Industrial engineer

An Industrial Engineer designs, analyzes, and optimizes systems that integrate people, materials, equipment, and energy to improve productivity and efficiency across industries. They focus on streamlining operations, reducing costs, enhancing quality, and ensuring safe working environments. Industrial Engineers play a vital role in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and service industries by applying engineering, data analysis, and management principles to improve overall performance.

The main duties of an Industrial Engineer include:

• Analyzing production processes, workflows, and resource utilization to identify inefficiencies.
• Designing and implementing systems that improve productivity, quality, and safety.
• Developing layout plans for facilities, workstations, or warehouses to optimize space and material flow.
• Conducting time and motion studies to determine labor requirements and standardize operations.
• Using data modeling, simulation, and statistical analysis to support decision-making.
• Implementing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Collaborating with managers, engineers, and operators to implement process improvements.
• Evaluating and integrating automation or digital technologies to enhance operations.
• Monitoring performance metrics and preparing reports on cost savings and productivity gains.
• Ensuring compliance with safety, environmental, and industry regulations.

The following job titles also refer to industrial engineer:

industrial engineers
industrial technology engineering consultant
industrial engineering consultant
industrial technology engineer
industrial technology engineering specialist
industrial waste engineer
industrial engineering specialist
industrial engineering expert
industrial technology engineering expert
industrial technology engineering adviser
industrial engineering adviser

Industrial Engineers work in a range of environments including manufacturing plants, logistics centers, offices, and consulting firms. They often split their time between office-based analytical work and on-site observations or implementation. Standard full-time hours are common, though project deadlines or production demands may require occasional overtime. The role involves collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and may require travel to client or supplier sites.

A bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, systems engineering, manufacturing engineering, or a related field is required. Strong knowledge of process optimization, statistics, ergonomics, and project management is essential. Practical experience gained through internships, industrial placements, or junior engineering roles is highly valuable. Proficiency with analytical software such as AutoCAD, MATLAB, or Minitab is advantageous. Certifications such as Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE), or Professional Engineer (PE) registration can enhance career prospects. Key competencies include analytical thinking, communication, and a systematic approach to problem-solving.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Industrial engineer is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to industrial engineer.

aerospace engineer
agricultural equipment design engineer
automation engineer
automotive engineer
container equipment design engineer

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of industrial engineer.

• Production processes: Materials and techniques required in the production and distribution processes.
• Engineering principles: The engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.
• Manufacturing processes: The steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.
• Technical drawings: Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.
• Engineering processes: The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
• Industrial engineering: The field of engineering concerned with the development, improvement, and implementation of complex processes and systems of knowledge, people, equipment, etc.

These skills are necessary for the role of industrial engineer.

