Civil Engineer CV: Example and Template
How to present structural design, knowledge of SIA standards and project figures on two compelling pages.
Currently 20 open Civil Engineer positions in Switzerland, across 4 cantons, 3 of them from the last 7 days. ATP architects engineers advertises the most.
CV example — two-page template
This template is editable straight away — or upload your existing CV and it is carried into this layout automatically.
Which qualification should a civil engineer include in their CV?
State your title exactly as it is officially recognised - for example Dipl. Civil Engineer ETH, BSc/MSc FHNW, ZHAW or HES-SO - and add your REG registration, if applicable.
Swiss employers clearly distinguish between ETH/EPFL degrees, universities of applied sciences degrees (BSc/MSc in Civil Engineering from FHNW, ZHAW, HSLU, BFH or HES-SO) and Technikerschule HF diplomas. Therefore, state the school, title, specialisation and year of graduation in full. If you studied at a university of applied sciences, name your specialisation (structural engineering, transportation, hydraulic engineering, geotechnics) - recruiters specifically filter for this.
Registration in the REG A or REG B register is often a qualification criterion in public tenders and should definitely be included in the certificates section. SIA courses on earthquake engineering, concrete rehabilitation or fire protection (VKF qualification QSS 1/2) are equally valuable, as they show that you work in line with current standards. If you completed an apprenticeship as a draughtsperson specialising in civil engineering, keep it on your CV: hands-on practical experience from day one is a real asset at an engineering firm.
If you hold a foreign diploma, note its recognition status, for example recognition by the SBFI or the classification by swissuniversities. Also specify which set of standards you have worked with so far - Eurocode experience is transferable, but the transition to SIA 260-267 and the Swiss building permit process must be clearly addressed in your CV.
How should I structure my work experience as a civil engineer?
Organise each position by role, project type, construction cost and SIA phases, and support your contribution with figures.
Start each position with a context line: firm size, client structure (public or private) and your area of responsibility. This should be followed by three to four measurable bullet points: construction cost in CHF with the apostrophe, square metres, spans, number of storeys, fee volume, team size. A sentence such as 'Structural design and execution planning for 74 apartments, construction cost CHF 42 million' says more than a list of tasks.
Make clear which SIA phases you actually worked on. There is a big difference between only calculating phase 41-42 (execution project) and managing a project from the feasibility study through tendering according to NPK to commissioning. Also name the structure categories: building construction, civil engineering structures, utility infrastructure, hydraulic engineering, geotechnics. Many positions are tailored specifically to one of these fields.
Add a compact project list as an appendix or on the second page, with two lines per reference project: object, role, construction cost, year, software used. Pay attention to confidentiality and, for sensitive contracts, only name the type of object. Site experience, site supervision mandates and experience with SUVA safety requirements should be explicitly mentioned, since purely office-based structural engineers have little chance for positions with a site supervision component.
How long should the CV be, and is a photo needed?
Two pages plus a maximum of one page of project list is standard; a professional photo is still customary in Switzerland.
Keep your CV to two pages, even after 15 years of practice. Summarise older positions in a single line. A separate project list is accepted in civil engineering and is even expected by recruiters, as it demonstrates your experience with structure categories and construction costs. Save everything as a single PDF with a clear file name, for example CV_Brunner_CivilEngineer.pdf.
A professional portrait photo in the top right corner is widespread in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino; it is also accepted in the Romandie. Avoid selfies and construction site photos with a hard hat. State your place of residence, nationality or permit type (C, B, cross-border commuter G), driving licence category B, and your availability - the latter because three-month notice periods directly affect the firm's project planning.
Languages are a hard filter: German for correspondence with authorities and client meetings, French for projects in the Romandie, Italian for Ticino. State the level according to the CEFR and add a practical reference, such as 'French C1, client meetings and tenders'. A brief note on salary expectations does not belong in the CV, but - if requested - in the cover letter; realistic ranges lie between CHF 85'000 and CHF 140'000 per year, depending on experience and region.
Where Civil Engineer are hired in Switzerland
How the 20 open positions are spread across the cantons.
Figures as a table
| Canton | postings |
|---|---|
| Zürich | 9 |
| Bern | 2 |
| Luzern | 1 |
| Graubünden | 1 |
Which languages the postings require
Of 19 postings that state a language — in brackets, those requiring professional level.
Figures as a table
| Language | postings |
|---|---|
| German | 19 (19) |
| English | 3 (0) |
| Italian | 2 (1) |
| French | 2 (1) |
Who hires Civil Engineer in Switzerland
Employers with the most open positions. Staffing agencies are excluded.
Figures as a table
| Employer | postings |
|---|---|
| ATP architects engineers | 4 |
| CSD ENGINEERS | 3 |
| Kanton Bern | 1 |
| IM Maggia Engineering Ltd. | 1 |
| WSP in Switzerland | 1 |
| Suva | 1 |
Full-time or part-time?
