Jobloria
Director of Industrial Engineering
Career Development Partners
Location : Lake Villa, IL, 60046
Job Type : Full Time / Part Time
Date Posted : 2 December 2025
Director of Industrial Engineering
We are seeking a highly experienced
Director of Industrial Engineering
Department:Engineering / OperationsReports To:Chief Executive Officer (CEO)Direct Reports:TBD (Production Control, Process Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Corporate Managers, QA Segment Engineers, Flex Manager)
Position Summary
We are seeking a highly experiencedDirector of Industrial Engineeringto lead operational excellence, demand responsiveness, and scalable growth in a complex job-shop manufacturing environment. This role combines strategic foresight with hands-on leadership, ensuring production capabilities align with dynamic market demands while driving continuous improvement across multiple sites.
The Director will play a critical role in enhancing efficiency, cost effectiveness, and delivery performance by optimizing processes and integrating advanced manufacturing methodologies.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the evaluation, implementation, and maintenance of manufacturing systems (MES, ERP, simulation models, advanced analytics).
- Align operational capacity with market demand through data analytics, capacity models, and real-time scheduling.
- Ensure simulation and planning models reflect real operating conditions with validated data integrity.
- Optimize production flow and job routing to manage customer orders effectively while collaborating with Sales Leadership.
- Translate business strategy into actionable operational initiatives to enable scale, efficiency, and responsiveness.
- Stay ahead of industry trends in heavy manufacturing, evaluating emerging tools and technologies.
- Drive cross-site initiatives that improve enterprise-wide performance.
- Build and grow industrial engineering capabilities through mentoring, training, and knowledge-sharing.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, technical curiosity, and operational excellence.
- Partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Sales, and Plant Leadership to ensure alignment.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
- 10+ years of industrial engineering or operational leadership experience in heavy manufacturing or capital equipment.
- Expertise in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, capacity modeling, ERP/MES integrations.
- Experience with shop-floor simulation, scheduling, and data analytics platforms.
- Strong track record in continuous improvement and cross-functional leadership.
- Project management skills for scope development, timelines, and deliverables.
- Excellent communication skills with ability to lead change across multiple sites.
- Deep understanding of job shop dynamics, including short lead times and custom orders.
Freqently Asked Questions
In Lake Villa's manufacturing sector, this director position demands mastering short lead times and custom orders. The role involves strategizing operational excellence and scaling production responsiveness, crucial for managing diverse client demands found in complex job-shop settings typical to the region.
An Of Industrial Engineering leader excels in integrating lean manufacturing with advanced analytics and ERP/MES systems. Their expertise spans cross-site operational alignment and continuous improvement, setting them apart from directors focused solely on mechanical or civil engineering disciplines.
Career progression often leads to senior executive roles like VP of Operations or Chief Manufacturing Officer. Building cross-functional leadership and mastering emerging manufacturing technologies enhances advancement prospects, especially for professionals with extensive experience in industrial engineering.
Certifications such as Six Sigma Black Belt and PMP are highly regarded locally, supporting leadership in process optimization and project management. These credentials align well with Lake Villa’s manufacturing focus, emphasizing efficiency and operational excellence.
Lake Villa's proximity to Chicago amplifies competition for senior manufacturing roles. Candidates with proven expertise in ERP integrations and lean methodologies enjoy a stronger position, due to the demand for operational leaders who can drive continuous improvement across multiple sites.
Career Development Partners empowers this director to lead enterprise-wide initiatives, fostering a culture of innovation and efficiency. Collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams ensures that strategic goals translate into real operational improvements, enhancing production flow and scalability.
The company offers a platform to mentor diverse engineering teams and spearhead transformative projects across sites. This role encourages hands-on involvement with cutting-edge manufacturing systems, reinforcing Career Development Partners’ commitment to operational excellence and growth.
Salaries typically range from $130,000 to $165,000 annually, reflecting the role’s seniority and regional manufacturing demands. Factors like advanced skills in lean manufacturing, ERP/MES systems, and cross-site leadership can push compensation toward the higher end.
This position requires balancing real-time scheduling with market demand analytics to optimize production flow. Leading continuous improvement projects ensures scalability, allowing manufacturing operations to adjust swiftly while maintaining high quality and cost efficiency.
Unlike roles focused solely on technical engineering, this director liaises extensively with sales, operations, and plant leadership. Such collaboration ensures that production aligns tightly with customer orders and business strategy, fostering an integrated approach to manufacturing success.
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