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Production engineer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

8 min read

Quoted experts

Charles Jenckes,

Mike DeVore Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical production engineer skills. We ranked the top skills for production engineers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.0% of production engineer resumes contained java as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a production engineer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 production engineer skills for your resume and career

1. Java

Java is a widely-known programming language that was invented in 1995 and is owned by Oracle. It is a server-side language that was created to let app developers "write once, run anywhere". It is easy and simple to learn and use and is powerful, fast, and secure. This object-oriented programming language lets the code be reused that automatically lowers the development cost. Java is specially used for android apps, web and application servers, games, database connections, etc. This programming language is closely related to C++ making it easier for the users to switch between the two.

Here's how production engineers use java:

Developed the whole project simulation in Java Language including Pro-E modeling.

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 production engineers use continuous improvement:

Conducted time studies and created continuous improvement studies, creating benchmarks in the cell manufacturing processes and identify process improvement opportunities.
Executed cost justification and implementation of new equipment and machinery for production floor as a part of a continuous improvement project.

3. Lean Manufacturing

Here's how production engineers use lean manufacturing:

Managed multiple projects of improvements to existing processes for the manufacturing of current products using different Lean Manufacturing tools and methods.
Drafted justifications for product disposition in the event of calibration exceptions or environmental changes in the clean manufacturing areas.

4. 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 production engineers use sigma:

Completed Green Belt-equivalent Six Sigma training and offered cost savings through batch composition optimization and reduction in operational occurrences.
Utilized Six Sigma methods to successfully analyze program failure initiatives and developed process improvement strategies for various suppliers.

5. Technical Support

Technical support or tech support are the services provided by any hardware or software company to users. They help in solving the technical difficulties the customers face with their products or services. Moreover, the tech support employees maintain, manage, and repair the IT faults. They are also responsible for resolving the network problems, installing and configuring hardware and software.

Here's how production engineers use technical support:

Provide technical support to maintain production capability, quality, and environmental compliance in a high purity polymer process.
Prioritized/balanced demanding technical support workload for a printed circuit board work center and development of hybrid circuit work center.

6. Process Control

Process control is a method pertaining to continuous production processes that uses the aid of ICS (Industrial Control Systems) for production. This method enables production to be done with a level of consistency and safety in an economically friendly manner that is impossible to achieve solely through manual control.

Here's how production engineers use process control:

Monitored important parameters of the plant on a daily basis and identified deviations, fine-tuned process controls and suggested corrective measures.
Provided professional engineering support of production processes, including process engineering, process documentation, and process control parameters.

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7. Production Process

The production process is a series of events and industrial activities that come into play when raw material are delivered onto the production facility for manufacturing. The process involves different steps of production from start to finish such as; research, design formation, design testing, product manufacturing, and assembly according to the design, product experimentations, and supply.

Here's how production engineers use production process:

Developed operational specifications and managed production process integrity.
Conferred with management and other staff regarding manufacturing capabilities, production schedules, and other considerations to facilitate production processes.

8. CAD

Here's how production engineers use cad:

Supported engineers with vehicle study projects including panel gap analysis and vehicle dimension calculation with CAD software.
Utilized Pro E. 3D CAD software to model, simulate and analyze air-flow within production floor area for equipment placement optimization.

9. Lifecycle Management

Here's how production engineers use lifecycle management:

Communicate with product lifecycle management (PLM) group to resolve technical issues with CATIA/SmarTeam.
Utilized Catia 3D drafting system and Envoia Smarteam (large scale Product Lifecycle Management system).

10. Engineering Support

Engineering support means providing assistance to different engineers working in the company. It enables them to complete their tasks effectively and timely. Engineering support revolves around diagnosing and resolving software and hardware problems. They also look for network issues and resolve them in a timely manner.

Here's how production engineers use engineering support:

Provided engineering support to sulfuric acid recovery unit to improve profitability, reliability, and quality of products.
Prevented delivery delays caused by obsolete and end of life parts by providing engineering support for existing/legacy products.

11. Process Improvement

Here's how production engineers use process improvement:

Improved production efficiency by developing & executing process improvements relating to quality, productivity, equipment reliability, safety and yield.
Involved with implementing process improvement initiatives that reduced product defects and increased capacity in the manufacturing of nylon 6 polymer resin.

12. Solidworks

Here's how production engineers use solidworks:

Created and Designed Models/Drawings Using SolidWorks applications.
Created packaging specifications using SolidWorks.

13. Capital Projects

A capital project is a long-term project carried out by professional teams to build, improve, maintain or develop a huge project that will help improve the asset of a city. This project involves a significant and constant flow of investments. A capital project can be new construction, the purchase of land or property, leasing a property, the renovation of an existing building, or the purchase of new equipment.

Here's how production engineers use capital projects:

Increased resin production capacity by 10% through improving asset utilization, maximizing yields and implementing several small capital projects.
Gained experience in budgeting and managing multiple capital projects geared towards increasing handling capacity of the Yates Field operations.

