What do the activities in a project manager building automation job look like?

A building automation project manager usually works for system integrators, utility companies, building operators, in facility management, in planning offices or in industry as a middle management employee. They work on building automation projects (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical) from conception and planning to implementation and handover to the customer. They work on the construction site of residential and functional buildings as well as in the office. In addition to building and communication technology, the field of work as a project manager for building automation also includes the efficient use of energy. In addition to system configuration and maintenance, this also means operational optimization and process optimization for the most sustainable operation possible. In addition to user-oriented consulting and innovative solution proposals and negotiations, the deployment, management and training of apprentices and employees is also part of the responsible job as an electrical project manager specializing in building automation.

The following activities are common in a project manager building automation job:

• Writing and managing building automation projects
• Provide specialist advice in the field of building automation
• Developing technical and business management project fundamentals
• Planning and designing building automation projects in the residential sector and smaller functional buildings
• Coordinate the implementation
• Planning and managing human resources - Supporting and coordinating work teams
• Commissioning and configuration of simple building technology systems
• Operational optimization and process optimization of the systems
• Maintenance, modernization and optimum service life guaranteed
• Leading larger projects as project manager for building automation
• Act according to high ecological and energy standards as well as business management aspects
• Manage project controlling
• Training apprentices and employees
• Customer care and expansion of the customer base

Target group and skills: Who is the Building Automation Project Manager training course with professional examination suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The project manager building automation further training courses with subsequent professional examination are aimed at people who have one of these federal certificates of competence:

• Electrician EFZ
• Electrical planner EFZ
• Telematics technician EFZ
• Automation technician EFZ
• Building services engineer for heating EFZ
• Building Services Planner Ventilation EFZ
• Assembly electrician EFZ
• Heating fitter EFZ
• Ventilation system fitter EFZ
• Sanitary fitter EFZ
• or an equivalent qualification

The following skills and qualities are required to be successful in the role of Project Manager Building Automation:

• Interest in building technology, technical understanding
• Spatial imagination, math and computer skills
• Drawing skills, interest in technical drawing
• Leadership qualities, communication skills
• Fluency in oral and written expression
• Organizational talent, commercial skills
• Observation skills, ability to combine
• Quick comprehension, ability to concentrate
• Resilient constitution
• Reliability

Requirements for admission to the professional examination Project Manager Building Automation:

You will be admitted to the professional examination for Project Manager Building Automation if you meet the following requirements:

• hold a Swiss Federal Certificate of Competence (EFZ) as an electrician, electrical planner, telematics technician, automation technician, building technology planner for heating or ventilation or have an equivalent qualification and have at least two years of professional experience in the field of building automation

or

• A federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ) as an installation electrician, heating fitter, ventilation system installer, plumber or equivalent qualification and at least four years in the field of building automation

or

• Another EFZ in a comparable Swiss profession in building services engineering - the QA Commission decides on the comparability and the required duration of the practical activity

and

• Have the required module certificates* or certificates of equivalence

*The following is a list of the modules that must be completed for admission to the final examination (BP) as a building automation project manager. (The individual modules are completed in the preparatory courses for the professional examination. The module certificates are valid for five years, i.e. within these five years you can take the BP Project Manager Building Automation):

• Module 1: Technical basics
• Module 2: Project management I
• Module 3: Project management and technical processing I
• Module 4: Automation
• Module 5: Leadership, communication and personnel management

You will find out whether you have been admitted to the professional examination Project Manager Building Automation at least three months before the start of the examination with a written notification including reasons and information on legal remedies in the event of rejection.

Note: The number of years of professional experience must be available at the time of registration for the examination or the start of the examination. At some schools it is therefore possible to start the preparatory course for the professional examination for Project Manager Building Automation even if you do not (yet) meet the requirements. It is then your responsibility to ensure that you meet the necessary requirements by the required date.

