What does a design engineering manager do?
A design engineering manager is in charge of overseeing engineering projects and managing a team of design engineers, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to ensure that projects adhere to the budgets and schedules, set objectives and guidelines, organize staff schedules, liaise with external parties such as vendors and suppliers, and develop designs according to the project's needs and the clients' preferences. They must also handle issues and concerns, resolving them in a prompt and efficient manner.
Design engineering manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real design engineering manager resumes:
- Manage all inside and outside tooling and design work, programming of the CNC turret presses and laser cutting equipment.
- Manage QA for research orient development efforts and for high visibility, production focuse development efforts tie to revenue generation.
- Perform analysis including amplifier RF loop budgets and are a key contributor to the RF architecture.
- Introduce SolidWorks for equipment design, component analysis, customer presentation, and photo rendering of products for marketing purposes.
- Work closely with assembly to develop a BOM structure in MRP that optimize both the assembly and engineering release processes.
- Lead engineering efforts of design, drawing creation, BOM development, test plan creation, manufacturing reviews and safety reviews.
- Produce detailed application architecture and technical design documents.
- Create and review design and architecture specifications, and interface specifications.
- Coordinate initiatives with other functional managers to improve the provisioning process and intervals.
- Serve as ISO management representative in charge of internal/external audits and all document control.
- Utilize SolidWorks software to design each structural component in order to facilitate presentation, fabrication, and analysis.
- Work with application and other infrastructure teams to facilitate application on-boarding, testing, move-ups, and user security infrastructure integration.
- Optimize the SPC system to react more effectively to out of control conditions and authore response plans to reduce yield losses.
- Perform repair and preventative maintenance to extrusion line.
Design engineering manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Design Engineering Managers are proficient in CAD, Project Management, and Aided Design. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Design Engineering Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CAD, 10%
Developed new electronic CAD filing system that allowed faster retrieval of electronic files.
- Project Management, 8%
Developed internal project management planning and business controls to improve manufacturing scheduling, delivery timing, cost and quality.
- Aided Design, 6%
Cut operational costs by developing a guideline computer aided design & engineering strategy for addressing specific customer needs.
- Solidworks, 6%
Utilized SolidWorks software to design each structural component in order to facilitate presentation, fabrication, and analysis.
- Continuous Improvement, 5%
Participated in Six-Sigma continuous improvement internal company programs, Just-In-TimePlanning and Lean manufacturing methodologies.
- Mechanical Design, 4%
Lead mechanical designer and mechanical design manager for aircraft mounted antenna systems.
Common skills that a design engineering manager uses to do their job include "cad," "project management," and "aided design." You can find details on the most important design engineering manager responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a design engineering manager to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "architectural and engineering managers evaluate information to solve problems." Design engineering managers often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "ensured that circuit design data translated into circuit board layout data for factory manufacturing with minimal to no errors/defects. "
Communication skills. Many design engineering manager duties rely on communication skills. "architectural and engineering managers must effectively convey information and expectations related to projects.," so a design engineering manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways design engineering manager responsibilities rely on communication skills: "facilitated design reviews and communication within matrix organization and with system supplier. "
Organizational skills. A big part of what design engineering managers do relies on "organizational skills." You can see how essential it is to design engineering manager responsibilities because "architectural and engineering managers keep track of many workers, schedules, and budgets simultaneously." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical design engineering manager tasks: "cost reduction projects include part redesign, material change, supplier change, organizational changes and process improvements. "
Math skills. A commonly-found skill in design engineering manager job descriptions, "math skills" is essential to what design engineering managers do. Design engineering manager responsibilities rely on this skill because "architectural and engineering managers use calculus and other mathematics to develop new products and processes." You can also see how design engineering manager duties rely on math skills in this resume example: "modified surface math to create solid models for rapid prototyping, facilitating evaluation of design. "
The three companies that hire the most design engineering managers are:
- Black & Veatch51 design engineering managers jobs
- Deloitte25 design engineering managers jobs
- The Aerospace Corporation24 design engineering managers jobs
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Compare different design engineering managers
Design engineering manager vs. Research and development director
A research and development director spearheads and oversees the research and development initiatives and projects in a company. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, establish timelines and budgets, direct and manage different departments, liaise with internal and external parties, gather and analyze data to implement solutions against problem areas, and utilize expertise in developing strategies to optimize company operations. Moreover, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while promoting the company's policies and regulations, creating new ones as needed.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between design engineering managers and research and development director. For instance, design engineering manager responsibilities require skills such as "aided design," "solidworks," "continuous improvement," and "mechanical design." Whereas a research and development director is skilled in "oversight," "business development," "strategic direction," and "due diligence." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Research and development directors earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $167,250. On the other hand, design engineering managers are paid more in the construction industry with an average salary of $150,344.The education levels that research and development directors earn slightly differ from design engineering managers. In particular, research and development directors are 6.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a design engineering manager. Additionally, they're 11.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Design engineering manager vs. Research and development manager
A research and development manager is responsible for supervising project development procedures to support business operations and identify business opportunities that would pave the way for more revenue resources and profits. Research and development managers monitor the production plans from the conceptualization to the final outputs, inspecting inconsistencies and flaws in every phase and revising strategies as needed to achieve the required specifications and requirements. They delegate tasks to the staff, oversee progress, and conduct research and development programs to maximize productivity and team efforts.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real design engineering manager resumes. While design engineering manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "aided design," "continuous improvement," "mechanical design," and "system design," research and development managers use skills like "customer service," "patients," "c++," and "c #."
Research and development managers may earn a lower salary than design engineering managers, but research and development managers earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $143,083. On the other hand, design engineering managers receive higher pay in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $150,344.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Research and development managers tend to reach higher levels of education than design engineering managers. In fact, they're 5.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 11.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Design engineering manager vs. Manager, systems engineering
A systems engineering manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of the company's technology systems and network infrastructure. System engineering managers inspect the output deliverables of computer systems, identifying process improvement techniques to improve optimal performance and maintain high-quality results. They handle the department's budget and allocate adequate resources to support project management operations and requirements. A systems engineering manager must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, handling technical complexities, and configuring system management tools.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, design engineering managers are more likely to have skills like "aided design," "solidworks," "continuous improvement," and "mechanical design." But a manager, systems engineering is more likely to have skills like "systems engineering," "architecture," "dod," and "infrastructure."
Managers, systems engineering earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $131,371. Comparatively, design engineering managers have the highest earning potential in the construction industry, with an average salary of $150,344.When it comes to education, managers, systems engineering tend to earn similar degree levels compared to design engineering managers. In fact, they're 2.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Design engineering manager vs. Mechanical design engineer
A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals. Typically assigned in an office setting, a mechanical design engineer must visit construction sites or factories to test and observe equipment qualities. Furthermore, during production, there are instances when a mechanical engineer must coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and clients.
Types of design engineering manager
Updated January 8, 2025
