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Design manufacturing engineer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
Quoted experts
Charles Jenckes,
Bryant Harrison
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical design manufacturing engineer skills. We ranked the top skills for design manufacturing engineers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.3% of design manufacturing engineer resumes contained cnc as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a design manufacturing engineer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 design manufacturing engineer skills for your resume and career

1. CNC

CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. It is a subtractive manufacturing technique that usually uses computerized controls and machine tools to strip layers of material from a stock piece.

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use cnc:
  • Doubled manufacturing capacity by designing and supervising construction of two 8-axis CNC grinding machines.
  • Collaborated with CNC operators and manufacturing engineers to develop post processors for CNC machines.

2. Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement is an ongoing process of improvement of products, services, and processes with the help of innovative ideas. It is an organized approach that helps an organization to find its weaknesses and improve them.

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use continuous improvement:
  • Initiate continuous improvement and lean activities to improve efficiency and first time through in order to maximize profitability and customer satisfaction.
  • Developed and maintained validation protocols, work instructions and involved extensively in continuous improvement projects on the production floor.

3. GD

GD refers to Grade Delay and is often mentioned on report cards or academic records when the instructor of a particular subject decides to hold the grade of a student. This is usually done if the instructor wants the student to improve their grade by retaking the exam or doing something for extra credit that will ultimately enhance their overall grade. Eventually, when the grade is assigned, the GD is then replaced with the original grade.

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use gd:
  • Created drawings using computer aided design techniques and ASME Y14.5M GD & T drafting standards and generated materials lists.
  • Performed GD & T and tolerance analysis for vendor parts preventing future issues part of First Article Inspection Process.

4. Engineering Drawings

Engineering drawings are technical drawings that tell about the requirements for engineering components or equipment. Such drawings have standardized languages and symbols. There are multiple types of engineering drawings such as isometric drawing, orthographic or multiview drawing, schematic drawings, one view, and two view drawings, etc.

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use engineering drawings:
  • Created Engineering Drawings consisting of assembly/parts drawings/BOM/tooling for a manufacturer of custom canned coil springs; sealing/connecting/conducting/EMI/shielding/ grounding products
  • Evaluated engineering drawings for Essence Series windows and fiberglass doors and released for manufacturing to ensure compatibility.

5. DFM

Design for manufacturability, or DFM, is an engineering methodology used to create a product that is easy to both manufacture and use. When taking DFM into consideration, engineers look into the relevant processes, information about the product, and ways to make future upgrades easy. For designers, engineers, or other experts who use DFM, their main goal is to create a product that is easy to produce at a reasonable price. This can be done with carefully aligned steps and compromise throughout the design process to create a product design that maximizes utility and minimizes cost.

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use dfm:
  • Streamlined and codified checklists to make DFM easier for design teams to implement.
  • Worked with engineering on re-designing complex parts for cost reduction and DFM.

6. Lean Manufacturing

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use lean manufacturing:
  • Project management of new tooling and modifications, applying Lean Manufacturing principles.
  • Identify and develop solutions to streamline manufacturing using lean manufacturing principals.

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7. Aided Design

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use aided design:
  • Gained skill in utilizing 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD), Production and Manufacturing.
  • Designed and improved production machinery, gages, and assembly systems and supervised engineering students in computer aided design and manufacturing.

8. Jigs

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use jigs:
  • Analyze several welding practices on production runs and created jigs to improve process capability ultimately manufacturing improved products.
  • Tool Design responsibilities for designing tools, jigs, fixtures and automated equipment for production using SolidWorks 3D modeling.

9. R

R is a free software environment and a language used by programmers for statistical computing. The R programming language is famously used for data analysis by data scientists.

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use r:
  • Applied statistical methods to manufacturing disciplines including X-bar and R charts, process capability studies and problem identification/solving activities.
  • Batch data processing and statistic analysis with R script programming, such as Gage R&R and t-test.

10. Assembly Processes

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use assembly processes:
  • Developed tools and modified assembly processes to accommodate new product designs.
  • Created detail, assembly tool drawings & Work Instructions, error-proofed tooling for new & existing assembly processes.

11. Sigma

In Greek alphabets, sigma is the 18th letter that means "to sum up". In statistics, the lower case symbol of sigma is the unit of measurement for standard deviation which is used to assess the variability in a given set of data. While the upper case symbol is for summation notation means to add up all the given numbers in the data set.

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use sigma:
  • Utilized Six Sigma methodology to execute projects targeted as yield improvements and productivity increases.
  • Re-designed Tool Design and Manufacturing Flow using 6 Sigma Lean methodology.

