If you've ever wondered what an industrial engineer at Boeing actually does, the answer is a lot more dynamic than you might expect. It's not just sitting at a desk crunching numbers — it's running morning stand-ups with Air Force colonels, managing critical path schedules for full-scale aircraft tests, and making sure everything from shop-floor mechanics to executive dashboards stays on track. Kaela Byrne, an industrial engineer at Boeing in Washington State, joined us on Honest Careers to pull back the curtain on one of aerospace's most versatile engineering roles.

Kaela studied Industrial and Systems Engineering in college, secured two Boeing internships before graduating, and has since worked on projects ranging from the 777X commercial aircraft to the B1 Bomber military jet. Her story is a masterclass in how to break into aerospace engineering — and how to grow once you're in.

What Does an Industrial Engineer at Boeing Actually Do?

At Boeing, industrial engineers wear a lot of hats — but the common thread is keeping complex projects moving efficiently. Kaela describes her day-to-day as leaning heavily on project management. She runs morning stand-up meetings, coordinates across multiple engineering disciplines, manages master schedules, and tracks critical paths and sequencing for major tests.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

  • Morning stand-ups: Kaela kicks off daily meetings that bring together different types of engineers, organizations, and stakeholders to make sure everything is aligned.
  • Master scheduling: She controls the full project schedule — from coordinating mechanics on the shop floor to preparing charts and metrics for VPs and executives.
  • Cross-functional coordination: Industrial engineers sit at the intersection of every discipline. If something is blocking progress, it's often the IE's job to identify it and fix it.
  • Problem solving: When the project hits a wall, the industrial engineer is expected to find a path forward.

Kaela puts it simply: the industrial engineering role at Boeing is essentially a project manager embedded in an engineering team. And depending on which part of Boeing you land in, the work can look very different — from structured, routine sustaining work to fast-paced, high-stakes testing environments like the one Kaela is in.

How Do You Land a Boeing Internship as a Student?

Kaela's path to Boeing started with internships, and she's clear that they were the single best thing she did to set herself up for a full-time role. She applied for Boeing internships while still in college, went through interviews, and put in serious preparation to earn the offer.

What made the Boeing intern experience stand out? According to Kaela, it's the level of real responsibility you're given from day one:

  • You're placed directly on a team of full-time industrial engineers — often as the only intern on that team.
  • You're treated like a real team member, assigned actual projects, and expected to contribute to your teammates' work.
  • The experience closely mirrors what a full-time position looks like, so you leave with a genuine sense of whether the job is right for you.

On the compensation side, Kaela was pleasantly surprised. Boeing covers relocation costs, housing, and even transportation if needed — which was significant for her since she relocated from Florida to the Seattle area. For students weighing internship options, that kind of support can make a real financial difference.

The takeaway: apply early, prepare hard for the interviews, and don't underestimate the value of doing it twice. Kaela completed two internships before accepting her full-time offer, and that repetition gave her a major advantage when she transitioned to the role permanently.

What Is Boeing Test and Evaluation and Who Works There?

After graduating, Kaela joined Boeing Test and Evaluation — the organization responsible for testing aerospace products before they go into service. And unlike other divisions of Boeing that focus on one product line, the testing org touches everything.

That means Kaela has worked on projects across both commercial and military programs, including:

  • The 777X — Boeing's next-generation wide-body commercial aircraft, going through fatigue and static testing.
  • The B1 Bomber — a US Air Force strategic bomber currently undergoing fuselage testing.

The variety is one of the things Kaela says keeps her energized. There's always something new being tested, and the projects range in scale from small panels to full aircraft. If you're someone who gets bored doing the same thing every day, Boeing Test and Evaluation might be the right corner of the company for you.

What Is It Like Working on the B1 Bomber at Boeing?

The military side of Boeing's work has a noticeably different culture from the commercial side. Kaela describes a heightened sense of gravity in those morning meetings — because when you're testing a bomber jet for the US Air Force, the stakes are clear and present.

"If we don't get this test on time, people's lives are at stake," she explains. That reminder comes directly from Air Force colonels who are present at the facility and often open the day's meetings with a defense-focused perspective. It's a level of mission clarity you don't always get in a commercial program, and Kaela says it brings things into sharp focus for the whole team.

Working with military personnel also means navigating a different cultural dynamic — more formal, more structured, and with a stronger emphasis on consequence. For engineers who want their work to feel meaningful beyond business metrics, the military side of aerospace offers exactly that.

Has Boeing's Culture Actually Changed After the 737 Max Scandal?

This is the question a lot of people have — and Kaela has a uniquely credible answer. She joined Boeing before the 737 Max crisis, was with the company through the leadership changes that followed, and has watched the cultural shift happen in real time.

Her honest assessment: yes, things have changed — and for the better.

Before the crisis, she describes a culture shaped by schedule pressure and a management style that didn't always welcome bad news. Engineers felt pressure to hit milestones even when the work wasn't ready. That environment, Kaela suggests, contributed to the problems that became very public.

Since the leadership transition, she's seen a meaningful shift toward transparency. Engineers at the working level now feel more comfortable raising concerns — flagging when a timeline isn't realistic, or when quality could be compromised by rushing. And critically, managers and executives are now more willing to hear that feedback and act on it rather than dismiss it.

It's a cultural evolution that's still ongoing, but Kaela's first-hand account suggests Boeing is genuinely trying to become an organization where safety and quality come before schedule.

Is Industrial Engineering a Good Career Path in Aerospace?

Short answer: yes — especially if you're someone who likes variety, problem-solving, and working at the intersection of technical and organizational challenges. Kaela makes the case that industrial engineering is one of the most flexible disciplines at Boeing because it shows up in almost every part of the business.

There are two broad paths an IE can take:

  • Sustaining IE: More structured, routine work focused on maintaining existing processes. Good for people who want consistency and a clear daily rhythm.
  • Project management IE: More dynamic, cross-functional, and problem-focused. This is where Kaela sits — and it's the path for people who thrive in ambiguity and want to lead.

The career ceiling is also high. The variety of programs, the scale of the work, and the number of disciplines you interact with means there's always room to grow, pivot, or specialize.

Career Tips Every New Industrial Engineer Needs to Hear

Kaela's advice for early-career engineers is refreshingly honest. She didn't walk into Boeing fully formed — she spent the first part of her career watching, listening, and absorbing before stepping into a more vocal leadership role.

Here's what she'd tell someone just starting out:

  • Give yourself permission to be quiet at first. You don't have to perform confidence you don't have yet. Use that time to study the people around you — what behaviors work, what doesn't, how the best engineers carry themselves.
  • Let yourself grow into your voice. Kaela now runs meetings, speaks up in rooms full of male engineers, and leads projects. But that didn't happen overnight. It was a gradual process of building confidence through experience.
  • Know you have a seat at the table. Whether you're a woman in a male-dominated room, a new grad among veterans, or someone who feels out of their depth — your perspective has value. Don't shrink from it.
  • Stay open to where the job takes you. Kaela isn't a five-year planner, and she doesn't think you need to be either. What matters more is staying curious, staying open, and saying yes to the projects that scare you a little.

Boeing, for all its headlines, remains one of the most opportunity-rich companies in aerospace. And industrial engineering, for all its behind-the-scenes reputation, might be one of the most impactful roles in the building. If Kaela's story is any indication, it's a career worth pursuing.