Production engineers manage the operation of one or more manufacturing workshops in a manufacturing company. Their role is to organize, set up and optimize production, while observing specifications.
Their responsibilities vary based on the size and structure of the company. They can be in charge of all the products, one line in particular, or a step in the manufacturing process (e.g. assembly).
The work of production engineers is done before, during and after the manufacturing process per se. Upstream, they analyze the file sent by the Engineering and Design department, then participate in defining the objectives (cost, quality, timelines), methods and means (raw materials, human resources).
When manufacturing is under way, they monitor operations on a daily basis and supervise technical personnel, from the workers to the team leaders. In smaller companies, they may be required to manage maintenance tasks.
Downstream, production engineers are in charge of developing processes to measure and further workshop productivity (equipment performance, team efficiency).