Science & ResearchISCO 2141
Industrial engineer
An industrial engineer is a person who designs production systems, arranging the work of people, machines and the flow of material so that a product can be made efficiently and without waste.
Check yourself in a minute: industrial engineer
Rate 5 of the 8 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
optimise production processes parameters
adjust engineering designs
approve engineering design
production processes
engineering principles
About industrial engineer
Industrial engineering brings many variables together at once: workers and their tasks, technology, the ergonomics of workstations, production flows and the requirements written into a product specification. From these the industrial engineer designs and implements a production system, which means the machine layout, the sequence of operations, the staffing and the way material passes between stations. They optimise production process parameters: cycle times, machine settings, batch sizes and the points where stock accumulates.
Engineering designs are adapted when a prototype cannot be made the way it was drawn, and they are approved by the engineer before they go into production. Knowledge of production and distribution processes means looking past the shop floor to what happens to the product afterwards. Industrial engineers also specify and design microsystems, meaning solutions at the scale of very small individual components.
Engineering principles, manufacturing technology and knowledge of manufacturing processes, among them machining, assembly, welding and forming, are the foundation. Someone starting out measures and documents existing processes before redesigning them. Formal requirements are set by the employer.
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (8)
production processesproduction processesMaterials and techniques required in the production and distribution processes.engineering principlesengineering principlesThe engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.manufacturing processesmanufacturing processesThe steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.production engineeringproduction engineeringThe subfield of industrial engineering that corresponds to the practice of generating efficient products by transforming raw material into finite products.industrial engineeringindustrial engineeringThe field of engineering concerned with the development, improvement, and implementation of complex processes and systems of knowledge, people, equipment, etc.optimise production processes parametersoptimise production processes parametersOptimise and maintain the parameters of the production process such as flow, temperature or pressure.adjust engineering designsadjust engineering designsAdjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.approve engineering designapprove engineering designGive consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
Optional (67) — show
continuous improvement philosophiescontinuous improvement philosophiesUnderlying ideas of quality management systems. Implementation process of lean manufacturing, Kanban, Kaizen, Total Quality Management (TQM) and other continuous improvement systems.instrumentation equipmentinstrumentation equipmentThe equipment and instruments used for the monitoring and controlling of processes, such as valves, regulators, circuit breakers, and relays.material mechanicsmaterial mechanicsThe behaviour of solid objects when subjected to stresses and strains, and the methods to calculate these stresses and strains.electromechanicselectromechanicsThe 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 creat...design drawingsdesign drawingsThe drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.electrical engineeringelectrical engineeringThe field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.mathematicsmathematicsMathematics 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 pr...microelectronicsmicroelectronicsMicroelectronics is a subdiscipline of electronics and relates the study, design, and manufacture of small electronic components, such as microchips.design principlesdesign principlesThe elements used in design such as unity, scale, proportion, balance, symmetry, space, form, texture, colour, light, shade and congruence and their application into practice.welding techniqueswelding techniquesThe 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.principles of mechanical engineeringprinciples of mechanical engineeringThe principles of mechanical engineering, physics, and materials science.technical drawingstechnical drawingsDrawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.aerospace engineeringaerospace engineeringThe engineering discipline that combines various technologies and engineering disciplines such as avionics, materials science and aerodynamics in order to design, develop and manufacture aircraft, spa...physicsphysicsThe natural science involving the study of matter, motion, energy, force and related notions.environmental legislationenvironmental legislationThe environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.types of metaltypes of metalQualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.lean manufacturinglean manufacturingLean manufacturing is a methodology that focuses on minimizing waste within manufacturing systems while simultaneously maximizing productivity.computer engineeringcomputer engineeringEngineering discipline that combines computer science with electrical engineering to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineering occupies itself with electronics, software design, and...quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.electronicselectronicsThe functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications.3D modelling3D modellingThe 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-dimension...mechanical engineeringmechanical engineeringDiscipline that applies principles of physics, engineering and materials science to design, analyse, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems.industrial toolsindustrial toolsThe tools and equipment used for industrial purposes, both power and hand tools, and their various uses.CAD softwareCAD softwareThe computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.microelectromechanical systemsmicroelectromechanical systemsMicroelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are miniaturised electromechanical systems made using processes of microfabrication. MEMS consist of microsensors, microactuators, microstructures, and microelect...chemistrychemistryThe 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 fa...mechatronicsmechatronicsMultidisciplinary field of engineering that combines principles of electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering, control engineering, computer engineering, and mechanical engineering in the ...semiconductorssemiconductorsSemiconductors 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 silico...roboticsroboticsThe 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 over...industrial research and developmentindustrial research and developmentThe set of activities that companies carry out to do industrial innovation and introduce new engineering products and services or new industrial production processes.mechanicsmechanicsTheoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.automation