Industrial Engineer

Also called: Continuous Improvement Engineer, District Plant Engineer, Documentation Engineer, Efficiency Analyst, Efficiency Engineer

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Industrial engineers design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes, including human work factors, quality control, inventory control, logistics, and material flow, cost analysis, and production coordination.

Estimate production costs, cost saving methods, and the effects of product design changes on expenditures for management review, action, and control.
Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of finished product.
Confer with clients, vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, product and production specifications, manufacturing capabilities, or project status.
Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards.
Evaluate precision and accuracy of production and testing equipment and engineering drawings to formulate corrective action plan.
Recommend methods for improving utilization of personnel, material, and utilities.
Record or oversee recording of information to ensure currency of engineering drawings and documentation of production problems.
Draft and design layout of equipment, materials, and workspace to illustrate maximum efficiency using drafting tools and computer.
Direct workers engaged in product measurement, inspection, and testing activities to ensure quality control and reliability.
Develop manufacturing methods, labor utilization standards, and cost analysis systems to promote efficient staff and facility utilization.
Review production schedules, engineering specifications, orders, and related information to obtain knowledge of manufacturing methods, procedures, and activities.
Complete production reports, purchase orders, and material, tool, and equipment lists.
Coordinate and implement quality control objectives, activities, or procedures to resolve production problems, maximize product reliability, or minimize costs.
Implement methods and procedures for disposition of discrepant material and defective or damaged parts, and assess cost and responsibility.
Apply statistical methods and perform mathematical calculations to determine manufacturing processes, staff requirements, and production standards.
Study operations sequence, material flow, functional statements, organization charts, and project information to determine worker functions and responsibilities.
Formulate sampling procedures and designs and develop forms and instructions for recording, evaluating, and reporting quality and reliability data.
Regulate and alter workflow schedules according to established manufacturing sequences and lead times to expedite production operations.
Schedule deliveries based on production forecasts, material substitutions, storage and handling facilities, and maintenance requirements.

Work Context

Electronic Mail — 93% responded "Every day".
Face-to-Face Discussions — 88% responded "Every day".
Telephone — 74% responded "Every day".
Work With Work Group or Team — 60% responded "Extremely important".
Contact With Others — 61% responded "Constant contact with others".
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 83% responded "Every day".
Structured versus Unstructured Work — 53% responded "A lot of freedom".

Freedom to Make Decisions — 52% responded "A lot of freedom".

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 42% responded "Extremely important".

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — 58% responded "Every day".

Deal With External Customers — 36% responded "Important".

Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 35% responded "Very important results".

Coordinate or Lead Others — 33% responded "Extremely important".

Frequency of Decision Making — 38% responded "Every day".

Time Pressure — 41% responded "Once a week or more but not every day".

Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 31% responded "Moderate responsibility".

Letters and Memos — 51% responded "Once a week or more but not every day".

Spend Time Sitting — 44% responded "More than half the time".

Consequence of Error — 28% responded "Extremely serious".

Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — 28% responded "High responsibility".

Level of Competition — 36% responded "Moderately competitive".

Frequency of Conflict Situations — 38% responded "Once a month or more but not every week".

Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 60% responded "Important".

Public Speaking — 42% responded "Once a year or more but not every month".

Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 32% responded "Once a month or more but not every week".

Physical Proximity — 42% responded "Slightly close (e.g., shared office)".

Work Activities

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment — Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.

Detailed Work Activities

Analyze project data to determine specifications or requirements.
Develop technical methods or processes.
Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
Determine operational methods.
Analyze design or requirements information for mechanical equipment or systems.
Create graphical representations of industrial production systems.

Engineering and Technology

Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Production and Processing

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Design

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

English Language

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Computers and Electronics

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Education and Training

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Public Safety and Security

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Physics

Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

Clerical

Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Inductive Reasoning

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Deductive Reasoning

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Information Ordering

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Selective Attention

The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Category Flexibility

The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Originality

The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

Fluency of Ideas

The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Speech Recognition

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Speech Clarity

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Mathematical Reasoning

The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

Number Facility

The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

Visualization

The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Flexibility of Closure

The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

Far Vision

The ability to see details at a distance.

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

They do well at jobs that need:

Achievement/Effort

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self Control

You might use software like this on the job:

Computer aided design CAD software

PTC Creo Parametric
Mathsoft Mathcad
Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search MINOS software
International TechneGroup IGESworks
Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
Autodesk AutoCAD
Bentley MicroStation
Dassault Systemes CATIA
UGS Solid Edge
Facilities planning software
Facilities design software
Electronic breadboard software

Data base user interface and query software

Microsoft Access
Microsoft SQL Server
Data entry software
Structured query language SQL

Object or component oriented development software

R
Python
C++
Sun Microsystems Java

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