• Adjust engineering designs: Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.
• Perform scientific research: Gain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.
• Use technical drawing software: Create technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.
• Approve engineering design: Give consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of industrial engineer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Continuous improvement philosophies: Underlying ideas of quality management systems. Implementation process of lean manufacturing, Kanban, Kaizen, Total Quality Management (TQM) and other continuous improvement systems.
• Visual flight rules: Types of flight rules which are a compilation of regulations that allow pilots to fly aircrafts in clear as well as unclear weather conditions whereby it is declared that outside visual reference to the ground and other obstructions are not safe.
• Soldering techniques: The various techniques for joining pieces of metal together by melting and applying a filler metal into the joint between the two pieces such as silver soldering and induction soldering.
• Instrumentation equipment: The equipment and instruments used for the monitoring and controlling of processes, such as valves, regulators, circuit breakers, and relays.
• Types of packaging materials: Properties of materials that make them suitable for packaging. Conversion of raw materials into packaging materials. Different types of labels and materials used which comply with the correct storage criteria depending on the goods.
• Corrosion types: The various types of oxidation reactions with the environment, such as rusting, copper pitting, stress cracking, and others.
• Aircraft flight control systems: The setting, features and operation of aircraft flight control systems such as flight control surfaces, cockpit controls, connections, and operating mechanisms required to control the flight direction of an aircraft.
• Material mechanics: The behaviour of solid objects when subjected to stresses and strains, and the methods to calculate these stresses and strains.
• Electromechanics: The engineering processes that combine electrical and mechanical engineering in the application of electromechanics in devices that need electricity to create mechanical movement or devices that create electricity by mechanical movement.
• Precision mechanics: Precision or fine mechanics is a subdiscipline in engineering that focuses on the design and development of smaller precision machines.
• Gas dehydration processes: The processes used to remove water from natural gas such as the absorption process using glycol or activated alumina.
• Quality and cycle time optimisation: The most optimal rotation or cycle time and over-all quality of a tool or a machine’s processes.
• Gas consumption: The factors which are involved in the calculation and estimation of gas consumption in a residence or facility, and methods which can reduce the consumption of gas, or make it more efficient.
• Design drawings: The drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.
• Electrical engineering: The field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
• Mathematics: Mathematics is the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. It involves the identification of patterns and formulating new conjectures based on them. Mathematicians strive to prove the truth or falsity of these conjectures. There are many fields of mathematics, some of which are widely used for practical applications.
• Natural gas liquids recovery processes: Be aware of common processes used to separate heavier hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane and butane from the methane, which is the finished product of the gas processing plant. Be aware of oil absorption techniques, cryogenic expansion processes, and other relevant processes.
• Gas contaminant removal processes: The processes used to remove contaminants such as mercury, nitrogen and helium from natural gas; the techniques such as activated carbon and molecular sieves and the recovery of the removed material if it is commercially viable.
• Ferrous metal processing: Various processing methods on iron and iron-containing alloys such as steel, stainless steel and pig iron.
• Microelectronics: Microelectronics is a subdiscipline of electronics and relates the study, design, and manufacture of small electronic components, such as microchips.
• Design principles: The elements used in design such as unity, scale, proportion, balance, symmetry, space, form, texture, colour, light, shade and congruence and their application into practice.
• Firmware: Firmware is a software program with a read-only memory (ROM) and a set of instructions that is permanently inscribed on a hardware device. Firmware is commonly used in electronic systems such as computers, mobile phones, and digital cameras.
• Welding techniques: The different methods of welding together pieces of metal using various equipment, such as oxygen-acetylene welding, gas metal arc welding and tungsten inert gas welding.
• Aircraft mechanics: Technicalities over mechanics in aircrafts and related topics in order to perform a wide range of repairs in aircrafts.
• Principles of mechanical engineering: The principles of mechanical engineering, physics, and materials science.
• Hazardous waste types: The different types of waste that pose risks to the environment or public health and safety, such as radioactive waste, chemicals and solvents, electronics, and mercury-containing waste.
• Aerospace engineering: The engineering discipline that combines various technologies and engineering disciplines such as avionics, materials science and aerodynamics to design, develop and manufacture aircraft, spacecraft, missiles and satillites.
• Legislation in agriculture: Body of regional, national and European laws enacted in the field of agriculture and forestry concerning various issues such as product quality, environmental protection and trade.
• Agricultural equipment: The offered agricultural machinery and equipment products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
• Natural gas: The various facets of natural gas: its extraction, processing, constituents, uses, environmental factors, etc.