technologyautomation technologySet of technologies that make a process, system, or apparatus operate automatically through the use of control systems.keep up with digital transformation of industrial processeskeep up with digital transformation of industrial processesKeep 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.coordinate manufacturing production activitiescoordinate manufacturing production activitiesCoordinate manufacturing activities based on production strategies, policies and plans. Study details of the planning such as expected quality of the products, quantities, cost, and labour required to...communicate with customerscommunicate with customersRespond 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.automotive engineeringautomotive engineeringThe discipline of engineering that combines mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering to design motor vehicles such as trucks, vans and automobiles.lead process optimisationlead process optimisationLead process optimisation using statistical data. Design experiments on the production line and functional process control models.manage budgetsmanage budgetsPlan, monitor, report on the budget and prepare set production budgets.schedule productionschedule productionSchedule the production aiming maximum profitability while still maintaining the company KPIs in cost, quality, service and innovation.execute analytical mathematical calculationsexecute analytical mathematical calculationsApply mathematical methods and make use of calculation technologies in order to perform analyses and devise solutions to specific problems.maintain relationship with suppliersmaintain relationship with suppliersBuild 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 equipmentmaintain industrial equipmentPerform routine maintenance on industrial machinery and equipment to ensure that it is clean and in safe, working order.perform test runperform test runPerform 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, ...apply advanced manufacturingapply advanced manufacturingImprove production rates, efficiencies, yields, costs, and changeovers of products and processes using relevant advanced, innovative, and cutting edge technology.determine production capacitydetermine production capacityDetermine how many parts or tools can be manufactured by one machine during one production cycle.oversee assembly operationsoversee assembly operationsGive 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 problemsadvise on manufacturing problemsAdvise the visited industrial plants on how to better oversee production to ensure that the manufacturing problems are correctly diagnosed and solved.optimise productionoptimise productionAnalyse and identify the strengths and weaknesses of solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems; formulate and plan alternatives.coordinate engineering teamscoordinate engineering teamsPlan, coordinate and supervise engineering activities together with engineers and engineering technicians. Ensure clear and effective channels of communication across all departments. Make sure the te...plan manufacturing processesplan manufacturing processesDetermine and schedule production and assembly steps. Plan manpower and equipment needs taking ergonomic considerations into account.integrate new products in manufacturingintegrate new products in manufacturingAssist 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.examine engineering principlesexamine engineering principlesAnalyse the principles that need to be considered for engineering designs and projects such as functionality, replicability, costs and other principles.read engineering drawingsread engineering drawingsRead 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 softwareuse CAD softwareUse computer-aided design (CAD) systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation of a design.manage production systemsmanage production systemsOrganize, manage, and maintain all aspects of production, including product design, production planning, and production control systems (for example by the use of the computer program WFM).design prototypesdesign prototypesDesign prototypes of products or components of products by applying design and engineering principles.develop production linedevelop production lineDevelop the production line of a designed product. This corresponds to a sequence of mechanical or manual operations involved within a production process of a manufactured product.liaise with engineersliaise with engineersCollaborate with engineers to ensure common understanding and discuss product design, development and improvement.perform project managementperform project managementManage 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 g...provide improvement strategiesprovide improvement strategiesIdentify root causes of problems and submit proposals for effective and long-term solutions.train employeestrain employeesLead 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 perform...prepare production prototypesprepare production prototypesPrepare early models or prototypes in order to test concepts and replicability possibilities. Create prototypes to assess for pre-production tests.build machinesbuild machinesDesign and construct machines and installations for manufacturing purposes.analyse production processes for improvementanalyse production processes for improvementAnalyse production processes leading toward improvement. Analyse in order to reduce production losses and overall manufacturing costs.design automation componentsdesign automation componentsDesign engineering parts, assemblies, products, or systems that contribute to the automation of industrial machines.develop product designdevelop product designConvert market requirements into product design and development.control productioncontrol productionPlan, 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.
Related Occupations
Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.
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Frequently asked questions
What does an industrial engineer do?
Industrial engineers design a vast array of production systems aiming to present efficient and effective solutions. They integrate a varied number of variables such as workers, technology, ergonomics, production flows, and product specifications for the design and implementation of production systems. They can specify and design for microsystems as well.
What skills does an industrial engineer need?
An industrial engineer needs 8 essential skills, including production processes, engineering principles, manufacturing processes, production engineering, industrial engineering.
Will AI replace industrial engineer jobs?
The AI disruption score for industrial engineer is 64/100 (high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: quality standards, determine production capacity, execute analytical mathematical calculations. Most resilient: welding techniques, maintain relationship with suppliers, instrumentation equipment.
AI Replacement Risk
64/ 100
High Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Skills most at risk from AI
Skills resilient to automation
This is the average for the whole occupation. The AI Career Shield test (about 10 minutes) shows the risk in your own work and what you can do about it.
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