Industrial Engineer

Industrial engineers determine the most effective ways for an organization to use its basic resources: people, machines, materials, money and time.

Also Known As: Engineer, Logistics Manager, Professional Engineer NOC Number(s): Minimum Education: 2141 4 years post-secondary education/training

Employment Outlook: Job openings generated due to employment turnover. Occupational outlook currently unavailable. Interests: IOD

Duties | Working Conditions | Personal Characteristics | Education | Related Legislation | Employment | Salary | Other Information | Related Occupations | Related School Subjects | Related Field of Study

Duties 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.

Working Conditions 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.

Personal Characteristics 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.

Educational Requirements Undergraduate degree programs in industrial engineering are offered by:

University of Regina Ryerson University in Toronto University of Toronto University of Windsor Concordia University in Montreal Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal

University of Quebec Dalhousie University in Halifax University of Moncton. In Alberta, the University of Calgary offers a four year Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree program in mechanical engineering with a minor in manufacturing engineering that includes industrial engineering content. The admission requirement is a competitive in English Language Arts 30-1, Pure Math 30, Math 31, Chemistry 30 and Physics 30.

Post-secondary institutions throughout Alberta offer university transfer programs that allow students to apply up to two years of study toward university bachelor's degree programs. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the courses they choose to take will be accepted for credit at the institution to which they wish to transfer.

For current information about programs, admission requirements and mature admission policies, please check post-secondary calendars or websites.

Related Legislation Under Alberta's Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act, you must be a registered member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) to practice as a Professional Engineer. You do not have to be registered if you work under the direct supervision of a Professional Engineer and do not call yourself a Professional Engineer or use the word Engineer in your job title.

To find more information on the certification process see Chemical Engineer Licensing Process, Civil Engineer Licensing Process, Electrical Engineer Accreditation Process, Mechanical Engineer Licensing Process and Petroleum Engineer Licensing Process on the AlbertaCanada.com website.

Section revised June 2013

Employment and Advancement

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 National Occupational Classification 2141: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers. In Alberta, 78 per cent of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:

Manufacturing Professional, Scientific and Technical Services Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction. 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.

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

Section revised October 2012

Salary According to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers occupational group earned on average from $29.71 to $46.71 an hour. The mean wage for this group was $39.05 an hour.

For more detailed information, see WAGEinfo.

Section revised March 2012

Other Sources of Information Post-secondary institution calendars and websites (see Educational Requirements above)

EDinfo website: www.alis.alberta.ca/edinfo

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) website: www.apegga.org

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

Related Occupational Profiles Biomedical Engineer Engineering Physicist

Ergonomist Human Resources Professional Manufacturing Engineer Operations Manager Operations Research Analyst

Related High School Subjects English Language Arts; Mathematics; Media, Design and Communication Arts (Design Studies); Natural Resources (Environmental Stewardship); Science (Chemistry; and Physics); and Trades, Manufacturing and Transportation (Logistics)

Related Post-Secondary Field of Study Engineering, Architecture and Related Studies

Produced January 2010 Top of Profile For more information on career planning, occupations and educational programs, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) website at alis.alberta.ca, 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.

The information contained in this profile was current as of the dates shown. Salaries, employment outlook and educational programs may change. Please check the information before making any career decisions.