Automatically apply for jobs with Zippia

Upload your resume to get started.

Value engineer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Charles Jenckes,

Dr. Galen Duree

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical value engineer skills. We ranked the top skills for value engineers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 12.0% of value engineer resumes contained project management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a value engineer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 value engineer skills for your resume and career

1. Project Management

Here's how value engineers use project management:

Followed Navy Project Management/US Navy standards for earned value project cost controls and scheduling.
Support Value Engineering team members with Engineering and Project Management inputs.

2. CAD

Here's how value engineers use cad:

Revised and released new and existing data and databases to synchronize in preparation of CAD driven bills of material.
Create and release drawings, bills of material, 3D CAD models as well as associateddocuments for production.

3. 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 value engineers use sigma:

Initiated cost reduction and process improvement projects using the Value Engineering (VE) methodology and Lean Six Sigma.
Received 2 Global Merit Awards for surpassing cost, delivery and quality targets using Lean and Six Sigma principles.

4. Product Design

Product design can be described as a process of imagining, creating, and iterating products that solve user's problems and talk about the specific needs of users in the market. Product design is an engineering disciple and it is the basic design and idea that goes before the mass production of the product.

Here's how value engineers use product design:

Work closely with Product design engineers in Beaufort and Modesto CA, while creating Design-for-Manufacturing improvements on new and existing products.
Acted as the link between engineering department and shop floor for engineering changes and new product design.

5. Lean Manufacturing

Here's how value engineers use lean manufacturing:

Supported manufacturing operations utilizing Lean Manufacturing techniques.
Participated in materials department reorganization utilizing lean manufacturing philosophy.

6. Lean Six Sigma

Here's how value engineers use lean six sigma:

Maintained daily planet operation, performed and analyze lean six sigma methodology.
Implement manufacturing process improvement and Lean Six Sigma program.

7. Value Stream

A value stream applies to any of the phases or stages that a buyer has the willingness to pay to transport a product or service across the main flows needed to manufacture the product or service.

Here's how value engineers use value stream:

Support value stream and government program office counterparts by briefing material and presenting estimating work products worth more than $100M.
Created end-to-end Supply Chain value stream maps with a view towards optimizing inbound/outbound distribution nodes and maximizing customer value.

8. Value Analysis

Here's how value engineers use value analysis:

Managed projects through leading cross-functional teams through the value analysis of design to ensure cost effectiveness and productivity.
Provided Value analysis services on US Military's family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV).

9. 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 value engineers use continuous improvement:

Monitored the process for continuous improvements as well as supported global coordination efforts.
Led Kaizen projects and provided technical support as a team member, driving continuous improvement within departments and plant wide.

10. Solidworks

Here's how value engineers use solidworks:

Review and redesign current product offerings utilizing SolidWorks; identifying product flaws or anomalies to improve upon overall design features.
Developed manufacturing plan processes and drawings using SolidWorks 2009 in accordance with customer requirements, including medium size riveted assemblies.

11. Cost Models

Cost models are simple formulas, equations, or functions that help quantify, measure, and estimate the time, effort, and economic outcomes of executing a project.

Here's how value engineers use cost models:

Created cost models for estimation of flexible and machined buss bars.
Lead modeler of the parametric set of life cycle cost models.

12. Brainstorming

Here's how value engineers use brainstorming:

Design solution development - Use of brainstorming sessions, resident expert discussions, manufacturing, service, etc.

13. Data Analysis

Here's how value engineers use data analysis:

Developed data analysis tool for RFP (Request for Proposal) in Excel for sourcing of carbon steel.
Achieved greater than 50% alignment time reduction by integrating data analysis and parametric correlation for process optimization and product upgrades.

14. 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 value engineers use technical support:

Provided technical support for supplier development and factory relocation activities.
Provided cost justifications and design recommendations, determined additional value added services, and advised on complex customer technical support issues.

15. Cost Analysis

Cost analysis, also known as cost-benefit analysis, refers to analyzing how a company's money is used, whether this is expenses of the company itself or the cost of the current production method. This method also takes the number of products sold into consideration to determine whether the manufacturing process is benefiting or harming the company's profits.

Here's how value engineers use cost analysis:

Perform competitive vehicle cost analysis.
Delivered a cost analysis to the Merchants responsible for the department s product assortment by a method of reverse engineering.

What skills help Value Engineers find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on value 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 value 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 value 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 value 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.

What soft skills should all value engineers possess?

William Cross Ph.D.

Professor, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

The soft skills that all graduates should possess are primarily in communication - speaking/writing clearly, and listening/reading comprehension - and in teamwork skills. Being able to function in a variety of roles on a team is very important to success in many jobs.

What hard/technical skills are most important for value 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

Do you want to know more?

List of value engineer skills to add to your resume

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

Project Management
CAD
Sigma
Product Design
Lean Manufacturing
Lean Six Sigma
Value Stream
Value Analysis
Continuous Improvement
Solidworks
Cost Models
Brainstorming
Data Analysis
Technical Support

Cost Analysis
Cost Reduction
Product Line
DFMEA
Va
R
Product Development
FEA
Design Changes
GD
DFM
BOM
NPI
Engineering Support

OEM
Product Quality
Material Changes
CNC
Lead Design
OEE
Process Improvement
Affordability
Manufacturing Support
Strategic Sourcing
Provide Engineering Support
Cost Estimates
Cost Savings

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

Browse architecture and engineering jobs