Table 1Transition record

design engineertoprocess engineer

A design engineer already meets 62% of what the process engineer role asks for. The move turns on 4 required skills not yet in the profile.

From design engineer

62%

Overlap1

To process engineer

19 Skills carried over

4 Required, not held

39.3 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 39.3

This move: 39.3 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the process engineer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the design engineer profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 19 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A process engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a design engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held circular economy engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held develop test procedures management skills
already held interpret technical requirements information skills
already held industrial research and development engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held manage engineering project management skills
already held define technical requirements management skills

All 19 carried skills, including the 10 the process engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 16 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 management skills 1 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held apply advanced manufacturing required

optional, not held define quality standards optional
optional, not held manage budgets optional
optional, not held perform project management optional

02 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held troubleshoot required

optional, not held consult with design team optional
optional, not held consult with technical staff optional

03 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held production engineering required

optional, not held environmental engineering optional

04 information skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held analyse production processes for improvement required

optional, not held read engineering drawings optional

05 handling and moving 2 supplementary

optional, not held label samples optional
optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional

06 assisting and caring 1 supplementary

optional, not held apply health and safety standards optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a process engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 19 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held define technical requirements skill
already held engineering principles knowledge
already held engineering processes knowledge
already held interpret technical requirements skill
already held manage engineering project skill
already held manufacturing processes knowledge
already held perform scientific research skill
already held project management knowledge
already held technical drawings knowledge
already held use technical drawing software skill
already held adjust engineering designs skill
already held assess financial viability skill
already held circular economy knowledge
already held conduct performance tests skill
already held develop test procedures skill
already held industrial research and development knowledge
already held record test data skill
already held use CAD software skill
already held use testing equipment skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 constructing 1 supplementary

optional, not held maintain test equipment optional

08 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary

optional, not held automatic control system optional

12 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held consult with design team optional
optional, not held label samples optional
optional, not held apply health and safety standards optional
optional, not held automatic control system optional
optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional
optional, not held consult with technical staff optional
optional, not held define quality standards optional
optional, not held environmental engineering optional
optional, not held maintain test equipment optional
optional, not held manage budgets optional
optional, not held perform project management optional
optional, not held read engineering drawings optional

30 held skills the process engineer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role CAD software knowledge
not needed by the target role CAE software knowledge
not needed by the target role adapt to new design materials skill
not needed by the target role analyse stress resistance of materials skill
not needed by the target role analyse stress resistance of products skill
not needed by the target role analyse test data skill
not needed by the target role build a product's physical model skill
not needed by the target role conduct research on trends in design skill
not needed by the target role create a product's virtual model skill
not needed by the target role create technical plans skill
not needed by the target role design management knowledge
not needed by the target role design power plant systems skill
not needed by the target role design principles knowledge
not needed by the target role design prototypes skill
not needed by the target role determine suitability of materials skill
not needed by the target role draft design specifications skill
not needed by the target role draw design sketches skill
not needed by the target role execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
not needed by the target role execute feasibility study skill
not needed by the target role keep up with digital transformation of industrial processes skill
not needed by the target role liaise with engineers skill
not needed by the target role mathematics knowledge
not needed by the target role model based system engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role nuclear physics knowledge
not needed by the target role perform test run skill
not needed by the target role prepare production prototypes skill
not needed by the target role present artistic design proposals skill
not needed by the target role product data management knowledge
not needed by the target role supervise work on design planning skill
not needed by the target role thermohydraulics knowledge

3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held production engineering required
optional, not held automatic control system optional
optional, not held environmental engineering optional

Index

Other moves recorded from design engineer

Full index of moves from design engineer

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.