12. Test Fixtures

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use test fixtures:
  • Designed and built experimental test fixtures for occupancy weight sensors (OWS) to satisfy vehicle safety applications using SolidWorks.
  • Designed, developed, and built ten test fixtures that included software in C, Python, and LabView.

13. Process Improvement

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use process improvement:
  • Developed cost saving design and process improvements directly impacting all production lines and product.
  • Create and implement production process improvements.

14. Mechanical Design

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use mechanical design:
  • Created mechanical design drawings and packages for payloads installation and operation of aircraft structural assemblies, details and installations.
  • Create unique fixture design by deploying creativity mixed with mechanical design experience.

15. Corrective Action

Here's how design manufacturing engineers use corrective action:
  • Travel to customer and vendor locations to investigate discrepancies and implement corrective actions.
  • Identify material problems and make recommendations to design engineers for corrective action.
top-skills

What skills help Design Manufacturing Engineers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on design manufacturing engineer resumes?

Charles Jenckes

Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

For new graduates
1.Where the candidate went to school and what was studied
2.GPA
3.Any successful internships
4.Projects completed by the student

What soft skills should all design manufacturing engineers possess?

Bryant Harrison

Instructor, Murray State University

Engineers are constantly working with a variety of people on a project. These people could be other engineers in the same department or other departments, managers, stakeholders, and customers. The ability to communicate both on a technical and non-technical level with these people is likely the most important soft skill for a design engineer.

What hard/technical skills are most important for design manufacturing engineers?

Bryant Harrison

Instructor, Murray State University

Designing, prototyping, testing, and iterating are likely the most important skills for a design engineer. This is what we strive to teach at Murray State in our Design Engineering Technology program. Many sub-skills would fall into these categories, such as CAD, design for manufacturing, 3D printing, and destructive/non-destructive testing.

What design manufacturing engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Richard OnyanchaDr. Richard Onyancha LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Department Head, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

For students who would like to consider taking a gap year, depending on what their goals after graduation are, they could consider enhancing their skills in any of these areas:
- Technical hands-on skills such as CAD/CAM, simulation, design, and fabrication
- Global competency
- Public policy
- Job shadowing
- Preparing for and taking professional exams if, for example, considering medical school or law school

What type of skills will young design manufacturing engineers need?

Andy Gerrick

Associate Professor and Chair, Embry-Riddle, Prescott

Most important is the ability to pull together the problem-solving skills learned in the different engineering courses to solve real-world, multidisciplinary, engineering problems. This requires a clear understanding of the problem and the requirements, and it requires a thorough understanding of engineering concepts. Memorizing problem solutions is of no value because no one will pay you to solve a problem that has already been solved. An engineer's ability to communicate is also extremely important. Engineering is a collaborative endeavor, so if you are not able to communicate your ideas, you are not contributing.

What technical skills for a design manufacturing engineer stand out to employers?

Martin Pietrucha Ph.D.Martin Pietrucha Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Program Coordinator and Professor, Pennsylvania State University

Given this trend, employers will be looking for the usual superior engineering knowledge and skill sets, but they will also be interested in those who can prove that they are excellent self-starters and time managers. Being able to demonstrate one's "flexibility" and an ability to think on one's feet will also be highly desirable.

List of design manufacturing engineer skills to add to your resume

Design manufacturing engineer skills

The most important skills for a design manufacturing engineer resume and required skills for a design manufacturing engineer to have include:

  • CNC
  • Continuous Improvement
  • GD
  • Engineering Drawings
  • DFM
  • Lean Manufacturing
  • Aided Design
  • Jigs
  • R
  • Assembly Processes
  • Sigma
  • Test Fixtures
  • Process Improvement
  • Mechanical Design
  • Corrective Action
  • Industrial Design
  • BOM
  • DOE
  • Engineering Design
  • FEA
  • Shop Floor
  • Cost Reduction
  • Test Procedures
  • NPI
  • Machine Shop
  • Aerospace
  • PLC
  • PCB
  • Kaizen
  • Product Quality
  • ISO
  • FMEA
  • Product Line
  • Extrusion
  • Design Reviews
  • Catia V5
  • Design Changes
  • ECO
  • Engineering Support
  • Cad Cam
  • PPAP
  • Cycle Time Reduction
  • Assembly Line
  • CAD/CAM
  • Product Development
  • Manufacturing Support
  • Assembly Fixtures
  • Pro-E
  • Lead Design

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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