Jobloria
Director of Industrial Engineering
Kyler Professional Search
Location : Spring Grove, IL, 60081
Job Type : Full Time / Part Time
Date Posted : 1 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
A Director of Industrial Engineering in Spring Grove, IL, must master MES, ERP systems, simulation software, and data analytics platforms to optimize production workflows, align capacity with demand, and lead continuous improvement effectively in a heavy manufacturing environment.
While a Manufacturing Director focuses on overall production management, a Director of Industrial Engineering integrates strategic process optimization, simulation modeling, and advanced analytics to improve operational efficiency, capacity planning, and scalability across multiple sites.
Professionals in this role often progress to executive leadership positions such as VP of Operations or Chief Operations Officer, leveraging their expertise in lean manufacturing, cross-site leadership, and operational strategy to influence enterprise-wide outcomes.
Managing short lead times, custom order variability, and aligning production flow with real-time demand models are critical challenges that require dynamic scheduling, validated simulation data, and cross-functional collaboration to meet customer expectations efficiently.
Kyler Professional Search emphasizes candidates with deep knowledge of heavy manufacturing trends and local supply chain nuances, ensuring the Director of Industrial Engineering can drive operational excellence while adapting to the region’s industrial ecosystem.
They seek leaders skilled in fostering continuous improvement cultures, mentoring engineering teams, and navigating complex cross-site initiatives, with strong communication abilities to align diverse departments toward scalable growth.
Given Spring Grove's manufacturing density, salaries for Directors of Industrial Engineering typically range from $130,000 to $170,000 annually, reflecting the premium placed on operational leadership, lean manufacturing expertise, and multi-site management capabilities.
Certifications like Six Sigma Black Belt, PMP, and Lean Manufacturing are highly regarded locally, as they demonstrate proficiency in process optimization, project management, and continuous improvement aligned with regional manufacturing standards.
Expertise in capacity modeling, shop-floor simulation, ERP/MES integration, and advanced analytics sets this role apart, enabling precise alignment between production capabilities and fluctuating market demands.
Kyler Professional Search encourages ongoing professional development and facilitates access to industry networks, ensuring directors remain ahead of trends like advanced simulation tools and data-driven operational strategies.
Spring Grove, IL