Top 12 Engineering Supervisor Skills to Put on Your Resume

Landing a role as an engineering supervisor demands proof of technical depth and steady leadership on your resume. Show the skills that steer projects, rally teams, and turn ideas into buildable results. Make them unmistakable.

Engineering Supervisor Skills

1. AutoCAD
2. MATLAB
3. SolidWorks
4. Project Management
5. Lean Manufacturing
6. Six Sigma
7. Python
8. Revit
9. ANSYS
10. PLC Programming
11. Scrum
12. Agile

1. AutoCAD

AutoCAD is CAD software used to create precise 2D drawings and 3D models for engineering, architecture, and construction.

Why It's Important

It enables clean, accurate design work, speeds up planning, and makes design intent clear across teams, which keeps projects moving without costly missteps.

How to Improve AutoCAD Skills

Level up with practical moves that stick:

1. Training and Certification: Invest in structured courses and, where useful, certification to standardize team proficiency.
2. Customization and Automation: Use AutoLISP, .NET add-ins, dynamic blocks, and tool palettes to slash repetitive work.
3. Templates and Standards: Build firmwide templates, plot styles, layers, and naming conventions. Publish a CAD standards guide.
4. Hardware and Settings: Match vendor-recommended specs, tune graphics drivers, manage Xrefs, and regularly PURGE/AUDIT files.
5. Stay Current: Keep versions updated and roll out new features with short enablement sessions.

Do this and the team’s speed and consistency jump fast.

How to Display AutoCAD Skills on Your Resume

2. MATLAB

MATLAB is a high-level environment for numerical computing, data analysis, algorithm development, and visualization—staple tools in many engineering domains.

Why It's Important

It speeds modeling, testing, and optimization, letting teams turn raw data into decisions with less friction.

How to Improve MATLAB Skills

1. Lean on Documentation and Examples: Encourage quick lookups, code snippets, and internal knowledge bases to avoid reinventing wheels.
2. Use the Right Toolboxes: Pick toolboxes that match your work (Signal Processing, Control, Optimization, etc.).
3. Write Fast Code: Favor vectorization, use the Profiler, and preallocate. Small habits, big gains.
4. Version Control: Standardize Git workflows and code reviews for scripts, functions, and models.
5. Practice on Real Data: Convert recurring tasks into reusable functions or Live Scripts.
6. Keep Pace: Share release highlights, run short demos, and maintain a “golden” utilities repo.

That mix builds both speed and reliability.

How to Display MATLAB Skills on Your Resume

3. SolidWorks

SolidWorks is CAD/CAE software for creating 2D drawings, 3D models, and simulations that feed directly into manufacturing.

Why It's Important

It helps teams design, validate, and revise quickly—cutting costs and avoiding late-stage surprises.

How to Improve SolidWorks Skills

1. Training and Certification: Structure beginner-to-advanced paths; certify where it clarifies expectations.
2. Templates and Design Tables: Enforce drawing/model templates, configurations, and property standards for reuse.
3. Macros and API: Automate drawing creation, property filling, and batch operations to trim cycle time.
4. Performance for Large Assemblies: Use lightweight components, simplified configurations, and disciplined mates.
5. Data Management: Adopt PDM for versions, approvals, and traceability.
6. Peer Reviews: Regular design checks, markups, and simulation sanity checks keep quality high.

How to Display SolidWorks Skills on Your Resume

4. Project Management

Project management means planning, organizing, leading, and controlling resources and tasks so engineering goals get met on time, within budget, and to spec.

Why It's Important

It gives structure to complexity. Fewer surprises, clearer trade-offs, better delivery.

How to Improve Project Management Skills

1. Pick the Right Approach: Scrum, Kanban, hybrid, or stage-gate—match method to risk, novelty, and compliance needs.
2. Use the Tools: Standardize scheduling and tracking in systems like Jira, Asana, Trello, or MS Project.
3. Communication Cadence: Stand-ups, weekly status, and stakeholder reviews—predictable rhythm beats chaos.
4. Risk Early, Risk Often: Keep a live risk register with owners, triggers, and mitigations.
5. Scope Control: Define acceptance criteria, manage change requests, and protect critical path.
6. Measure What Matters: Burndown, CPI/SPI, cycle time, and throughput—then act on the signals.
7. Continuous Improvement: Postmortems and retros feed the next plan.

How to Display Project Management Skills on Your Resume

5. Lean Manufacturing

Lean Manufacturing reduces waste and boosts flow while keeping quality tight. It chases customer value and trims everything else.

Why It's Important

Less waste, shorter lead times, fewer defects. That’s efficiency turning into margin and capacity.

How to Improve Lean Manufacturing Skills

1. Know the Principles: Value, value stream, flow, pull, perfection—teach and practice them.
2. Value Stream Mapping: Map end-to-end, expose bottlenecks, prioritize fixes.
3. 5S: Sort, set in order, shine, standardize, sustain. Clean spaces save time.
4. Kaizen: Small, frequent improvements beat sporadic big swings.
5. Pull Systems: JIT, Kanban, and right-sized buffers to smooth flow.
6. Root Cause: 5 Whys and fishbone diagrams—go past symptoms.
7. Empower the Floor: The people closest to the work see the waste first.
8. Train and Certify: Build shared language and expectations across shifts.
9. Measure Relentlessly: OEE, lead time, takt time, first-pass yield—then iterate.

How to Display Lean Manufacturing Skills on Your Resume

6. Six Sigma

Six Sigma is a data-driven method to reduce process variation and defects using statistical tools and structured frameworks like DMAIC or DMADV.

Why It's Important

Fewer defects mean lower costs, tighter predictability, and happier customers. That compounds across programs.

