Industrial Engineer

Industrial engineers design, improve and implement integrated systems of human beings, materials and equipment to produce needed results efficiently. For example, they may be involved with:

• planning how systems will work
• measuring work performance
• establishing work standards and specifications
• establishing and managing quality standards
• analyzing project benefits and costs
• enhancing systems operations.

Industrial engineers apply knowledge and skills from social as well as physical disciplines (for example, mathematics, statistics, engineering, chemistry, physics, psychology and sociology) to solve problems in a wide variety of industries (for example, education, agri-food, environment, distribution and transportation, health care, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing). They may specialize in facility layout and design, production planning, logistics systems design, ergonomics, manufacturing, project management or operations research.

Facility layout and design specialists:

• evaluate proposed sites for facilities
• design new buildings or redesign existing ones, taking into account factors such as the product and people flow of the workplace (for example, shipping and receiving requirements, packaging methods), energy consumption and employee safety
• decide where machines, equipment and offices should be located to achieve maximum production at minimum cost
• create ergonomic work stations designed to reduce worker fatigue, eliminate unnecessary work steps and increase productivity.

To evaluate proposed sites, they investigate:

• labour supplies
• transportation options for moving people, raw materials and finished goods
• fuel, power, water and utility costs and supplies
• sanitary and waste disposal systems
• fire protection
• the cost of land, buildings and taxes.

Production planning specialists:

• evaluate production systems, equipment, work methods and products
• develop operating systems which reduce costs and increase quality and production
• use computers to analyze information about existing systems and simulate new ones
• devise work methods and determine how much work each machine or employee must produce to meet production quotas
• establish methods of paying employees for the kind and amount of work they do
• plan systems to check the quality of finished products.

Logistics systems specialists are concerned with:

• the movement of materials and information from the purchasing of raw materials through to production, distribution, servicing and recycling
• preventative maintenance systems design and planning
• customer service
• inventory development
• transportation
• development of effective information systems
• market needs analysis and strategic planning.

Management and operations specialists plan work patterns, systems and procedures, and make recommendations regarding improvements. They:

• develop and set up systems to control work flow, materials flow, paperwork and quality assurance of products and services
• set costs and budget limits
• assess how well the arrangements, methods, systems and procedures are working on an ongoing basis.

For information about ergonomics, manufacturing engineering and operations research, see the Ergonomist, Manufacturing Engineer and Operations Research Analyst occupational profiles.

Because this engineering discipline is so varied in its applications, working conditions also vary. Some industrial engineers spend most of their working day observing production, asking questions and watching how work is done. Some work primarily in an office environment, writing specifications and meeting with other engineers and technologists. Others manage large projects.

Some overtime may be required to meet deadlines. Extended periods of travel may be required for international projects.

Industrial engineers need the following characteristics:

• curiosity
• imagination
• good communication and social skills
• the ability to visualize the effects of change
• an interest in people and systems.

They should enjoy working on their own as well as with teams, making decisions, being creative and having variety in their work.

Below-average occupational growth is expected in Alberta for 2016 to 2020. Job openings are a result of employment turnover and newly created positions.

Industrial engineers can use their skills in almost any type of organization and are more widely distributed among industries than other engineers. They may work for:

• consulting firms
• financial institutions
• government institutions
• health care institutions
• manufacturing and industrial plants
• transportation companies
• insurance companies
• department stores.

Industrial engineers are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 2141: Industrial and manufacturing engineers. In Alberta, 80% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:

• Manufacturing (PDF)
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (PDF)
• Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction (PDF)
• Wholesale Trade (PDF)

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the industries listed above)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
• size of the occupation.

Over 1,900 Albertans are employed in the Industrial and manufacturing engineers occupational group. This group is expected to have a below-average annual growth of 1.1% from 2016 to 2020. As a result, 21 new positions are forecast to be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover. Note: As industrial engineers form only a part of this larger occupational group, only some of these newly created positions will be for industrial engineers.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) website: www.apega.ca

Institute of Industrial Engineers Chapter 889 website: www.mie.utoronto.ca/csie

For more information on career planning, education and jobs, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) website, call the Alberta Career Information Hotline toll-free at 1-800-661-3753 or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton, or visit an Alberta Works Centre near you.