Would You? 1

[MFJewell]

I am contemplating an opportunity that has been presented to me at my current employer. Here is a little background about me:

Mechanical engineer, PE, BSME, worked at Aerospace design firm, EPC (metals/mining was the main market), utilities (power generation), railroad (as a mechanical supervisor), and district energy (current employer as a hybrid plant engineer/project engineer/design engineer).

I have been asked if I want to take over the maintenance department when the current maintenance manager retires. He has been at this site for over 40 years (first several as a contractor building it, then 35+ as the maintenance manager).

I currently have an easy schedule (5:30 am - 2:00 pm), like what I do, have excellent working relationships, and keep things pretty well under control, so don't have many emergent issues with projects I am running.

The CEO and I have discussed this new opportunity and title and compensation are negotiable and it will most likely lead to a VP position if I stay here. I already make well into 6 figures and can probably add 20% or more to that in this new role. The schedule for the most part is similar to what I do now (current manager does 6:00-3:30 with every other Friday off). Obviously if there is a major equipment issue, I would be here and I would also get occasional calls during off hours when operations muffs something up.

Items to consider: I am worried that as I get away from engineering, I may get bored with the position (similar to my experience at the railroad). My wife is finishing her masters degree next year and is hoping we will move back to the east coast once she is done. Overall I believe it would be a good career move whether I stay at this company or eventually leave, but I don't want to take the position and then bail on them in a year. I have already told them this is a possibility, but even with that, they still want me to take it if I can commit to a few years (3+). If I wait 3+ years to move, my oldest daughter will just be starting high school, so I also question if it would be reasonable to relocate her at that time.

So what would you do?

 

[KoachCSR]

First thing - and I hope you've already at least started the conversation - is to talk it through with your wife. If she has her heart set on moving in one year, but this position would require you to stay for at least three years, that's the "first hurtle" you need to sort out, in my opinion.

From a career perspective, since it sounds like you will not be staying with that company, the eventual VP position seems irrelevant. Another thing to consider is that if you take this managerial/leadership position with the ~20% bump in pay, it may increase the time it takes you to find your next position should you move. Even being willing to take a slight cut in pay may not help. On the other hand, if you were going to stay with this company, I think this position would be a good career move upwards, provided that management is something that interests you - because there likely won't be very much engineering involved.

Given everything you've described, it sounds like this may be a good opportunity for you professionally under the right circumstances, but those circumstances don't appear to be in place with the plans you currently have with your family. I think you either need to change those plans (which may not be an option) or forego this opportunity. You have to do what's right for you.

 

[Maui]

Since you plan on moving on in the near future I would stay where you are in your current position. This saves the company the trouble of backfilling your current position now and then filling the managerial position once you leave. And there is no guarantee that you will enjoy the new job more than the current one. If you are happy where you are then enjoy it while you can. Things change. And at work, usually not for the better.

Maui

 

[MFJewell]

First thing - and I hope you've already at least started the conversation - is to talk it through with your wife.

We have talked about it extensively. She sees it as a great opportunity and is torn. Honestly, I don't expect her to commit to staying here, and if that is the case, I fully plan to decline the position.

Another thing to consider is that if you take this managerial/leadership position with the ~20% bump in pay, it may increase the time it takes you to find your next position should you move. Even being willing to take a slight cut in pay may not help.

Completely agree. I always keep my eye on the market and know where I could use this experience to my advantage if I were to move back East (of course market conditions could change too). I know it may limit me in some aspects, but it will help in others.

I think this position would be a good career move upwards, provided that management is something that interests you - because there likely won't be very much engineering involved.

Completely agree with this as well. And I worry I will miss the technical side, especially after my experience as a supervisor at the railroad (which involved zero technical aspects).

Since you plan on moving on in the near future I would stay where you are in your current position. This saves the company the trouble of backfilling your current position now and then filling the managerial position once you leave.

Agreed. That is why I was upfront with them about it. Ethics mean more to me than personal gain.

 

[jari001]

Unless you work for a small/medium sized company where you might need to spend time on day to day work as need arises, going into (middle) management will definitely be less technical because you will never have time for deep dives into problems. My impression of executive management (that VP level) is to use your technical knowledge in a big picture sort of way, so if that might satisfy you, then you could muddle through middle management. Would the possible one more year of managerial experience get you to a milestone number counting your time as the mech. supervisor?

You should also ask your daughter what she feels, maybe she would welcome a fresh start going into high school because she could reinvent her image (you may be surprised how much of an opinion an 10-11 year old might have on this topic). But, the good money is on the typical teenager that wouldn't take kindly to losing their established peer group going into their teenage years.

 

[MFJewell]

Unless you work for a small/medium sized company where you might need to spend time on day to day work as need arises, going into (middle) management will definitely be less technical because you will never have time for deep dives into problems. My impression of executive management (that VP level) is to use your technical knowledge in a big picture sort of way, so if that might satisfy you, then you could muddle through middle management. Would the possible one more year of managerial experience get you to a milestone number counting your time as the mech. supervisor?

It is a small (100 employees) company. The jump from manager to VP could be as little as a year. If I took the manager role, I would be person solely responsible for all maintenance and would report directly to VP. The VP of engineering is also getting ready to retire, so I could end up as VP of maint and engineering.

You should also ask your daughter what she feels

I have, she is indifferent to it. She has lived in 7 places in 11 years, so it's not that big of a deal to her. She has a few places on the east coast she would prefer to go to though (all of them except 1 are places we have lived before).

 

[spieng89]

Where would your family as a unit be happier? Sounds like your family would be happier moving back east. Sure you may make more money and make VP, but does that really mean anything in the macro view of your life? This is a personal question only you and your family can answer. For some, career accomplishments are important and for others as long as their "comfortable" they are fine.