• Gas chromatography: The principles of gas chromatography used to analyse and separate specific compounds which go to vaporisation without decomposition.
• Natural gas liquids fractionation processes: The processes used to separate natural gas liquids or NGLs into its constituents, including ethand, propane, butane, and heavier hydrocarbons. Understand the workings of the deethaniser, depropaniser, debutaniser, and butane splitter.
• Agricultural production principles: Principles and conditions of organic and sustainable agricultural production.
• Physics: The natural science involving the study of matter, motion, energy, force and related notions.
• Environmental legislation: The environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.
• Types of rotating equipment: The types of equipment and machinery that have rotating parts, such as turbines, pumps, ventilators, centrifuges, engines and gearboxes.
• Mechanics of motor vehicles: The way energy forces interact and affect components in motor vehicles such as cars, buses, invalid carriages and other motorised vehicles. 
• Non-destructive testing: The techniques used to assess the characteristics of materials, products and systems without causing damage, such as ultrasonic, radiographic, and remote visual inspection and testing.
• Stealth technology: The techniques used to make aircraft, ships, missiles and satellites less detectable to radars and sonars. This includes the design of particular shapes and the development of radar-absorbent material.
• Consumer protection: The current legislation applicable in relation to the rights of consumers in the marketplace.
• Fuel gas: The various qualities, hazards and applications of gaseous fuels, such as oxy-acetylene, oxy-gasoline, oxy-hydrogen and others.
• Agricultural chemicals: The production and characteristics of agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides or insecticides.
• Types of metal: Qualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.
• Aerodynamics: The scientific field that deals with the way gases interact with moving bodies. As we usually deal with atmospheric air, aerodynamics is primarily concerned with the forces of drag and lift, which are caused by air passing over and around solid bodies.
• CAE software: The software to perform computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis tasks such as Finite Element Analysis and Computional Fluid Dynamics.
• Fluid mechanics: The characteristics and properties of fluids, including gases, liquids and plasmas, at rest and in motion, and the forces on them.
• Computer engineering: Engineering discipline that combines computer science with electrical engineering to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineering occupies itself with electronics, software design, and the integration of hardware and software.
• Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.
• Reverse engineering: The process of extracting knowledge or design information from anything man-made and reproducing it or anything else based on the extracted information. The process often involves disassembling something and analysing its components and workings in detail.
• Electronics: The functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications.
• 3D modelling: The process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface of an object via specialised software. The product is called a 3D model. It can be displayed as a two-dimensional image through a process called 3D rendering or used in a computer simulation of physical phenomena. The model can also be physically created using 3D printing devices.
• Mechanical engineering: Discipline that applies principles of physics, engineering and materials science to design, analyse, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems.
• ICT software specifications: The characteristics, use and operations of various software products such as computer programmes and application software.
• Industrial tools: The tools and equipment used for industrial purposes, both power and hand tools, and their various uses.
• CAD software: The computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.
• Unmanned air systems: The systems used to remotely control unmanned aerial vehicles by onboard computers or by a pilot on the ground or in the air.
• Multimedia systems: The methods, procedures and techniques pertaining to the operation of multimedia systems, usually a combination of software and hardware, presenting various types of media such as video and audio.
• Mechanics of trains: The mechanical aspects and principles of the mechanics involved in trains.
• Guidance, navigation and control: The engineering discipline that deals with the design and development of systems that can control the motion of automobiles, ships, space- and aircraft. It includes control over vehicle’s trajectory from its present location to a designated target and vehicle’s speed and altitude.
• Surface engineering: The engineering discipline that studies ways to counteract environmental deterioration, such as corrosion and deformation of surfaces of materials, by altering the properties of the surfaces and making them resistant to the environment in which they will be used.
• Instrumentation engineering: The science and engineering discipline that attempts to control process variables of production and manufacturing. It also focuses on the design of systems with desired behaviours. These systems use sensors to measure the output performance of the device that is being controlled.
• Aviation meteorology: The scientific field of study that interprets the impact of weather on air traffic management (ATM) and how thorough changes in pressure and temperature values at airports can create variations in head and tail-wind components, and may impose low visibility operating conditions. Knowledge of aviation meteorology can help to reduce negative impact on the ATM system by diminishing disruption and the consequent problems of disturbed flow rates, lost capacity and induced additional costs.
• Packaging engineering: The processes of packaging or protecting products for distribution, storage and sale.
• Microelectromechanical systems: Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are miniaturised electromechanical systems made using processes of microfabrication. MEMS consist of microsensors, microactuators, microstructures, and microelectronics. MEMS can be used in a range of appliances, such as ink jet printer heads, digital light processors, gyroscopes in smart phones, accelerometers for airbags, and miniature microphones.
