Drafting Technician
Class Specifications – E.10
Principal Drafting Technician – 7101
Senior Drafting Technician – 7102
Drafting Technician – 7103
March, 1973
Series Concept
Drafting Technicians prepare or supervise the preparation of engineering schematics and drawings, charts, graphs, maps, and illustrations; and perform other related duties as required.
Incumbents typically prepare layouts and schematics from engineering design information and specifications for mechanical, electrical, electronic and optical instruments and/or systems; prepare plans and specifications for heating, ventilating air-conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems for buildings and laboratory facilities; prepare detailed shop and assembly drawings and material and parts lists for scientific instruments and apparatus; prepare perspective and isometric drawings; prepare charts, maps, and graphs from research data; prepare navigational charts for research expeditions; prepare illustrative materials for reproduction or publication; and perform engineering and statistical calculations.
Class Concepts
Principal Drafting Technician
Under general supervision, incumbents prepare engineering design drawings requiring originality, independent judgment, knowledge of engineering and scientific principles, and ability to produce complex drawings of the highest level of difficulty; perform stress calculations and material analysis of various components; calculate and specify tolerances and allowances for components; select, specify, and coordinate procurement of commercially available components; provide information and instructions to fabrication shop personnel; and prepare or supervise preparation of detail and assembly drawings and subordinate layouts.
Incumbents typically work under the supervision of a professional research scientist or development engineer. These professionals supply general design objectives and criteria and are responsible for the completed instruments or systems, the achievement of the objectives specified for the instrument or system, and/or the interpretation and application of obtained data. The Principal Drafting Technician is responsible for translating general design objectives and criteria into specific plans, dimensions, and materials, which can be turned over to fabrication shop personnel. Incumbents may carry responsibilities for the work of a small group of Senior Drafting Technicians and/or Drafting Technicians, but this is not a necessary requirement for the class.
Examples of assignments allocated to this level of difficulty and responsibility are:
Supervisor of engineering drafting staff for a scientific or engineering research laboratory, personally performing the most difficult engineering design drafting.
Principal Drafting Technician for advanced, complex instrument systems involving a combination of electrical, electronic, mechanical, and/or optical components, used in deep water photography, atmospheric visibility studies, radio and optical astronomy, or space science instrument packages.
Senior Drafting Technician
Under supervision, incumbents perform all or many of the duties indicated for the series under the Series Concept. This is the full operational level for engineering drafting.
Incumbents typically receive nonroutine engineering drafting assignments that involve application of most of the standardized drawing techniques regularly used. Assignments are given with fairly complete instructions and design detail by Principal Drafting Technician or a professional engineer or research scientist. Original design contributions are not regularly expected at this level. Incumbents may have Drafting Technicians for assistants in prodSystemwideng the routine, simple drafting work.
Examples of assignments at this level of difficulty and responsibility are:
Engineering Drafting Technician (civil, electrical or mechanical) for construction projects, either new construction or alterations, undertaken by University staff, for general purpose buildings and/or laboratory facilities, with work subject to checking and review by the professional engineer responsible for the project.
Detail drafting technician preparing detailed shop and assembly drawings of instruments and apparatus fabricated for scientific and engineering research.
Publication drafting technician preparing engineering schematics, circuit and other diagrams, charts, graphs and maps in final form for reproduction and/or publication, with knowledge of engineering, scientific and/or mathematical symbols and terminology as an essential requirement of the work.
Drafting Technician
Under close supervision, incumbents perform simple drafting tasks, often with finished work as a guide.
This is the entry level class for the engineering drafting series. Incumbents have had sufficient training and/or experience to produce an acceptable quality and quantity of simple, repetitive drafting work without additional on-the-job training and without being required to have any substantial knowledge of engineering, scientific and/or mathematical symbols and terminology. Incumbents typically are expected to progress to the class of Senior Drafting Technician.
Examples of assignments at this level of difficulty and responsibility are:
Drafting assistant to a Principal Drafting Technician, preparing simple engineering detail drawings, circuit and other diagrams, charts and graphs, operating reproduction machines, and maintaining files of completed work and copies.
Drafting assistant in a publication, engineering, or research activity, preparing simple schematics, engineering drawings, charts, maps and graphs, working from explicit instructions and data that do not require any subject matter knowledge to interpret.
Minimum Qualifications
Principal Drafting Technician
Three years of college, with a major in engineering, and two years of experience as a Senior Drafting Technician in the field under consideration; or four years of experience as Senior Drafting Technician in the field under consideration; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Senior Drafting Technician
Two years of college in an engineering field, including specialized training in drafting, and at least one year of experience in drafting in the field under consideration; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Drafting Technician
Graduation from high school and six months of specialized training in drafting, or one year of actual experience in the field under consideration; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.