How to Become a Engineering Manager

About Engineering Manager

Engineering managers supervise a team of engineers for design and development of products such as computer hardware, medical equipment, and electrical devices. Engineering managers are responsible for overseeing projects, new development and solve problems. They are involved in planning, directing, organizing and coordinating the technical and engineering operations of an organization.

Engineering management is a specialized form of management used to describe either project management or functional management. It requires experience and training in the specific engineering discipline as well as general management. The career path of an engineering manager is challenging and exciting at the same time, taking charge of teams and delivering projects on budget and in a timely manner.

A successful engineering manager must have the skills to coach and mentor tech professionals. He is also involved in hiring staff, setting budgets and goals, leading research projects and coordinating with other departments both within and outside the organization to ensure that projects are completed in time. Their job is to solve problems and take care of obstacles or hindrances that come in the way.

Engineering managers are knowledgeable regarding the subject matter their team is dealing with and that helps them evaluate all aspects of work. They are technical savvy as well as have people skills, a tough combination to have. But being an engineering manager is all about having a constant balancing act between these two sides of the coin.

Their tasks include:

• Interpreting plan and drawings and giving advice on that basis regarding construction and production requirements

• Ensuring that the engineering standards of cost, safety, quality are adhered to

• Overseeing maintenance requirements

• Contributing to research and development projects

• Deciding project schedules and allocating budgets

• Engineering managers must have the skills mentioned below

• Leadership skills to manage and lead a team

• Good communication skills

• Project management from design till completion

• Problem-solving abilities with the ability to multitask

• Organisational competencies to keep projects and the engineering team on track

Eligibility to become Engineering Manager

To become an engineering manager, get a bachelor’s degree in engineering management or any engineering field of your choices such as mechanical, civil, chemical, and electrical or computer. After completing the degree, get some practical experience in the field at least (1-4 years). The next step involves getting a master’s degree in engineering management, one can also opt for an MBA or technology management.

Gradually after gaining a few years of work experience and demonstrating good leadership skills, one can climb up the ladder and become an engineering manager.

Fees to Become an Engineering Manager 

Studying engineering at the UG level costs roughly around Rs.8,00,000. However, the option of studying Masters in Engineering Management (MEM) is not there in India. You can pursue MEM in Canada, Australia, Germany, Finland, and the USA. 

Types of Job Roles Engineering Manager

There aren’t many job profiles available for engineering managers. However, the ones that they can look forward to are at a very senior level and well-paying jobs. They are as follows

Director of Engineering-Director of engineering is the head of the engineering department or the team. He works with a team of engineers to decide targets, set goals, plan projects and allocate budget. They are in charge of project management, presenting budgets and hiring new team members.

Architectural managers-Architectural managers deal with the coordination and integration of technical activities in engineering or architecture projects. They are also responsible for directing, reviewing or approving project design changes. Architectural managers also consult or engage with clients for project specifications and evaluate the environmental regulations or social pressures to come up with reports or plans. Their job also entails approving expenditures and reviewing/editing/writing various reports.

Senior engineering project manager-Senior engineering project managers are responsible for managing staff and dealing with financials for large-scale engineering projects. They are also involved in monitoring the productivity, quality, and progress of a project.

Product engineering Manager-Product engineering managers are involved in the staffing process and make sure that the assigned project goals are being met. They also investigate and manage new product development updates. 

Employment Opportunities for Engineering Managers

Engineering managers can find employment in the following sectors:

• Manufacturing
• Government
• Scientific research and development services
• Management of companies
• Engineering, architectural and related activities 

Top Recruiting Companies for Engineering Managers 

• Google
• Apple
• Microsoft
• PwC
• PepsiCo
• Lenovo
• HP
• Pfizer
• Nissan
• Accenture
• Unilever
• Deloitte
• Dell
• The Boston Consulting Group
• JP Morgan
• Cisco
• Toyota
• Oracle
• Goldman Sachs
• Nestle 
• Volkswagen
• General Motors
• McKinsey & Company
• Ford Motor
• Siemens
• Sony
• Samsung
• Intel
• IBM
• GE
• BMW 

Pay Scale/Salary of Engineering Manager

The salary for a mid-career engineering manager is approximately Rs. 22, 26,669 and the salary for an experienced engineering manager is approximately Rs. 27, 15,011. 

Note: The above figures are an estimate and vary from individual to individual and from company to company.

Books & Study Material to Become Engineering Manager

Some popular books that one can refer to are as follows

• Engineering Management by AK Gupta
• Engineering Management: Meeting the Global Challenges by CM Chang
• Engineering Management: Creating and Operating World-class Operations by W.Dale Compton
• Intelligent Techniques in Engineering Management: Theory and Applications
• Engineering Management by Robert E Shannon 
• Handbook of Engineering Management by Dennis Lock
• Maintaining Effective Engineering Leadership by Raymond Morrison
• System Engineering Management by Benjamin S Blanchard
• Engineering Management by F. Mazda

Pros of becoming a Engineering Manager

• There are many options in this career-mechanical, electrical, environmental engineering and they offer plenty of opportunities.
• Lot of scope for creativity and a career in this field helps one think logically and solve problems. It helps in intellectual development.
• It is challenging too at the same time as you will have to constantly deal with new things and problems.
• There are abundant job opportunities which will be available and all over the world.
• The high-level math taught in engineering gives a greater understanding of the world around and applying this to real-world problems can be gratifying.
• This post offers great salary.

Cons of becoming a Engineering Manager

• Work can be very stressful at times and work may vary depending upon the projects and the company’s requirements.
• One has to spend a lot of time studying to become an engineering manager.
• The workload can also be a bit too much at times and there can be work pressure. You will have to head massive projects and have to be careful. If there is any failure, it can lead to a major loss for the company.
• If you don’t have an aptitude for it then you may get easily bored and lose interest in the job.