• Control engineering: Subdiscipline of engineering that focuses on controlling the behaviour of systems through the use of sensors and actuators.
• Defense system: The various weapons and weapon systems used to protect citizens and to harm or shield incoming enemies and enemy weapons.
• Hydraulic fracturing: The gas extraction technique in which high-pressure fluids are injected into deep water surfaces in order to release natural gas, petroleum, or other non renewable resources.
• Chemistry: The composition, structure, and properties of substances and the processes and transformations that they undergo; the uses of different chemicals and their interactions, production techniques, risk factors, and disposal methods.
• Blueprints: Must be able to read and understand blueprints, drawings and plans and maintain simple written records.
• Common aviation safety regulations: The body of legislation and regulations that apply to the field of civil aviation at regional, national, European and International levels.
• Mechatronics: Multidisciplinary field of engineering that combines principles of electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering, control engineering, computer engineering, and mechanical engineering in the design of products and manufacturing processes. The combination of these areas of engineering allows for the design and development of “smart” devices and the achievement of an optimal balance between mechanical structure and control.
• Semiconductors: Semiconductors are essential components of electronic circuits and contain properties of both insulators, such as glass, and conductors, such as copper. Most semiconductors are crystals made of silicon or germanium. By introducing other elements in the crystal through doping, the crystals turn into semiconductors. Depending on the amount of electrons created by the doping process, the crystals turn into N-type semiconductors, or P-type semiconductors.
• Robotics: The branch of engineering that involves the design, operation, manufacture, and application of robots. Robotics is part of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science and overlaps with mechatronics and automation engineering.
• Mechanics: Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.
• Types of containers: The manufacturing process of different types of containers, such as boilers and pressure vessels, and what they are used for.
• Automation technology: Set of technologies that make a process, system, or apparatus operate automatically through the use of control systems.
• Synthetic natural environment: The simulation and representation of components of physical world such as climate, wheather and space where military systems exist in order to obtain information and perform tests.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of industrial engineer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Control compliance of railway vehicles regulations: Inspect rolling stock, components and systems to ensure compliance with standards and specifications.
• Operate agricultural machinery: Operate motorised agricultural equipment including tractors, balers, sprayers, ploughs, mowers, combines, earthmoving equipment, trucks, and irrigation equipment.
• Maintain rotating equipment: Perform routine maintenance on rotating equipment to ensure that it is clean and in safe, working order.
• Manage supplies: Monitor and control the flow of supplies that includes the purchase, storage and movement of the required quality of raw materials, and also work-in-progress inventory. Manage supply chain activities and synchronise supply with demand of production and customer.
• Create solutions to problems: Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
• Keep up with digital transformation of industrial processes: Keep up to date with digital innovations applicable to industrial processes. Integrate these transformations in the company’s processes aiming for competitive and profitable business models.
• Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
• Inspect aircraft manufacturing: Conduct inspections in the aviation industry; inspect plants where aircraft parts are manufactured to ensure safety and quality control. Ensure that aircraft components are manufactured in compliance with safety and design specifications.
• Monitor utility equipment: Monitor equipment which provides utility services such as power, heat, refrigeration, and steam, in order to ensure they are functional, operate according to regulations, and to check for faults.
• Gather technical information: Apply systematic research methods and communicate with relevant parties in order to find specific information and evaluate research results to assess the information’s relevance, relating technical systems and developments.
• Conduct literature research: Conduct a comprehensive and systematic research of information and publications on a specific literature topic. Present a comparative evaluative literature summary.
• Communicate with customers: Respond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.
• Develop electronic test procedures: Develop testing protocols to enable a variety of analyses of electronic systems, products, and components.
• Automotive engineering: The discipline of engineering that combines mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering to design motor vehicles such as trucks, vans and automobiles.
• Optimise production processes parameters
• Adjust production schedule: Adjust work schedule in order to maintain permanent shift operation.
• Lead process optimisation: Lead process optimisation using statistical data. Design experiments on the production line and functional process control models.
• Operate brazing equipment: Use equipment designed for brazing processes in order to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel.
• Operate oxy-fuel welding torch: Operate a cutting torch fueled by oxyacetylene gas safely to perform welding processes on a workpiece.
• Design firmware: Design the appropriate firmware to a specific electronic system.
