Lean manager to production engineer
A lean manager already meets 19% of what the production engineer role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.
76.9/ 100
1 How much of what a production engineer is expected to do is already part of a lean manager’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the production engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A production engineer role treats 3 of its required skills as things a lean manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- lead process optimisation
- production engineering
- production processes
What stands in the way is 13 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A production engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a lean manager background worth leading with.
- already held production engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held lean manufacturing business, administration and law
- already held continuous improvement philosophies business, administration and law
- already held lead process optimisation management skills
- already held schedule production management skills
- already held production processes engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 7 carried skills, including the 3 the production engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 31 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn engineering processes required
- still to learn engineering principles required
- still to learn industrial engineering required
- still to learn manufacturing processes required
- still to learn technical drawings required
- still to learn optimise production required
- still to learn control production required
- optional, not held implement quality management systems optional
- optional, not held adjust production schedule optional
- optional, not held control financial resources optional
- optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
- optional, not held ensure equipment maintenance optional
- optional, not held identify training needs optional
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
- optional, not held manage human resources optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held set production facilities standards optional
- still to learn adjust engineering designs required
- still to learn approve engineering design required
- optional, not held develop product design optional
- optional, not held maintain relationship with suppliers optional
- optional, not held advise on machinery malfunctions optional
- optional, not held integrate new products in manufacturing optional
- still to learn assess financial viability required
- still to learn perform scientific research required
- optional, not held execute feasibility study on hydrogen optional
- optional, not held control of expenses optional
- optional, not held estimate duration of work optional
- optional, not held inspect quality of products optional
- still to learn quality standards required
- still to learn use technical drawing software required
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a production engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 engineering processes study this
- 02 optimise production practise this
- 03 adjust engineering designs practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 7 skills that carry over
- already held lead process optimisation skill
- already held production engineering knowledge
- already held production processes knowledge
- already held analyse production processes for improvement skill
- already held continuous improvement philosophies knowledge
- already held lean manufacturing knowledge
- already held schedule production skill
18 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held develop product design optional
- optional, not held execute feasibility study on hydrogen optional
- optional, not held implement quality management systems optional
- optional, not held maintain relationship with suppliers optional
- optional, not held adjust production schedule optional
- optional, not held advise on machinery malfunctions optional
- optional, not held control financial resources optional
- optional, not held control of expenses optional
- optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
- optional, not held ensure equipment maintenance optional
- optional, not held estimate duration of work optional
- optional, not held identify training needs optional
- optional, not held inspect quality of products optional
- optional, not held integrate new products in manufacturing optional
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
- optional, not held manage human resources optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held set production facilities standards optional
49 held skills the production engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role 5S methodology knowledge
- not needed by the target role Agile project management knowledge
- not needed by the target role SMED knowledge
- not needed by the target role accounting knowledge
- not needed by the target role act reliably skill
- not needed by the target role adjust priorities skill
- not needed by the target role advise on efficiency improvements skill
- not needed by the target role analyse business plans skill
- not needed by the target role analyse business processes skill
- not needed by the target role analyse internal factors of companies skill
- not needed by the target role apply change management skill
- not needed by the target role assess quality of services skill
- not needed by the target role consult information sources skill
- not needed by the target role consumer goods industry knowledge
- not needed by the target role create a work atmosphere of continuous improvement skill
- not needed by the target role define organisational standards skill
- not needed by the target role develop corporate training programmes skill
- not needed by the target role hire human resources skill
- not needed by the target role hoshin kanri strategic planning knowledge
- not needed by the target role identify necessary human resources skill
- not needed by the target role identify process improvements skill
- not needed by the target role identify processes for re-engineering skill
- not needed by the target role industrial research and development knowledge
- not needed by the target role international business knowledge
- not needed by the target role leadership principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role liaise with managers skill
- not needed by the target role logistics knowledge
- not needed by the target role make data-driven decisions skill
- not needed by the target role manage a team skill
- not needed by the target role manage corrective actions skill
- not needed by the target role manage medium term objectives skill
- not needed by the target role manage personal professional development skill
- not needed by the target role manage production changeovers skill
- not needed by the target role manage resources skill
- not needed by the target role management consulting knowledge
- not needed by the target role mass customisation knowledge
- not needed by the target role motivate employees skill
- not needed by the target role operations management knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform data analysis skill
- not needed by the target role project management knowledge
9 further entries not listed here
6 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn engineering processes required
- still to learn engineering principles required
- still to learn industrial engineering required
- still to learn manufacturing processes required
- still to learn quality standards required
- still to learn technical drawings required
Common questions about this move
Can a lean manager become a production engineer?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A lean manager already covers 19% of what a production engineer is expected to do: 7 skills carry over, 3 of which the production engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a lean manager need to become a production engineer?
13 required skills are missing, plus 18 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is engineering processes.
How hard is the move from lean manager to production engineer?
Its learning distance is 76.9 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
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.