Jobloria
Director of Industrial Engineering
Dunson & Associates, 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
Exceptional leadership in lean manufacturing, mastery of capacity modeling, and proficiency with ERP/MES systems are pivotal. A Director of Industrial Engineering must also excel in cross-functional collaboration and drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance productivity and operational agility.
Career advancement often leads to executive roles such as VP of Operations or Chief Engineering Officer. Gaining expertise in strategic planning, enterprise-wide process optimization, and emerging manufacturing technologies can open doors to broader leadership opportunities.
Managing short lead times and custom orders demands agile scheduling and precise capacity planning. The Director must continuously refine production flow and ensure simulation models reflect real-world conditions to meet fluctuating customer demands efficiently.
Dunson & Associates emphasizes multi-site operational excellence and technological integration, offering a unique challenge in orchestrating cross-site initiatives. The role involves close collaboration with sales and plant leadership, fostering a culture of innovation unmatched by many local competitors.
Yes, the company promotes mentoring and knowledge-sharing, equipping leaders with resources to cultivate industrial engineering capabilities. This focus on professional development enables Directors to spearhead transformative operational excellence strategies.
Certifications like Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and PMP are highly valued in Spring Grove's manufacturing landscape. These credentials demonstrate expertise in process optimization and project management, aligning well with regional employers' expectations.
Spring Grove's manufacturing sector exhibits moderate competition for senior industrial engineering roles. Candidates with extensive experience in heavy manufacturing and proven success in operational leadership typically stand out amid the local talent pool.
Salary typically falls between $125,000 and $165,000 annually, reflecting the seniority and technical demands of the role. Compensation may vary based on experience, company size, and the complexity of managing multiple manufacturing sites.
Proficiency in ERP and MES enables seamless integration of manufacturing operations with business processes. At Dunson & Associates, this expertise ensures accurate capacity modeling, real-time scheduling, and data-driven decision-making, enhancing overall productivity.
Balancing scalable growth with demand responsiveness in a complex job-shop environment is challenging. The Director must align production capabilities with market fluctuations, foster continuous improvement, and lead cross-site initiatives amidst evolving industry technologies.
Spring Grove, IL