• Inspect quality of products: Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.
• Manage budgets: Plan, monitor, report on the budget and prepare set production budgets.
• Manage human resources: Conduct employee recruitment, helping employees to develop their personal and organisational skills, knowledge, and competencies as well as providing feedback and performance appraisals. It includes motivating employees, by implementing rewarding systems (managing pay and benefit systems) in order to maximise employee performance with regard to employer’s strategic objectives.
• Apply arc welding techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of arc welding, such as shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, submerged arc welding, flux-cored arc welding, and others.
• Schedule production: Schedule the production aiming maximum profitability while still maintaining the company KPIs in cost, quality, service and innovation.
• Maintain agricultural machinery: Maintain agricultural facilities and equipment in order to ensure that it is clean and in safe, working order. Perform routine maintenance on equipment and adjust or repair when necessary, using hand and power tools. Replace defective parts components or systems.
• Control financial resources: Monitor and control budgets and financial resources providing capable stewardship in company management.
• Operate welding equipment: Use welding equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, wearing protective eyewear during the working process.
• Operate radio navigation instruments: Operate radio navigation instruments to determine the position of aircraft in the airspace.
• Operate two-way radio systems: Use radios that can receive and transmit sound signals in order to communicate with similar radios on the same frequency such as mobile phones and walkie talkies.
• Execute analytical mathematical calculations: Apply mathematical methods and make use of calculation technologies in order to perform analyses and devise solutions to specific problems.
• Record test data: Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
• Troubleshoot: Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
• Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
• Perform welding inspection: Inspect and assure the quality of welded metals using diverse testing techniques.
• Spot metal imperfections: Observe and identify various kinds of imperfections in metal workpieces or finished products. Recognise the best fitted manner of fixing the problem, which could be caused by corrosion, rust, fractures, leaks, and other signs of wear.
• Advise on safety improvements: Provide relevant recommendations following the conclusion of an investigation; ensure that recommendations are duly considered and where appropriate acted upon.
• Encourage teams for continuous improvement
• Use specialised design software: Developing new designs mastering specialised software.
• Use computer-aided engineering systems: Use computer-aided engineering software to conduct stress analyses on engineering designs.
• Maintain relationship with suppliers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.
• Maintain industrial equipment: Perform routine maintenance on industrial machinery and equipment to ensure that it is clean and in safe, working order.
• Monitor manufacturing quality standards: Monitor quality standards in manufacturing and finishing process.
• Conduct quality control analysis: Conduct inspections and tests of services, processes, or products to evaluate quality.
• Operate precision measuring equipment: Measure the size of a processed part when checking and marking it to check if it is up to standard by use of two and three dimensional precision measuring equipment such as a caliper, a micrometer, and a measuring gauge.
• Apply brazing techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of brazing, such as torch brazing, braze welding, dip brazing, and others.
• Manage health and safety standards: Oversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company’s health and safety programmes.
• Design utility equipment: Design equipment which is used for the provision of utility services, such as heat, steam, power, and refrigeration, in order to improve efficiency and sustainability in the provision of utilities to facilities and residential properties.
• Perform test run: Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
• Define manufacturing quality criteria: Define and describe the criteria by which data quality is measured for manufacturing purposes, such as international standards and manufacturing regulations.
• Analyse packaging requirements: Analyses packaging requirement against the design of the production plan. Perform the analysis considering engineering, economic, ergonomic, and other perspectives.
• Provide cost benefit analysis reports: Prepare, compile and communicate reports with broken down cost analysis on the proposal and budget plans of the company. Analyse the financial or social costs and benefits of a project or investment in advance over a given period of time.
• Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
• Identify training needs: Analyse the training problems and identify the training requirements of an organisation or individuals, so as to provide them with instruction tailored to their prior mastery, profile, means and problem.
• Assess the life cycle of resources: Evaluate the use and possible recycling of raw materials in the whole product life cycle. Consider applicable regulations, such as the European Commission’s Circular Economy Policy Package.
• Apply advanced manufacturing: Improve production rates, efficiencies, yields, costs, and changeovers of products and processes using relevant advanced, innovative, and cutting edge technology.
• Perform demanding weldments
• Create a product’s virtual model: Create a mathematical or three-dimensional computer graphic model of the product by using a CAE system or a calculator.
• Attend trade fairs: Attend exhibitions organised to enable companies in a specific sector to demonstrate their latest products and services, study the activities of their competitors, and observe recent market trends.
• Supervise hygiene procedures in agricultural settings: Ensure that hygiene procedures in agricultural settings are followed, taking into account the regulations of specific areas of action e.q. livestock, plants, local farm products, etc.
