributing to project delivery at a wider level.

This could involve:

  • tracking progress

  • responding to changes in scope or priorities

  • working with others to keep tasks on track

Working with and supporting others

Engineering is a team activity.

This attribute considers how you work with others and support them in delivering work.

At different stages, this may include:

  • collaborating with colleagues

  • assisting others when requirements change

  • sharing knowledge and supporting less experienced team members

As responsibility increases, this develops into:

  • guiding others

  • influencing decisions

  • helping people develop their skills and confidence

Leadership does not always mean managing large teams. It often begins with small actions, such as taking responsibility for a task or helping others perform effectively.

Managing quality

Quality is a core part of engineering work.

This attribute looks at how you ensure that work meets the required standard and how you contribute to improving it.

This can include:

  • following established procedures

  • checking work for accuracy

  • identifying errors and making improvements

Over time, the expectation moves towards:

  • improving processes

  • promoting best practice

  • contributing to continuous improvement across projects or teams

Responding to change

Engineering projects rarely go exactly to plan.

This attribute also considers how you respond when things change, such as:

  • new technical requirements

  • programme delays

  • resource constraints

Developing this attribute means learning how to adapt, support others, and maintain progress even when conditions are uncertain.

A simple way to think about this attribute

You can reflect on your development by asking:

  • Am I organised and reliable in my work?

  • Can I plan and manage tasks effectively?

  • Am I supporting others and contributing to delivery?

As your experience grows, this develops into:

  • Am I influencing how work is planned and delivered?

  • Am I helping others improve?

Where this fits in your journey

You do not need to be managing large teams early in your career.

This attribute develops gradually through:

  • taking responsibility for your own work

  • becoming more organised and reliable

  • supporting others

  • contributing to how work is delivered

Over time, this builds into leadership, influence, and responsibility for wider outcomes.

If you’re serious about preparing properly

Understanding the Attributes is one part of the process. Being able to demonstrate them clearly is what determines the outcome.

Most candidates only realise where they struggle when they are asked to explain this under pressure.

If you are still getting to grips with the Attributes, the free guide included in our newstletter is a good place to start.

If your review is still some time away, build your preparation properly with structured support and clear direction.
If your review is approaching, test where you stand before it matters.

Final note

This page is intended as guidance to help you understand the ICE attributes in practice. For official requirements, you should refer to the ICE website and your Supervising Civil Engineer (SCE).

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