The engineer's job is to do the job he's assigned within the time and budget he's given, using the tools and materials available to him.

If he's given a task to acocmplish with a given set of components, and a given set of tools, that's what he's expected to use.

If he can't or won't do what he's assigned to do within the limits imposed by his employer, then he should do something else, but do it elsewhere.

If he declines to do what the "boss" says, he's fired, not the third or second time, but the first time. Guys who can and will do what they're directed to do apply for his job every day.

What makes the engineer useful is that he can and will do what he's directed to do. On the day he no longer does that, he's no longer needed.