What does a mechanical engineering manager do?
A mechanical engineering manager is responsible for leading the mechanical projects and processes of an organization to ensure high-quality deliverables according to business requirements and specifications. Mechanical engineering managers inspect the tools and equipment and coordinate with trusted suppliers for low-cost reduction materials and control installations. They also resolve mechanical issues and determine the best management techniques to prevent downtimes and operational delays. A mechanical engineering manager must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, especially in analyzing blueprints and schematics to secure components.
Mechanical engineering manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real mechanical engineering manager resumes:
- Coordinate and manage prototype development and validation testing.
- Manage QA for research orient development efforts and for high visibility, production focuse development efforts tie to revenue generation.
- Work with the in-house UL and compliance engineers, ESD engineers, and the shock/vibration engineers.
- Design various hand-held and permanently mount RF instruments for use in RF broadcast and transmission installations.
- Engineer and/or design and/or value engineer (redesign) new and/or existing HVAC systems for commercial and/or industrial applications.
- Select HVAC equipment such as boilers, chillers, cooling towers, air handling units and roof top units.
- Work closely with market project managers and service delivery, RF engineering team during the site selection and acquisition process.
- Prepare detailed fabrication and assembly drawings using SolidWorks and AutoCAD.
- Create documentation using SolidWorks to manufacture prototype and production components.
- Participate in product testing to gain UL qualification and certification.
- Lead mechanical design, prototype fabrication and engineering documentation for high-volume, consumer-electronics components and systems.
- Direct engineering efforts; rapid prototyping, design, development, and procurement of approve actionable detail designs.
- Perform numerical analysis using ANSYS software package and develop closed form solutions for calculating magnitude of residual stresses in plug welds.
- Replace and install pneumatic Jonson controls for A/C units.
- Oversee the daily operation of the A/C system throughout the building.2.
Mechanical engineering manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Mechanical Engineering Managers are proficient in CAD, Mechanical Design, and Solidworks. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Mechanical Engineering Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CAD, 9%
Upgraded the technical capabilities in areas including acoustics measurement technology, CAD and finite element analysis.
- Mechanical Design, 8%
Reviewed and evaluated mechanical design drawings and specifications prepared by consulting engineers.
- Solidworks, 7%
Prepared detailed fabrication and assembly drawings using SolidWorks and AutoCAD.
- Project Management, 6%
Project Management of the design process included proposal activity, analysis, documentation and troubleshooting.
- Continuous Improvement, 6%
Manage parts inventory with continuing reduction of inventory cost, providing continuous process improvement through industry trends, and analysis.
- Mechanical Systems, 4%
Performed field surveys of existing conditions of building mechanical systems.
Common skills that a mechanical engineering manager uses to do their job include "cad," "mechanical design," and "solidworks." You can find details on the most important mechanical engineering manager responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a mechanical engineering manager to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "architectural and engineering managers evaluate information to solve problems." Mechanical engineering managers often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "completed all thermal and structural analysis associated with the development of military products. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling mechanical engineering manager duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "architectural and engineering managers must effectively convey information and expectations related to projects." According to a mechanical engineering manager resume, here's how mechanical engineering managers can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "led a six-member design team to develop the mechanical components for a new solid-state residential electric meter with radio communication capabilities. "
Organizational skills. A big part of what mechanical engineering managers do relies on "organizational skills." You can see how essential it is to mechanical 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 mechanical engineering manager tasks: "led a large scope facility and operations consolidation effort surpassing lean six sigma organizational goals. "
Math skills. A commonly-found skill in mechanical engineering manager job descriptions, "math skills" is essential to what mechanical engineering managers do. Mechanical 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 mechanical engineering manager duties rely on math skills in this resume example: "used 3-d solid model fea for the stress of the parts with complex geometry and applied the fea stresses for fatigue. "
The three companies that hire the most mechanical engineering managers are:
- Northrop Grumman10 mechanical engineering managers jobs
- L3Harris8 mechanical engineering managers jobs
- Wsp USA Buildings Inc.6 mechanical engineering managers jobs
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Compare different mechanical engineering managers
Mechanical 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 mechanical engineering managers and research and development director. For instance, mechanical engineering manager responsibilities require skills such as "mechanical design," "solidworks," "continuous improvement," and "mechanical systems." 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 tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $167,250. In contrast, mechanical engineering managers make the biggest average salary, $119,341, in the manufacturing industry.research and development directors tend to reach higher levels of education than mechanical engineering managers. In fact, research and development directors are 5.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 11.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Mechanical 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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, mechanical engineering manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "mechanical design," "continuous improvement," "mechanical systems," and "fea." Meanwhile, a research and development manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "patients," "c++," and "c #." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Research and development managers may earn a higher salary than mechanical 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, mechanical engineering managers receive higher pay in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $119,341.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Research and development managers tend to reach higher levels of education than mechanical engineering managers. In fact, they're 5.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 11.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for mechanical engineering managers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Richard Onyancha
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Department Head, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Mechanical engineering manager vs. Design manager
A design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience. They coordinate with the creative team and present the design ideas to the management, ask for final approval, perform revisions as needed, and follow the budget goals. A design manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the design team's concerns and needs.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, mechanical engineering managers are more likely to have skills like "cad," "mechanical design," "continuous improvement," and "mechanical systems." But a design manager is more likely to have skills like "visualization," "user experience," "powerpoint," and "design process."
Design managers earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $121,279. Mechanical engineering managers earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $119,341.Most design managers achieve a similar degree level compared to mechanical engineering managers. For example, they're 3.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Mechanical engineering manager vs. Vice president of engineering
A Vice President Of Engineering manages all aspects of the company's engineering product development activities. They are responsible for strategic planning, production designing, quality assurance, and problem resolution.
Types of mechanical engineering manager
Updated January 8, 2025