In addition: Many schools offer preliminary courses in mathematics or other electrical subjects. This gives you the opportunity to refresh your knowledge in this area. You can find offers and suitable schools here:
Mathematics,Electrician

Subject matter and content of the further training course Project Management Building Automation:

The subject matter of the preparatory courses for the professional examination for the federal certificate as a project manager in building automation is based on the specifications of the sponsor of the federal examination, theEIT.swiss.

The learning content of the Project Manager Building Automation course is taught in modules, which in turn contain so-called "learning fields". These cover the following electrical project manager topics:

Module 1: Technical basics

• Learning field basics, electrical engineering and mathematics: Mathematics, Electrical engineering basics, Direct current theory, Electric field, Magnetism, Single-phase alternating current
• Electrical systems engineering (materials science):Structure of the network, passive and active installation material
• Learning field Rules and technology:Legal pyramid, low-voltage installation standard (NIN), dangers of electricity
• Technical documentation learning field (schematics and planning)Electrical engineering symbols, types of diagrams, conventional lighting technology controls, installation planning

Module 2: Project management I

• Calculation learning field:including project objectives with customers and personnel, price calculations, purchase of materials and components, preparation of quotations, price checks, preparation and control of dimensions, assessment and monitoring of excess or shortfall in services, presentation of quotations
• Controlling learning field:Checking project and revision plans, monitoring quality standards, acceptance and inspection of electrical systems and installations, interpreting work contracts, etc.
• Learning field construction site management:including provision of materials, scheduling and personnel resource planning, ensuring and optimizing processes and workflows, customer communication

Module 3: Project management and technical processing I

• Project management learning field:e.g. feasibility check, project basics/organization, process definition, schedules, interfaces, detailed decisions, pending list, project team management, assembly personnel support, work planning, project handover, customer documentation, maintenance concepts, training, project implementation
• Lernfeld building automation conceptual design:including building automation, needs assessment, variant development, rough cost calculation, components, rough concept, coordination, topologies, principle diagrams, functional descriptions, hardware concepts, network planning, energy measurement concepts
• Coordination learning field:including implementation of building automation, HVAC coordination, schedule monitoring, planning changes, implementation planning, electrical diagrams, specialist coordination
• Learning field Coordination and monitoring of commissioning and acceptance:including commissioning, acceptance, handover, technical documentation, acceptance documentation (protocol), customer instructions

Module 4: Automation (specific for building automation project managers)

• Systems and configuration learning field:including building automation system components, system and room automation functions, software documentation
• Commissioning learning field:Including commissioning of systems, data point tests, functionality tests, parameter settings for lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical systems
• Learning field Optimal plant operation:including system optimization, log file evaluation, component testing, systematic troubleshooting, replacement of defective components

Module 5: Leadership, communication and personnel management

• Learning field leadership, communication, personnel management:This learning field corresponds to Module 2 "SME Management Specialist (FUF)" of the Swiss Association for Education in Business Management (BFG Schweiz).Hereyou will find all information on Module 2.

Electrical project manager courses - costs and financing:

The costs listed for a preparatory course for the professional examination to become a project manager for building automation vary greatly in some cases. This is because the schools set the costs themselves.

The examination fee, on the other hand, is set by the organizing body of the federal examination. It is binding for all candidates.

You should expect the following costs for the two to four semester electrical project manager course:

