what is a manufacturing engineer?
As a manufacturing engineer, you rely on your technical expertise to improve the production of an item. Your job involves making product design changes or developing effective manufacturing processes. You develop solutions to production issues and perform cost-benefit analyses to ensure the production process is efficient. As a manufacturing engineer, you remain up-to-date on new manufacturing processes to improve optimisation across product lines.
Manufacturing engineers work on every step of the manufacturing process, from planning to interpreting the product designs and supervising the production. You assist with the interpretation of product designs and actualise them through production. Manufacturing principles apply to all industries, meaning you can work in the pharmaceuticals, plastics, biotechnology and food and drink industries.
As a manufacturing engineer, you are a designer, creative thinker and analyst to improve the production process and ensure the goods meet the required standards. Since you work with a team, you require teamwork skills to work with engineers from various disciplines. You also supervise junior engineers to ensure efficiency in production and high-quality products. That means you require leadership skills to guide the manufacturing process and motivate other workers to perform their duties.
Would working as a manufacturing engineer suit your creativity and design skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a manufacturing engineer role.
find job vacanciesaverage manufacturing engineer salary
According to ONS, the median salary of a manufacturing engineer is £39,267 per year. At an entry-level position, you earn a compensation package of £35,000 annually. As your experience increases, you are likely to earn a higher salary of up to £52,937 yearly. Salary levels for manufacturing engineers depend on various factors, from the industry to organisation size and location.
how to increase your salary as a manufacturing engineer
The salary of a manufacturing engineer depends on qualifications. In an entry-level position, you have minimal experience and are likely to earn a lower salary. As your qualifications improve, you qualify for better-paying jobs. For instance, chartered engineers may work on a consultancy basis or as contractors.
The industry you work in also influences your earnings. When you work in pharmaceutical industries, you require additional expertise in handling sensitive production processes. Food and drink companies also pay more due to the additional requirements of the role.
Working for a big company with complex production and manufacturing processes also increases your compensation package. Small start-ups have projects that don’t require extensive experience. Hence, the earnings are less than manufacturing engineers working in larger companies.
types of manufacturing engineers
Manufacturing engineers work on projects in various industries and may specialise in various aspects of the role, including:
- research: as a manufacturing engineer in charge of research, you explore new concepts and ideas for products. You research the materials and make improvements to the existing products. You ensure your company stays ahead of the competition by introducing improved ideas or innovating an advanced product manufacturing process
- design: as a manufacturing engineer, you design products that match consumers’ needs. For instance, you improve the manufacturing process to boost the quality of the products. As a design manufacturing engineer, you consider the entire life cycle of a product.
- production: a manufacturing engineer in charge of production optimises the manufacturing process to ensure safety and efficiency. The role of a manufacturing engineer during production is to manage the production team, maintain schedules and deal with health and safety issues that arise.
- quality assurance: as a manufacturing engineer, you are also a tester who ensures the products meet strict quality control standards. Your job is to design and review quality systems. You also instruct and supervise workers who conduct quality assurance tests.
working as a manufacturing engineer
Working as a manufacturing engineer is rewarding, allowing you to create products and develop production processes. Here is a breakdown of manufacturing engineers' daily activities, responsibilities and duties.
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manufacturing engineer job description
The responsibilities of a manufacturing engineer include the following:
- studying existing manufacturing processes: as a manufacturing engineer, you evaluate a company's manufacturing processes. Your job is to identify strengths and weaknesses in the processes and potential improvements. You create and implement solutions to ensure the production process is seamless.
- developing protocols to improve product line optimisation: as a manufacturing engineer, you play a strategic role in identifying issues in a production line and finding ways to improve the processes. If the production process requires improvement, you develop protocols for optimising the product line. You guide the technical and budgetary aspects of improving the manufacturing process.
- designing new products: as a manufacturing engineer, you are part of the design team that develops prototypes for new products. You study the consumer requirements and develop the specialist processes used to manufacture the products. During the design stage, you determine the life cycle of a product from production to disposal at the end of its life.
- working with financial teams: as a manufacturing engineer, you work with the marketing teams to explain the product uses. You also work with the finance team to provide relevant information that affects pricing and marketing decisions.
- managing the procurement of raw materials: as a manufacturing engineer, your job involves managing procurement processes. You ensure the production team has raw materials to develop high-quality products.
