Production or Plant Engineer
What the work is
Plans, directs and coordinates the design, construction, modification, continued performance and maintenance of equipment and machines in industrial plants, and the management and planning of production and plant activities.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Determines and plans the layout of equipment and machines in industrial plants
- Develops and implements strategies to improve the performance and efficiency of production and plant activities
- Coordinates the construction, modification and maintenance of equipment and machines in industrial plants
- Identifies and resolves technical issues and problems in industrial plants
- May use established systems to recognise and control at-risk behaviours and situations, and support the interaction of personnel and equipment in production activities
- May manage autonomous fleets of vehicles, and identify and implement operational improvements for autonomous fleet management systems to improve efficiency, productivity and overall operations in production activities
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a factory that makes packaged goods, where lines of machines run most of the day. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A change you suggested makes the line run smoother and the team notices
- You watch a machine you helped design run its first full shift without stopping
- An operator shows you a better way to do a job and you build it into the process
Hard days
- A breakdown on a Friday afternoon with a full order waiting to leave
- A cost cutting request that would make the job harder for the people on the floor
- Your idea looks great on screen but doesn't survive contact with the real factory
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 243533, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.