14. Corrective Action

Here's how production engineers use corrective action:

Coordinated with the safety team an extended safety and environment internal audit and implemented all corrective actions suggested by the auditors.
Reinvigorated EHS reporting and drove completion of over 450 outstanding action items identified as corrective actions from audits and investigations.

15. AFE

AFE stands for Amniotic Fluid Embolism. It is a rare life-threatening acute birth complication that occurs when the amniotic fluid or the fluid that surrounds the baby in the uterus enters the mother's bloodstream. AFE creates an instant fatal allergic-like reaction that affects both the baby and the mother.

Here's how production engineers use afe:

Prepared AFE and conduct after-action review to implement best engineering practice to improve operation efficiency.
Managed the operated and non-operated AFE process from implementation to cost allocation.

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What skills help Production Engineers find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on production 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 hard/technical skills are most important for production engineers?

Mike DeVore Ph.D.

Professor & Program Chair, Cincinnati State Technical & Community College

-Computer-Aided Design

-Knowledge of manufacturing processes

-A good mathematics foundation

-Technical communication

-Problem solving

What soft skills should all production engineers possess?

Dr. David Grewell Ph.D.

Department Chair and Professor, North Dakota State University

Communication, problem-solving abilities, leadership, and organizational skills are all key in allowing IE's to be successful in the workplace and to build teams that can collaborate and adapt to unexpected changes, challenges, and setbacks in the workplace. These skills also help them to leverage the resources to solve problems quickly with low costs allowing them to move on to the next challenge facing the world today in today's complex economy, in particular when facing a pandemic.

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

Dr. Galen Duree

Head of the Department of Physics and Optical Engineering and Professor, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

It again depends on what the graduate sees as their next step - graduate school or a job with a company or lab. If the next step is graduate school, the graduate should investigate what they are interested in pursuing and then where the best school is to get the experience that the graduate thinks he or she wants.

General reading about technologies or reading available articles about subjects the graduate is interested in will help generate questions they can ask potential graduate schools. This time would also be a chance to improve areas where the graduate may feel weak while an undergraduate. Many online resources can help them brush up on week background topics. Do not worry about transfer credits because that is usually not helpful in graduate school, but improve knowledge and experience in areas where the graduate feels weak. If the graduate has identified a graduate school and program to study in, the graduate school might have some recommendations about what to review. All of this will help improve success in graduate school.

If the next step is a job with a company or lab, taking courses to improve communication will help. Many technically competent or even technically brilliant people struggle with effective communication. Techniques about writing reports, making oral presentations, or communicating technical information will help improve success. The gap year also provides time to investigate technologies that the graduate wants to be involved in and the companies or labs in those areas.

Once the graduate has identified areas of interest and companies or labs that the graduate might want to work for, they can be contacted to either answer questions or point the graduate in a direction for further investigation.

In either case, a gap year can provide a chance to refine the graduate's choice for the next steps and help them prepare other skills overlooked during the undergraduate years.

What type of skills will young production engineers need?

John Ring

Director Engineering Outreach, Elon University

While our universities consistently educate engineering students with hard skills and strong engineering fundamentals, tomorrow's engineers need to be strong communicators, collaborators, and critical thinkers. Our professional environments are filled with data and information, and the constraint is typically how much time individuals can dedicate to solving a problem. At Elon University, we educate tomorrow's engineers to have the hard skills necessary to analyze the information and situations, apply critical thinking techniques to determine ways to solve the issue, and then concisely and efficiently communicate with colleagues as solutions are being set in motion.

What technical skills for a production engineer stand out to employers?

Tracy Farrell

Adjunct Instructor, Clarkson University

Technical skills that employers are seeking include "real" computer skills like Microsoft Office Suite tools, proper communication skills via email and website development and postings, developing proper document format that is appropriate to send to stakeholders (i.e., letter formatting, report writing, email formatting); strong communication skills that include speaking professionally and respectfully to stakeholders as well as writing professionally (i.e., making eye contact when speaking, proper handshake, respectful dialogue including questioning); project management - knowing how to organize work and develop a timeline that includes who will be responsible for what and follow through; data analysis - being able to not only present data in an organized and understandable manner; but, be able to interpret data correctly offering the justification behind what they are interpreting and why.

Respectfully, today's graduates do not understand that being able to text and use social media does not prepare them for "real" computer skills. Many students that I have in high school and in college do not have proper writing skills, document formatting skills, or document management skills to know how to save documents properly and where to save to.

Do you want to know more?

List of production engineer skills to add to your resume

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

Java
Continuous Improvement
Lean Manufacturing
Sigma
Technical Support
Process Control
Production Process
CAD
Lifecycle Management
Engineering Support
Process Improvement
Solidworks
Capital Projects
Corrective Action
AFE
Test Procedures

Cost Reduction
Product Quality
FMEA
ISO
Windows
Production Issues
Improvement Projects
R
Quality Standards
Kaizen
Production Equipment
CNC
Production Operations
Test Equipment
PLC
Production Lines

Process Changes
PSM
SPC
Engineering Drawings
Value Stream
Quality Issues
Production Schedules
OEE
MOC
QA
Production Problems
Provide Engineering Support
Shop Floor
BOM
Assembly Line
Design Changes

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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