• Create technical plans: Create detailed technical plans of machinery, equipment, tools and other products.
• Identify hazards in the workplace: Perform safety audits and inspections on workplaces and workplace equipment. Ensure that they meet safety regulations and identify hazards and risks.
• Ensure health and safety in manufacturing: Ensure health and safety of personnel during manufacturing process.
• Perform metal active gas welding: Weld metal, mostly steel, workpieces together using active gas mixtures such as concotions of argon, carbon dioxide and oxygen.
• Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
• Ensure maintenance of trains: Oversee train equipment maintenance and rail security.
• Develop material testing procedures: Develop testing protocols in collaboration with engineers and scientists to enable a variety of analyses such as environmental, chemical, physical, thermal, structural, resistance or surface analyses on a wide range of materials such as metals, ceramics or plastics.
• Plan allocation of space: Plan best allocation and utilisation of space and resources, or re-organise current premises.
• Determine production capacity: Determine how many parts or tools can be manufactured by one machine during one production cycle.
• Ensure finished product meet requirements: Ensure that finished products meet or exceed company specifications.
• Identify customer’s needs: Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
• Read standard blueprints: Read and comprehend standard blueprints, machine, and process drawings.
• Test gas purity: Test the purity of the gas using specific testing equipment.
• Ensure maintenance of railway machinery: Keep rolling stock in functional condition and maintain railway machinery.
• Ensure equipment availability: Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.
• Operate cockpit control panels: Operates control panels in the cockpit or flight deck according to the needs of the flight. Manage on-board electronic systems to ensure a smooth flight.
• Oversee assembly operations: Give technical instructions to assembly workers and control their progress to ensure compliance with quality standards and to check that the goals set in the production plan are met.
• Advise on manufacturing problems: Advise the visited industrial plants on how to better oversee production to ensure that the manufacturing problems are correctly diagnosed and solved.
• Build a product’s physical model: Build a model of the product out of wood, clay or other materials by using hand or electrical tools.
• Perform flight manoeuvres: Perform flight manoeuvres in critical situations, and associated ‘upset’ manoeuvres, in order to avoid collision.
• Implement quality management systems: Implement quality systems and procedures such as ISO systems.
• Write routine reports: Compose regular reports by writing clear observations on the monitored processes in a respective field.
• Optimise production: Analyse and identify the strengths and weaknesses of solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems; formulate and plan alternatives.
• Use CAM software: Use computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programmes to control machinery and machine tools in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation as part of the manufacturing processes of workpieces.
• Monitor automated machines: Continuously check up on the automated machine’s set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.
• Coordinate engineering teams: Plan, coordinate and supervise engineering activities together with engineers and engineering technicians. Ensure clear and effective channels of communication across all departments. Make sure the team is aware of the standards and objectives of the research and development.
• Plan manufacturing processes: Determine and schedule production and assembly steps. Plan manpower and equipment needs taking ergonomic considerations into account.
• Install automation components: Install the automation components according to the specifications of the circuit diagram.
• Analyse test data: Interpret and analyse data collected during testing in order to formulate conclusions, new insights or solutions.
• Follow safety standards in industrial contexts
• Advise customers on new equipment: Advise individual or corporate customers on the acquisition of new equipment such as machinery, tools or systems by identifying their needs and comparing the products that would suit them best.
• Integrate new products in manufacturing: Assist with the integration of new systems, products, methods, and components in the production line. Ensure that production workers are properly trained and follow the new requirements.
• Evaluate employees work: Evaluate the need for labour for the work ahead. Evaluate the performance of the team of workers and inform superiors. Encourage and support the employees in learning, teach them techniques and check the application to ensure product quality and labour productivity.
• Examine engineering principles: Analyse the principles that need to be considered for engineering designs and projects such as functionality, replicability, costs and other principles.
• Advise on efficiency improvements: Analyse information and details of processes and products in order to advise on possible efficiency improvements that could be implemented and would signify a better use of resources.
• Provide advice to technicians
• Use non-destructive testing equipment: Use specific non-destructive testing methods and equipment that do not cause any damage to the product, such as X-rays, ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle inspection, industrial CT scanning and others, in order to find defects in and assure quality of a manufactured and a repaired product.
• Research welding techniques: Use a wide network to inform yourself of the various existing techniques used for welding metal pieces, their qualities and applications.
• Ensure correct gas pressure: Ensure the necessary, usually constant, pressure of gas which is part of a machine or tool, such as torching equipment, used to process metal workpieces during metal fabrication processes.