How the positions are advertised.
Figures as a table
| Workload | postings |
|---|---|
| Vollzeit / plein temps | 20 |
The CV in full
To read through and reuse.
Lukas Brunner
Dipl. Civil Engineer ETH, MSc Civil Engineering - Structural Design for Building and Civil Engineering Structures
Civil engineer with 9 years of experience in structural design for buildings and civil engineering structures, including 4 years as project manager with direct client contact. Proficient in design calculations according to SIA 260-267 and in structural monitoring according to SIA 269 for concrete bridge rehabilitation projects. Responsible for projects with construction costs of up to CHF 42 million across all SIA phases 31-53, leading teams of up to 6 engineers and draughtspersons.
What sets me apart
Structural design for existing and new buildings: Design calculations according to SIA 262 for new buildings and structural safety verifications for existing structures according to SIA 269/2, including seismic assessments according to SIA 261 for 14 school buildings in the Canton of Zurich.
Civil engineering structures and rehabilitation: Rehabilitation concepts for concrete bridges according to SIA 269/2 and the ASTRA technical manual for civil engineering structures, including chloride profiling, potential field measurements and reinforcement corrosion assessment.
SIA phase logic and cost reliability: Management of projects across all phases from preliminary design to commissioning, with cost estimates according to eBKP-H, fee proposals according to SIA 103, and cost accuracy within 4 percent.
Site presence and execution quality: Site supervision experience with weekly client meetings, formwork and reinforcement inspections, and concrete quality control according to SN EN 206 on 11 construction sites.
Key achievements
Seismic Retrofit of School Complex – CHF 1.9 Million Saved. Developed an alternative concept using reinforced concrete shear walls instead of complete slab replacement; reduced construction costs from CHF 6.4 million to CHF 4.5 million and shortened construction time by 5 months.
Bridge Rehabilitation Completed 22 Percent Ahead of Schedule. Planned and supervised the rehabilitation of a 78 m prestressed concrete bridge under live traffic; reduced staging to 4 phases, completed 7 weeks ahead of schedule, and finished 3 percent under budget.
Digitalisation of Design Processes. Introduced parametric design tools in Excel/VBA and Revit templates for columns and flat slabs; reduced processing time per structural package by 30 percent and trained 12 employees.
Experience
Project Manager Structural Design — Brunnmatt Ingenieure AG, Zurich, 2020 - present
Engineering firm with 45 employees, specialising in building construction and civil engineering structures for public sector clients.
- Responsible for 7 parallel projects with construction costs ranging from CHF 3 to 42 million, achieving an average schedule adherence of 96 percent
- Completed structural design and execution planning for an 8-storey residential building with 74 apartments according to SIA 262, fee volume CHF 780'000
- Led a team of 6 engineers and draughtspersons, supervised 3 apprentices, zero staff turnover over 4 years
- Conducted seismic assessments according to SIA 269/8 for 14 municipal buildings, implemented 5 retrofit concepts
Civil Engineer Structural Design and Site Supervision — Aareblick Bau + Beratung GmbH, Bern, 2017 - 2020
Regional firm with 18 employees specialising in building construction, utility infrastructure, and rehabilitation.
- Prepared structural calculations for 23 projects, including 9 with excavation pit retaining structures (soldier pile walls, sheet pile walls) according to SIA 267
- On-site supervision for 4 construction sites with a total construction cost of CHF 17 million, keeping change order volume below 2.5 percent
- Planned and supervised the concrete rehabilitation of a 4'200 m2 parking deck, completed within the budget of CHF 2.1 million
- Prepared tenders according to NPK and compared 31 bids, achieving savings of CHF 640'000 against the cost estimate
Civil Engineer Structural Calculations — Seefeld Tragwerk AG, Winterthur, 2015 - 2017
First position after MSc, specialist firm for steel and timber construction with 12 employees.
- Designed 38 steel structures according to SIA 263, including 6 halls with spans of up to 34 m
- Built FEM models in Axis VM for 15 projects and documented plausibility checks using manual calculations
- Prepared timber construction verifications according to SIA 265 for 9 building extensions, all building permit applications approved without rejection
- Reduced review engineer queries by 40 percent through standardised verification documentation
Education
Master of Science ETH, Civil Engineering, specialisation in Structural Engineering — ETH Zurich · 2015
Bachelor of Science ETH, Civil Engineering — ETH Zurich · 2013
Berufsmaturität, Technical Profile, Apprenticeship as Draughtsperson specialising in Civil Engineering — Berufsfachschule Winterthur · 2010
Registration in the REG A register (Civil Engineering) · SIA course on earthquake-resistant structures according to SIA 261 and 269/8 · BFU/SUVA Site Safety Officer (PSAgA and fall protection) · Continuing education in concrete rehabilitation, Empa Academy