What does a senior manufacturing engineer do?
A Senior Manufacturing Engineer works in a company's production operations and is responsible for developing and improving manufacturing processes. They analyze and propose solutions to engineering problems.
Senior manufacturing engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior manufacturing engineer resumes:
- Implement a KANBAN system for manufacturing which reduce wasteful production activities and achieve labor reductions.
- Plan and manage process-improvement projects and support production methods and processes for manufacturing center and CNC processes.
- Utilize the latest techniques in J.I.T., KANBAN, and KAIZEN philosophies.
- Facilitate technical information and background support to KAIZEN events.
- Generate and release ECO's and ECR's using auto cad.
- Design new fixtures, conveyor upgrades to existing equipment, which comply with ASME, NFPA, and OSHA standards.
- Generate production and assembly procedures using SOLIDWORKS explode views and VISIO, facilitating smooth transition from prototype build to full-scale production.
- Conduct training on failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) and facilitate meetings for engineering, production and quality departments.
- Design machine work-holding and assembly fixtures in SolidWorks.
- Plan and execute inspection preparations for the FDA and other international regulatory agencies.
- Develop and authore documentation addressing environmental, health and safety concerns and ISO compliance.
- Conceptualize, develop, and implement manufacturing, production, and ISO certification processes/procedures.
- Document risk assessment and generate process FMEA and user requirements specifications to support installation package.
- Justify, purchase and install new assembly automation and CNC machining cells-converting batch manufacturing operations to lean.
- Develop product relate data collection protocols and provide detail statistical analysis of data for submission to FDA.
Senior manufacturing engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 7% of Senior Manufacturing Engineers are proficient in Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, and Sigma. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Listening skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Senior Manufacturing Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Lean Manufacturing, 7%
Lean manufacturing initiatives producing over $1 million in annual savings through process improvements, material cost reduction and increased capabilities.
- Continuous Improvement, 6%
Focused on continuous improvement to increase product quality and process efficiency by implementing process monitoring tools to monitor process capability.
- Sigma, 5%
Executed several Six Sigma tools (measurement system analysis, variation decomposition, and screening experiments) to improve manufacturing processes.
- Project Management, 4%
Project Management: Completed new product introduction reviews and designed the manufacturing process from raw material through finishing.
- CAD, 4%
Implemented computer-generated assembly instructions using CAD software for mechanical and harness assemblies.
- Lean Six Sigma, 3%
Implement manufacturing process improvement and Lean Six Sigma program.
"lean manufacturing," "continuous improvement," and "sigma" are among the most common skills that senior manufacturing engineers use at work. You can find even more senior manufacturing engineer responsibilities below, including:
Creativity. One of the key soft skills for a senior manufacturing engineer to have is creativity. You can see how this relates to what senior manufacturing engineers 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, a senior manufacturing engineer resume shows how senior manufacturing engineers use creativity: "manage thermal material inventory to support all doe and design/product validation material availability based on manufacturing forecast. "
Listening skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling senior manufacturing engineer duties is listening skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "these engineers often operate in teams, but they also must solicit feedback from customers, vendors, and production staff." According to a senior manufacturing engineer resume, here's how senior manufacturing engineers can utilize listening skills in their job responsibilities: "communicated with vendors to take corrective actions on rejected parts. "
Problem-solving skills. senior manufacturing engineers are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to senior manufacturing engineer 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." A senior manufacturing engineer resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "performed doe for trending ncrs of air pressure regulator identifying root cause and possible solution yet to be implemented. "
Speaking skills. A big part of what senior manufacturing engineers do relies on "speaking skills." You can see how essential it is to senior manufacturing engineer responsibilities because "industrial engineers sometimes have to explain their instructions to production staff or technicians before they can make written instructions available." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical senior manufacturing engineer tasks: "presented results to fda (483 observation closure). "
Writing skills. A commonly-found skill in senior manufacturing engineer job descriptions, "writing skills" is essential to what senior manufacturing engineers do. Senior manufacturing engineer responsibilities rely on this skill because "industrial engineers must prepare documentation for other engineers or scientists, or for future reference." You can also see how senior manufacturing engineer duties rely on writing skills in this resume example: "launched formal quality systems (iso 9001, qs9000), including internal auditing and procedure writing. "
Math skills. Lastly, "math skills" is an important element of what a senior manufacturing engineer does. Senior manufacturing engineer responsibilities require this skill because "industrial engineers use the principles of calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced topics in mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." This resume example highlights how senior manufacturing engineer duties rely on this skill: "complied and analyzed performance reports and process control statistics. "
The three companies that hire the most senior manufacturing engineers are:
- Tecomet51 senior manufacturing engineers jobs
- Tesla34 senior manufacturing engineers jobs
- Raytheon Technologies29 senior manufacturing engineers jobs
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Compare different senior manufacturing engineers
Senior manufacturing engineer vs. Engineer
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a senior manufacturing engineer are more likely to require skills like "lean manufacturing," "continuous improvement," "sigma," and "lean six sigma." On the other hand, a job as an engineer requires skills like "python," "cloud," "c++," and "c #." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Engineers really shine in the automotive industry with an average salary of $97,672. Comparatively, senior manufacturing engineers tend to make the most money in the automotive industry with an average salary of $97,567.The education levels that engineers earn slightly differ from senior manufacturing engineers. In particular, engineers are 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a senior manufacturing engineer. Additionally, they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior manufacturing engineer 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.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that senior manufacturing engineer responsibilities requires skills like "process control," "sr," "product design," and "gd." But a process engineer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "troubleshoot," "data analysis," "statistical analysis," and "minitab."
On average, process engineers earn a lower salary than senior manufacturing engineers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, process engineers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $87,797. Whereas senior manufacturing engineers have higher pay in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $97,567.In general, process engineers achieve similar levels of education than senior manufacturing engineers. They're 0.7% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for senior manufacturing engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Richard Onyancha
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Department Head, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Senior manufacturing engineer vs. Tool engineer
A tooling engineer is responsible for creating and adjusting tools or parts for cars, heavy equipment, and other products that need customized or personalized components. Your duties and responsibilities will include creating design blueprints, using computer-aided (CAD) software to develop two- and three-dimensional prints, and validating and evaluating products. As a tooling engineer, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with operational standards such as the ISO 9000. You also have to provide technical assistance to manufacturing personnel and quality assurance.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a senior manufacturing engineer is likely to be skilled in "process control," "sr," "fda," and "design engineering," while a typical tool engineer is skilled in "python," "java," "linux," and "jenkins."
Tool engineers make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $94,406. On the other hand, senior manufacturing engineers are paid the highest salary in the automotive industry, with average annual pay of $97,567.Most tool engineers achieve a lower degree level compared to senior manufacturing engineers. For example, they're 5.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior manufacturing engineer vs. Quality engineer
A quality engineer's responsibilities include ensuring that the manufacturing processes are efficient and accurate, documenting findings that would raise concerns, conducting quality tests while observing parameters, and implementing changes as necessary to meet the highest quality standards. Quality engineers need to have excellent problem-solving and observation skills to detect any irregularities and possible malfunctions. They also must be able to communicate effectively with the clients for feedbacks and corrective adjustments, address complaints, and immediately resolve any inconsistencies made.
Types of senior manufacturing engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