• Perform take off and landing: Perform normal and cross-wind take-off and landing operations.
• Monitor production developments: Monitor parameters to keep an eye on the production, developments and costs within your area of control.
• Oversee aircraft sensor and recording systems: Supervise the installation of the aircraft sensors and recording systems during the flight tests to ensure that they meet required data paramaters.
• Inspect industrial equipment: Inspect equipment used during industrial activities such as manufacturing or construction equipment in order to ensure that the equipment complies with health, safety, and environmental legislation.
• Supervise staff: Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.
• Liaise with quality assurance: Work closely with the relevant quality assurance or grading party involved.
• Develop scientific research protocols: Develop and record the procedural method used for a specific scientific experiment in order to enable its replication.
• Consult technical resources: Read and interpret technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.
• Ensure fulfilment of legal requirements: Ensure that all legal requirements are met.
• Perform tungsten inert gas welding: Weld metal workpieces together by tungsten intert gas (TIG) welding. This arc welding process welds metal workpieces using the heat generated between an arc of electricity struck between a non-consumable tungsten metal electrode. Use an argon or helium inert gas to shield the weld from athmospheric contamination.
• Draft design specifications: List the design specifications such as materials and parts to be used and a cost estimate.
• Develop mechatronic test procedures: Develop testing protocols to enable a variety of analyses of mechatronic systems, products, and components.
• Analyse stress resistance of materials: Analyse the ability of materials to endure stress imposed by temperature, loads, motion, vibration, and other factors using mathematical formulae and computer simulations.
• Test chemical samples: Perform the testing procedures on the already prepared chemical samples, by using the necessary equipment and materials. Chemical sample testing involves operations such as pipetting or diluting schemes.
• Manage chemical testing procedures: Manage the procedures to be used in chemical testing by designing them and conducting tests accordingly.
• Draft bill of materials: Set up a list of materials, components, and assemblies as well as the quantities needed to manufacture a certain product.
• Recognise signs of corrosion: Recognise the symptoms of metal showing oxidation reactions with the environment resulting in rusting, copper pitting, stress cracking, and others, and estimate the rate of corrosion.
• Read engineering drawings: Read the technical drawings of a product made by the engineer in order to suggest improvements, make models of the product or operate it.
• Use CAD software: Use computer-aided design (CAD) systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation of a design.
• Operate gas extraction equipment: Operate the equipment used for oxygen and nitrogen extraction equipment such as compressors, fractionating columns, heat exchangers and purifying towers.
• Manage product testing: Oversee the testing procedures to ensure that the end-product complies with the quality and safety requirements.
• Design prototypes: Design prototypes of products or components of products by applying design and engineering principles.
• Conduct performance tests: Conduct a comprehensive and systematic research of information and publications on a specific literature topic. Present a comparative evaluative literature summary.
• Ensure aircraft compliance with regulation: Ensure that every aircraft complies with applicable regulation and all components and equipment have officially valid components.
• Monitor plant production: Monitor plant processes and efficiency set-up to ensure the maximum output of production levels.
• Recommend product improvements: Recommend product modifications, new features or accessories to keep customers interested.
• Apply technical communication skills: Explain technical details to non-technical customers, stakeholders, or any other interested parties in a clear and concise manner.
• Use chemical analysis equipment: Use the laboratory equipment such as Atomic Absorption equimpent, PH and conductivity meters or salt spray chambre.
• Design electromechanical systems: Draft sketches and design electromechanical systems, products, and components using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and equipment.
• Report analysis results: Produce research documents or give presentations to report the results of a conducted research and analysis project, indicating the analysis procedures and methods which led to the results, as well as potential interpretations of the results.
• Liaise with engineers: Collaborate with engineers to ensure common understanding and discuss product design, development and improvement.
• Determine production feasibility: Determine if a product or its components can be produced by applying engineering principles.
• Install software: Install machine-readable instructions, such as computer programs, in order to direct the computer’s processor to perform a certain set of actions.
• Ensure equipment maintenance: Ensure that the equipment required for operations is regularly checked for faults, that routine maintenance tasks are performed, and that repairs are scheduled and performed in the case of damage or flaws.
• Replace machines: Evaluate when to invest in replacing machines or machine tools and take the necessary actions.
• Perform project management: Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project’s progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
• Program firmware: Program permanent software with a read-only memory (ROM) on a hardware device, such as an integrated circuit.
• Set production facilities standards: Ensure a high standard of safety and quality in facilities, systems, and workers’ behaviour. Ensure adherence to procedures and audit standards. Ensure that machinery and appliances in the production plant are appropriate for their task.
• Operate hydrogen extraction equipment: Operate the equipment used in hydrogen extraction and processing.