How to Improve Six Sigma Skills

1. Grow Expertise: Encourage Green/Black Belt learning and shared practice.
2. Define What Matters: Clarify CTQs, map processes, and align metrics with customer outcomes.
3. Run DMAIC Properly: Define and measure first, analyze with facts, improve with experiments, lock it in with controls.
4. Use the Right Stats: Control charts, hypothesis tests, regression, DOE—support with tools like Minitab or Python.
5. Control Plans: Standard work, visual management, and monitoring to sustain gains.
6. Cross-Functional Teams: Partners in quality from design, ops, and supply chain accelerate results.

How to Display Six Sigma Skills on Your Resume

7. Python

Python is a high-level programming language known for readability and range—great for automation, data work, integrations, and quick prototypes.

Why It's Important

One language that can script test rigs, crunch logs, and glue systems together. Fast to write, easy to maintain.

How to Improve Python Skills

1. Readable Code: Follow PEP 8 style, add type hints, document functions. Future you will thank you.
2. Advanced Features: Generators, decorators, context managers, packaging—write less, do more.
3. Test and Automate: Unit tests with pytest, linting, and CI pipelines keep changes safe.
4. Practice with Purpose: Convert recurring tasks into scripts. Build small tools for your team.
5. Use the Ecosystem: pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib for data; requests and asyncio for services.
6. Contribute: Open-source or internal libraries sharpen skills and code quality.

How to Display Python Skills on Your Resume

8. Revit

Revit is BIM software for designing, documenting, and coordinating architecture, structure, and MEP in one integrated model.

Why It's Important

It aligns disciplines, reduces clashes, and tightens the feedback loop between design and build.

How to Improve Revit Skills

1. Training: Keep teams current with structured sessions and role-based paths.
2. Standards: Establish BIM standards—naming, families, templates, shared parameters, view templates.
3. Add-Ins: Adopt vetted add-ins and Dynamo scripts to automate tedious modeling and documentation.
4. Collaborate in the Cloud: Use a common data environment for versioning, reviews, and clash tracking.
5. Performance Hygiene: Purge unused elements, manage worksets, compact files, and right-size hardware.
6. Feedback Loops: Regularly capture pain points and fold fixes into standards and training.

How to Display Revit Skills on Your Resume

9. ANSYS

ANSYS is simulation software for structural, thermal, fluids, electromagnetics, and multiphysics analysis—used to model, validate, and optimize designs.

Why It's Important

It de-risks decisions before cutting metal or buying tooling, shrinking test cycles and costs.

How to Improve ANSYS Skills

1. Invest in Training: Formal courses plus internal playbooks for repeatable setups.
2. Solid Preprocessing: Clean geometry, appropriate element choices, and mesh refinement studies.
3. Use HPC Wisely: Parallel solves and queue strategies to cut turnaround time.
4. Parametric Studies: Design points, response surfaces, and optimization to explore the design space.
5. Script and Automate: Python-driven templates for meshing, solving, and post-processing.
6. Verify and Validate: Correlate with hand calcs and test data; document assumptions and boundary conditions.

How to Display ANSYS Skills on Your Resume

10. PLC Programming

PLC programming means writing logic to control industrial equipment and processes using Programmable Logic Controllers.

Why It's Important

Automation lifts throughput, repeatability, and safety. PLCs are the backbone of that control.

How to Improve PLC Programming Skills

1. Master the Fundamentals: IEC 61131-3 languages (Ladder, Function Block, Structured Text), scan cycles, and I/O basics.
2. Hands-On Practice: Use simulators (e.g., PLCSIM, CODESYS), build test benches, and version your logic.
3. Standards and Documentation: Tag naming, modular blocks, comments, and clear HMI states.
4. Safety and Security: Understand SIL concepts, safe states, e-stops, and basic OT cybersecurity.
5. Troubleshooting: Trend logs, force controls safely, and read diagnostics methodically.
6. Vendor Ecosystems: Stay current with platform-specific guidelines and libraries.

How to Display PLC Programming Skills on Your Resume

11. Scrum

Scrum is an agile framework that organizes work into short, iterative sprints with clear roles, ceremonies, and artifacts.

Why It's Important

It helps teams deliver incrementally, respond to change, and keep stakeholders aligned.

How to Improve Scrum Skills

1. Team Culture First: Psychological safety and open communication unlock real collaboration.
2. Backlog Clarity: Well-prioritized items with crisp acceptance criteria reduce churn.
3. Realistic Planning: Plan to capacity, maintain a clear Definition of Done, and avoid carryover.
4. Run Ceremonies Well: Short, focused stand-ups; meaningful reviews; no-perfume retros.
5. Metrics with Care: Track velocity, throughput, and lead time—use them to learn, not to punish.
6. Product Alignment: A strong Product Owner and visible roadmap keep effort tied to outcomes.

How to Display Scrum Skills on Your Resume

12. Agile

Agile is an iterative way of working that values collaboration, customer feedback, and fast adaptation over heavy upfront plans.

Why It's Important

It shrinks feedback loops and surfaces risk early, enabling quicker, higher-quality delivery.

How to Improve Agile Skills

1. Sharper Communication: Daily syncs, transparent boards, and visible risks keep everyone moving together.
2. Inspect and Adapt: Regular retros and small experiments build momentum.
3. Continuous Learning: Time for training, reading groups, and knowledge shares pays off.
4. Empower the Team: Push decisions to where the information lives. Ownership rises.
5. Right-Sized Tooling: Boards, wikis, and automation that reduce effort, not add to it.
6. Break the Silos: Cross-functional collaboration beats handoffs and delays.

How to Display Agile Skills on Your Resume