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work environment
As a manufacturing engineer, you work in various industries, but the work environment is relatively consistent across all industries. When you work with technology constantly, you spend most of your days on your desk running design software and familiarising yourself with upcoming technologies. Manufacturing engineers also work in factories or plants. Most factory environments are indoors and climate controlled to ensure quality control. Working in factories requires the use of safety gear and gloves. Manufacturing engineers also work outdoors in assembling industries or furniture production companies.
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who are your colleagues?
Manufacturing engineers work alongside various professionals, including mechanical engineers, project managers and process engineers. You also collaborate with quality control inspectors, electrical engineers and systems engineers, as well as other professionals like finance managers and operations managers.
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work schedule
As a manufacturing engineer, you work the typical work days, from 9 am to 5 pm. Sometimes you work longer hours when you have tight deadlines or need to supervise the production process closely. Most manufacturing engineers work full-time positions, with few working in part-time roles. Some manufacturing engineers work on short-term contracts or provide consultancy services on various projects.
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job outlook
You start your career in a junior engineer role and work your way up as you improve your skills and experience. Manufacturing engineers with experience become senior engineers or attain chartered status. Most manufacturing engineers move to managerial positions, like becoming operations managers or project managers. After years of experience and specialisation in an industry, you can become a consultant.
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advantages of finding a manufacturing engineer job through randstad
Finding your manufacturing engineer job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as an manufacturing engineer is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
To become a manufacturing engineer, you require the following qualifications:
- undergraduate degree: you require a manufacturing engineering degree to join the field. Other undergraduate degrees useful in the role include mechanical engineering, industrial engineering and process engineering. To improve your prospects in the role, obtain a master’s in engineering with a specialisation in engineering or technology. If you want corporate leadership, complete a master’s in business administration.
- work experience: while most of the training on manufacturing takes place when you are obtaining the degree course, you require additional work experience. Completing hands-on projects and internships builds your skills and knowledge. When you are hired, you also receive in-house training from your employer on the specific systems and requirements of the company.
manufacturing engineer skills and competencies
Some of the qualities of a manufacturing engineer include the following:
- creativity: as a manufacturing engineer, you visualise new products and develop appealing product designs. You rely on your creativity to design new products and utilise the existing manufacturing systems to optimise production processes.
- financial skills: as a manufacturing engineer, your job involves a cost-benefit analysis of the production processes. You require financial skills to understand the costs associated with a project. For instance, it is important to understand the cost of production to adjust the numbers and ensure optimal pricing.
- teamwork skills: as a manufacturing engineer, you work with various professionals to ensure high-quality products. For instance, you work with testers, designers, security experts, system experts and researchers to ensure the launched products meet consumer expectations. Teamwork skills help you listen to other people's ideas and delegate duties to ensure work is completed on time.
- communication skills: as a manufacturing engineer, you collaborate with various workers to create products. You rely on clear and open communications to relay instructions to junior engineers. Effective communication ensures all the parties involved in a project understand the parameters of the existing technology and materials used.
FAQs about working as a manufacturing engineer
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a manufacturing engineer.
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what is the job role of a manufacturing engineer?
A manufacturing engineer works inside factories and production facilities to coordinate manufacturing. Your job is to develop efficient manufacturing systems and processes to improve the production process. You interpret the product designs based on the user requirements and ensure high-quality products.
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is a manufacturing engineer a good job?
As a manufacturing engineer, you work on challenging but fulfilling projects. If you enjoy working with a team and challenging work environments, manufacturing engineering is a perfect career for you. Manufacturing engineers have a high level of career satisfaction since they develop useful products.
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what are the key skills of a manufacturing engineer?
As a manufacturing engineer, you require technical knowledge of using various equipment. You guide junior engineers in the production process. Hence, understanding the production systems helps guide other engineers. You also rely on communication skills to relay instructions clearly and listen to ideas from other professionals to improve the production process.
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what are the qualifications of a manufacturing engineer?
You require a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering or process engineering to become a manufacturing engineer. A master’s degree prepares you for managerial positions in manufacturing and process engineering. You also require work experience to learn the ropes and understand the manufacturing systems of a particular company.
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what are the benefits of being a manufacturing engineer?
Some of the benefits of becoming a manufacturing engineer include job stability and endless career opportunities. Since you can work in any industry, you have multiple career advancement opportunities. You also enjoy job satisfaction since you create useful products for consumers. Manufacturing engineers also gain leadership experience through guiding junior engineers.
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how do I apply for a manufacturing engineer vacancy?
Applying for a manufacturing engineer job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
