Project Engineer

The role of a project engineer is to identify and investigate new ways of improving a company’s processes, optimising their manufacturing methods and gaining efficiency in terms of profit and quality. They then have to make sure their suggestions and improvements are implemented properly.

The life of a project engineer...

Optimising manufacturing processes

Once R&D engineers have created new products or machines, and before they’re brought online on production lines, it’s down to project engineers to optimise their implementation. Their ultimate goal is to optimise company efficiency and profitability. They begin by investigating what can be improved through various calculations before proposing solutions, looking at things like the number of machines, where workers are stationed, the processes involved, standard working methods, the potential to subcontract or outsource certain elements, and so on. They reflect on solutions that could help companies improve their everyday working conditions.

They summarise their research and present their findings as deliverable projects, describing the technical and operational ways certain tools and procedures could be introduced in a more efficient way.

Overseeing implementation

Once their recommendations have been signed off, project engineers need to train employees on these new working methods. They need to arrange the practicalities of any new organisations (which workstations are which, where each machine should go, etc.) and ensure key performance indicators are in place to measure the effectiveness of their initiatives. Once projects have been launched and rolled out, they strive to improve processes and methods all the time by constantly adapting to technological innovations, keeping in mind all these actions need to respect an optimised budget they’re responsible for (assessing the cost of investments).

Required skills

Good analytical skills and self-confidence, along with a well organised and training-focussed (continuous improvement) approach are vital.

Typical educational background

5 years of higher education, general engineering studies, specialist studies always a plus.