• Course fees/course costs:between CHF 15,000 and CHF 15,600. Thanks to the subject financing of the federal government, you will receive around 50% back from the federal government after the examination (regardless of the result).* In addition, suissetec members benefit from a reduction of CHF 1,500. This amount will be automatically reimbursed by suisstec. Participants who are subject to the canton's CLA will receive an additional PLK contribution of CHF 2,000. PLZ stands for Paritätische Landeskommission, which promotes further vocational training and pays annual contributions to selected course organizers to directly reduce the cost of further training courses.
• Fee for module examinations:CHF 2,150. The costs for the module examinations are determined by the provider who organizes and conducts them.
• Examination fees:CHF 1,240. This fee is paid by the candidate as soon as he/she has received confirmation of admission to the professional examination for project managers in building automation.
• Fee for federal certificateand entry in the SERI certificate register: usually CHF 50.
• Extra costs:You will often have to expect additional costs for, for example, preliminary courses, teaching materials, training documents and simulation examinations as well as additional qualifications. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect in addition to the course, module and examination fees.
• Interim financial statements:Additional degrees such as "Specialist in SME Management" or "Technician HF Electrical Engineering" after two additional semesters incur additional costs if you wish to complete them.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses can therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also paid out in advance.

Duration of study, number of teaching hours, teaching times and learning effort for electrical project manager training:

• Duration of study:The training course, Project Manager Building Automation, has a modular structure (i.e. some of the skills are assessed in module examinations before the professional examination and are only tested across modules in the final examination) and lasts two to four semesters.
• Number of lessons:The training for the professional examination Project Manager Building Automation comprises around 700 lessons.
• Lesson times:Lesson times vary depending on the provider of the Building Automation Project Manager course. The lessons usually take place on one day and one evening per week or one evening and Saturday as well as one day per week including 3 project weeks. Please note: The course dates and timetables are put together independently by the school. There may therefore be differences from provider to provider
• Learning effort:Thanks to the in-service training concept, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for lesson preparation and follow-up as well as for self-study. Depending on your previous knowledge, working style and learning speed, we recommend that you allow another four to six hours per week for the additional workload.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons", which provide an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. A suitable learning environment is important on the way to successful completion of the Building Automation Project Manager course.

Degree, diploma and title:

The professional examination "Project Manager Building Automation with Federal Certificate of Competence" takes place annually, provided that the minimum number of 10 candidates meet the admission requirements. Otherwise, the examination is held every two years - regardless of the number of participants. The examination can be taken in the three official languages German, French and Italian.

Candidates for the Building Automation Project Manager professional examination are notified at least 50 days before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (with details of the place and time of the examination as well as permitted aids) and the list of experts.

The professional examination Project Manager Building Automation takes a total of seven hours and comprises three examination parts, which are structured as follows:

1) Final thesis

1.1) Project work (written, prepared in advance)

In this part of the examination, candidates solve a task in the field of building automation. The focus of the work is on project management, conception and planning implementation of technical solutions.

1.2) Presentation and technical discussion (oral, 80 min.)

The project work is presented during a technical discussion and solutions and procedures are explained. Based on the presentations lasting 20 minutes and the written documentation of the project work, a technical discussion lasting 60 minutes takes place. Aspects of the project work are discussed and assessed in the technical discussion.

2) Case work (written/practical/oral, 120 min.)

The candidates receive various written and practice-oriented case situations in the field of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical (HVACSE). They are given the task of presenting and justifying the relevant case situations and possible solutions. The examination part can be written, practical and/or oral.

3) Case study (with technical discussion) (AVOR*, 60 min., written/practical/oral, 80 min.)

Candidates receive a written description of a case situation in the field of HVACSE. They have 60 minutes to prepare for a technical discussion. In the technical discussion, the problem analysis, possible solutions, technical argumentation and networking skills are tested. The examination part can be written, practical and/or oral.

*AVOR = work preparation for the technical discussion

Diploma and title

Graduates of the professional examination receive a federal certificate and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Project Manager Building Automation with Federal Certificate" or "Project Manager Building Automation with Federal Certificate".

• In French: "Cheffe de projet en automatisation du bâtiment avec brevet fédéral / Chef de projet en automatisation du bâtiment avec brevet fédéral"
• In Italian: "Capo progetto in automazione degli edifici con attestato professionale federale"
• In English: "Project Manager for Building Automation, Federal Diploma of Higher Education" (Attention: This is only a recommendation/translation and not a protected title)