What does an industrial engineering manager do?
Industrial Engineering Managers are responsible for supervising the production team and leading operational improvements for an organization. Their duties include managing activities relating to industrial engineering, undertaking spatial utilization and workflow studies, modifying assembly lines, managing staff performance, and creating progress reports. They are responsible for approving budgets, developing wastage reduction and labor optimization strategies, and designing tools to improve the production system. The Industrial Engineering manager also assists in staff development programs, keeps abreast with engineering processes knowledge, and ensures all work complies with safety standards.
Industrial engineering manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real industrial engineering manager resumes:
- Manage and configure zones, items and locations in Manhattan WMS.
- Conduct the conference room pilot, train end users and team leads on the JIT application.
- Manage all functions of the IE group including preparing budgets, estimating costs, start-up curve and staffing for projects.
- Lead logistics process, operation improvement and cost containment initiatives.
- Manage projects of distribution and supply chain projects, including primary involvement with WMS implementation and administration.
- Manage QA for research orient development efforts and for high visibility, production focuse development efforts tie to revenue generation.
- Champion TPM to the plant.
- Train new and existing CNC machinists in CNC programming applications.
- Perform ROI analysis on EPI equipment to evaluate purchase equipment or outsource.
- Justify and implement $860K CNC mill/drill w/integrate band see and conveyors to machine monorail cranes.
- Design & implement layout for Austin factory including on line material presentation with kanban for high use parts
- Develop plan for new reverse logistics processes and equipment and oversee the remodeling or renovating of current facilities.
- Approve and maintain plant-wide engineering documentation (standard operation instruction, quality manual, and ISO procedure).
- Apply factory physics to data drive work-in-process inventory targets and kanban distribution as part of first visual pull-production system.
- Report to plant manager and regional IE manager as well as interact with all levels of management and union leadership.
Industrial engineering manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Industrial Engineering Managers are proficient in Project Management, Lean Manufacturing, and Logistics. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Listening skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Industrial Engineering Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 9%
Led a staff of engineers for cost savings and cycle-time reduction projects using formal industrial engineering methodologies and project management.
- Lean Manufacturing, 6%
Implemented continual process improvement that supports cost reduction, enhances manufacturing methods and increases throughput in accordance with lean manufacturing concepts.
- Logistics, 5%
Managed a project to modernize and redesign an outdated logistics operation, Results productivity increased 33% without increasing staffing requirements.
- Process Improvement, 5%
Supported manufacturing in process improvement activity, process monitoring and visibility, and assisted in the implementation of 5S.
- IE, 5%
Restructured the IE department to better support the operations of both plants, while reducing IE staff by 30%.
- Cost Reduction, 5%
Managed six Industrial and Process Engineers involved in Capital Projects and cost reduction activities that focused on yield and productivity improvements.
"project management," "lean manufacturing," and "logistics" are among the most common skills that industrial engineering managers use at work. You can find even more industrial engineering manager responsibilities below, including:
Creativity. One of the key soft skills for an industrial engineering manager to have is creativity. You can see how this relates to what industrial engineering managers do because "industrial engineers use creativity and ingenuity to design new production processes in many kinds of settings in order to reduce the use of material resources, time, or labor while accomplishing the same goal." Additionally, an industrial engineering manager resume shows how industrial engineering managers use creativity: "applied factory physics to data drive work-in-process inventory targets and kanban distribution as part of first visual pull-production system. "
Listening skills. Many industrial engineering manager duties rely on listening skills. "these engineers often operate in teams, but they also must solicit feedback from customers, vendors, and production staff," so an industrial engineering manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways industrial engineering manager responsibilities rely on listening skills: "prioritized improvement projects based on cost/benefit and communicated recommended value-adding projects to management maximizing the cost savings effort. "
Problem-solving skills. industrial engineering managers are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to industrial engineering manager responsibilities, because "in designing facilities for manufacturing and processes for providing services, these engineers deal with several issues at once, from workers’ safety to quality assurance." An industrial engineering manager resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "implement integrated movex erp solution. "
Speaking skills. industrial engineering manager responsibilities often require "speaking skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "industrial engineers sometimes have to explain their instructions to production staff or technicians before they can make written instructions available." This resume example shows what industrial engineering managers do with speaking skills on a typical day: "developed, organized, analyzed and presented interpretation of results for operational issues or engineering projects of moderate scope and complexity. "
Writing skills. Another common skill required for industrial engineering manager responsibilities is "writing skills." This skill comes up in the duties of industrial engineering managers all the time, as "industrial engineers must prepare documentation for other engineers or scientists, or for future reference." An excerpt from a real industrial engineering manager resume shows how this skill is central to what an industrial engineering manager does: "supported the quality assurance program writing and implementing procedures in compliance with iso 9000. "
Math skills. While "math skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to industrial engineering manager responsibilities. Much of what an industrial engineering manager does relies on this skill, seeing as "industrial engineers use the principles of calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced topics in mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of industrial engineering managers: "apply statistical methods and perform mathematical calculations to determine manufacturing processes, staff requirements, and production standards. "
The three companies that hire the most industrial engineering managers are:
- Ryder System94 industrial engineering managers jobs
- Black & Veatch50 industrial engineering managers jobs
- Sysco26 industrial engineering managers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable industrial engineering manager resume templates
Build a professional industrial engineering manager resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your industrial engineering manager resume.
Compare different industrial engineering managers
Industrial engineering manager vs. Senior process engineer
A Senior Process Engineer assesses a process efficiency, effectiveness, safety, and quality. They also conduct process improvement initiatives and custom product developments.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an industrial engineering manager are more likely to require skills like "logistics," "ie," "facility layout," and "capacity analysis." On the other hand, a job as a senior process engineer requires skills like "process design," "technical support," "sr," and "gmp." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Senior process engineers really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $107,116. Comparatively, industrial engineering managers tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $114,160.senior process engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than industrial engineering managers. In fact, senior process engineers are 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.7% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Industrial engineering manager vs. Co-operations engineer
A Co-Operations Engineer ensures that operations-related activities are performed in compliance with company standards and regulations. They optimize the overall efficiency of business.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that industrial engineering manager responsibilities requires skills like "logistics," "ie," "lean six sigma," and "facility layout." But a co-operations engineer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "python," "c++," "powerpoint," and "solidworks."
Co-operations engineers may earn a lower salary than industrial engineering managers, but co-operations engineers earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $51,087. On the other hand, industrial engineering managers receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $114,160.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Co-operations engineers tend to reach lower levels of education than industrial engineering managers. In fact, they're 9.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for industrial engineering managers in the next 3-5 years?
Theodore T. Allen Ph.D.
Associate Professor, The Ohio State University
Industrial engineering manager vs. Process engineer
A Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, industrial engineering managers are more likely to have skills like "logistics," "ie," "facility layout," and "capacity analysis." But a process engineer is more likely to have skills like "troubleshoot," "technical support," "statistical analysis," and "minitab."
Process engineers earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $87,797. Comparatively, industrial engineering managers have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $114,160.When it comes to education, process engineers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to industrial engineering managers. In fact, they're 4.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Industrial engineering manager vs. Process engineer internship
A process engineering intern performs various tasks for an organization. These include collaborating with the technical team on cost savings, process efficiency improvements, and technology advancement, attending meetings with leadership teams, and participating in customer trials. Additionally, they may assist with the leadership or management teams in creating standard operating procedures. They are responsible for coordinating with engineers and work on projects assigned by the leadership. Ideal candidates for this role must have a degree in mechanical or industrial engineering, excellent communication skills, and knowledge and experience in process observation.
Types of industrial engineering manager
Updated January 8, 2025
