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
Directors of Industrial Engineering uniquely blend strategic foresight with operational expertise, focusing on optimizing manufacturing processes, capacity modeling, and cross-site coordination, unlike other engineering leaders who may prioritize product design or software development. Their deep grasp of job-shop dynamics and lean manufacturing is crucial for scalable operational success.
Daily tasks often involve aligning production flows across sites, validating simulation models, and collaborating with sales and operations to fine-tune scheduling responsiveness. This role demands balancing hands-on problem-solving with strategic planning to enhance efficiency and meet dynamic market demands effectively.
Professionals generally progress from industrial engineering roles to managerial and senior leadership positions, gaining expertise in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and ERP systems. Growth often includes leading cross-site projects and mentoring teams, ultimately steering enterprise-wide operational excellence initiatives.
Interstate Recruiters Corp emphasizes a culture of continuous improvement and cross-functional collaboration, encouraging the Director to drive technical curiosity and operational excellence across departments. This alignment fosters innovative approaches to manufacturing challenges unique to their job-shop environment.
This position uniquely merges strategic leadership with hands-on involvement in advanced manufacturing tools like MES and ERP integrations. The company’s focus on scalable growth within a complex job-shop manufacturing context sets it apart from peers in the same Illinois region.
Locally, certifications such as Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, PMP, and expertise in MES/ERP systems are highly regarded. These credentials demonstrate a candidate’s ability to drive operational improvements and manage complex manufacturing processes, aligning well with Spring Grove’s industrial landscape.
Spring Grove’s manufacturing sector shows a moderate to high demand for experienced industrial engineering leaders, especially those skilled in lean methodologies and data-driven capacity planning. Candidates with cross-site leadership experience often find favorable opportunities due to limited local competition at the director level.
Salaries typically range from $130,000 to $180,000 annually, reflecting the seniority, required expertise in lean manufacturing, and multi-site operational leadership. Candidates with strong ERP and analytics skills may command compensation toward the higher end of this scale.
By spearheading continuous improvement initiatives and integrating advanced analytics, the Director directly influences operational scalability and responsiveness. This leadership role ensures production meets evolving market demands, driving efficiency and competitive advantage for Interstate Recruiters Corp.
Navigating a complex job-shop environment with short lead times and custom orders requires agility and precise capacity modeling. The Director must harmonize cross-functional teams across multiple sites while adopting cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, a challenge distinctive to Interstate Recruiters Corp’s operational framework.