Jobloria
Director of Industrial Engineering
Recruiting Group Inc
Location : Spring Grove, IL, 60081
Job Type : Full Time / Part Time
Date Posted : 1 December 2025
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
A Director of Industrial Engineering uniquely integrates operational strategy with manufacturing systems like MES and ERP, focusing on optimizing job-shop environments. Unlike other engineering roles, this position demands expertise in lean manufacturing, capacity modeling, and cross-site process improvements to drive scalable growth and efficiency.
This role requires agile planning and real-time scheduling to handle dynamic market demands effectively. By validating simulation models against real operating data, the director ensures production flows and job routing accommodate customer-specific needs without compromising delivery timelines or quality.
Professionals often advance to senior executive roles like VP of Operations or Chief Engineering Officer. Their deep knowledge of operational excellence, strategic foresight, and cross-functional leadership in manufacturing settings positions them for broader responsibilities in enterprise-wide process optimization and corporate development.
In Spring Grove and the wider Illinois manufacturing corridor, certifications such as Six Sigma Black Belt, PMP, and Lean Manufacturing credentials are highly regarded. These qualifications complement the region’s emphasis on process efficiency and align with local industrial standards, enhancing leadership effectiveness.
Spring Grove's proximity to Chicago’s manufacturing hubs creates a competitive market with growing demand for experienced directors who can lead complex operations. Companies like Recruiting Group Inc seek candidates skilled in advanced analytics and cross-site leadership to maintain a competitive edge locally.
The director reports directly to the CEO, reflecting the role’s strategic importance. They oversee multiple teams spanning production control, process and manufacturing engineering, and quality assurance, facilitating cross-department collaboration to align operational capacity with market demands.
Adapting to a multi-site job-shop manufacturing environment requires balancing hands-on leadership with strategic initiatives. Navigating dynamic customer orders, integrating evolving manufacturing technologies, and fostering continuous improvement across diverse teams are key hurdles specific to this company and location.
In Spring Grove, salaries typically range from $130,000 to $160,000 annually, reflecting the region’s cost of living and manufacturing sector demands. This aligns closely with national figures for similar senior industrial engineering roles, with variations depending on company size and candidate experience.
Spring Grove, IL