Even if you can't spend "all day for weeks or months" put a one hour meeting on your calendar every day and spend that time in the gemba. Spend that time listening more than you talk. You already own the fact that you're not the expert, which is more than most engineers can ever admit, so good on you. Now get out there and learn something :)

I spent ten years in industry grinding my way up to manufacturing engineer before I bothered to get my ME. And you know what was different that first day I walked back into a plant with that piece of paper in my hand?

Not a damn thing.

What I can say is that now - building spacecraft - I'm one of maybe three MfgEng in the company that is on actual good terms with the machinists. Not because I'm the guy that buys them breakfast burritos or stands in awe of their obvious skill, but because when I start to see issues cropping up that will impact manufacturing, I'm the one that will walk out to the floor to consult with them, trust their judgement and understand their reasoning and perspectives.