• Provide improvement strategies: Identify root causes of problems and submit proposals for effective and long-term solutions.
• Plan test flights: Draft the test plan by describing maneuver-by-maneuver for each test flight in order to to measure take-off distances, rate of climb, stall speeds, manoeuvrability and landing capacities.
• Develop new welding techniques: Design and optimise new techniques for welding together metal pieces; devise a solution to a welding problem after having performed research into the matter. Take into account the properties of the welding materials and the equipment.
• Execute feasibility study: Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a project, plan, proposition or new idea. Realise a standardised study which is based on extensive investigation and research to support the process of decision making.
• Set up the controller of a machine: Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.
• Define technical requirements
• Build business relationships: Establish a positive, long-term relationship between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the organisation and its objectives.
• Maintain safe engineering watches: Observe principles in keeping an engineering watch. Take over, accept and hand over a watch. Perform routine duties undertaken during a watch. Maintain the machinery space logs and the significance of the readings taken. Observe safety and emergency procedures. Observe safety precautions during a watch and take immediate actions in the event of fire or accident, with particular reference to oil systems.
• Ensure material compliance: Ensure that the materials provided by suppliers comply with the specified requirements.
• Maintain control systems for automated equipment: Check, maintain and repair electrical and electronic elements. Check and update software of automated equipment.
• Maintain electromechanical equipment: Diagnose and detect malfunctions in electromechanical components and systems and remove, replace, or repair these components when necessary. Execute preventative equipment maintenance tasks, such as storing the components and machines in clean, dust-free, and non-humid spaces.
• Plan new packaging designs: Come up with new ideas concerning the size, shape and colour of packaging.
• Control of expenses: Monitor and maintain effective cost controls, in regards to efficiencies, waste, overtime and staffing. Assessing excesses and strives for efficiency and productivity.
• Estimate duration of work: Produce accurate calculations on time necessary to fulfil future technical tasks based on past and present information and observations or plan the estimated duration of individual tasks in a given project.
• Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
• Render 3D images: Use specialised tools to convert 3D wire frame models into 2D images with 3D photorealistic effects or non-photorealistic rendering on a computer.
• Prepare production prototypes: Prepare early models or prototypes in order to test concepts and replicability possibilities. Create prototypes to assess for pre-production tests.
• Assess financial viability: Revise and analyse financial information and requirements of projects such as their budget appraisal, expected turnover, and risk assessment for determining the benefits and costs of the project. Assess if the agreement or project will redeem its investment, and whether the potential profit is worth the financial risk.
• Set up automotive robot: Set up and programme an automotive robot working on machine processes and substituting or collaboratively supporting human labour, such as the six-axis automotive robot.
• Design natural gas processing systems: Design equipment and procedures to remove impurities from natural gas in order to ensure the by-products comply to regulations and can be used as fuel.
• Perform metal inert gas welding: Weld metal workpieces together using inert gasses or gas mixtures such as argon and helium. This technique is usually used for welding aluminium and other non-ferrous metals.
• Develop test procedures: Develop testing protocols to enable a variety of analyses of products, systems, and components.
• Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.
• Analyse production processes for improvement: Analyse production processes leading toward improvement. Analyse in order to reduce production losses and overall manufacturing costs.
• Operate soldering equipment: Use soldering equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, such as a soldering gun, soldering torch, gas-powered iron, and others.
• Select filler metal
• Perform resource planning: Estimate the expected input in terms of time, human and financial resources necessary to achieve the project objectives.
• Follow company standards: Lead and manage according to the organisation’s code of conduct.
• Design automation components: Design engineering parts, assemblies, products, or systems that contribute to the automation of industrial machines.
• Perform routine flight operations checks: Perform checks before and during flight: conduct pre-flight and in-flight inspections of aircraft performance, route and fuel usage, runway availability, airspace restrictions, etc.
• Maintain financial records: Keep track of and finalise all formal documents representing the financial transactions of a business or project.
• Draw design sketches: Create rough pictures to assist in creating and communicating design concepts.
• Develop product design: Convert market requirements into product design and development.
• Perform market research: Gather, assess and represent data about target market and customers in order to facilitate strategic development and feasibility studies. Identify market trends.
• Control production: Plan, coordinate, and direct all production activities to insure the goods are made on time, in correct order, of adequate quality and composition, starting from intake goods up to shipping.

2141 – Industrial and production engineer

---

 References

1. Industrial engineer – ESCO
2. Industrial Engineers : Occupational Outlook Handbook – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. Industrial Engineer Job Description | Indeed.com
4. Industrial Engineer Job Description – Betterteam
5. Industrial Engineer in Canada – Job Bank
6. Featured image: Image by Tung Lam from Pixabay