A career in operations engineering can be an exciting path to take. Generally speaking, an operations engineer provides a multitude of services within either the construction or technological industry.

Key knowledge areas

Maintenance

Skills

The set of required skills to do this kind of work include

1. Deductive reasoning

2. Analytical thinking

3. Problem solving

4. Good written and verbal communication. Operational engineers must be able to communicate manufacturing capabilities to clients and schedules to technical staff

5. Good interpersonal skills are very useful in this field.

6. They must have excellent organizational skills because they will spend a significant amount of time planning, organizing and prioritizing various tasks related to production.

Qualifications

Normally professionals in this field will have a bachelor’s degree in engineering, specifically concentrating on industrial and manufacturing engineering.

Operations engineers often specialize in a particular discipline, which can require additional training. For instance, those pursuing a career in network operations engineering will need a degree in computer science or a related field.

Work

1. Operations engineers working in the construction industry have duties that focus mainly on the equipment. In this industry, a normal day may be spent operating the equipment and keeping it in shape.

2. Engineers will diagnose faults and troubleshoot any problems that arise. Looking at costs does factor in with this job, since production speed affects profits. 

3. Operations engineers will typically research ways to reduce production costs, develop production goals, and create schedules and plans for individual tasks.

4. They can also be responsible for managing shipping, overseeing upgrades, and training managers and other staff on how to use new machinery.

5. Operations engineers employed in the technology industry also work with equipment, but the equipment is more centered on computers. Daily duties within this field can include devising ways to improve systems while reducing costs, ensuring that work is completed within schedule, setting and meeting deadlines, and troubleshooting any problems with the equipment.  

6. Operations engineers can also find work as cost estimators, consultants and distribution managers because their skills are transferable to many other industries. They can be employed by local governments, universities and major corporations.

7. They also provide maintenance and support services and troubleshoot any problems that arise with manufacturing.

8. Operations engineers can also assist management in improving the quality of their products and reducing production costs.

9. They typically inspect and review operating activities and determine production schedules.