Industrial Engineer

Industrial Engineer

The Industrial Engineer plays a pivotal role in the Integrated Product Team (IPT) for our countermeasures manufacturing line, focusing on process optimization, manufacturing procedures, productivity improvements, and capacity planning to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant production of high-reliability products. This position reports to the Engineering Lead and collaborates closely with the Mechanical Engineer, Controls/Automation Engineer, Engineering Technician, Quality Engineers, Planner, and Program Manager. The Industrial Engineer will lead the development of manufacturing procedures and productivity projects, leveraging lean principles, Statistical Process Control (SPC), and variability reduction techniques to minimize risks associated with hazardous materials while enhancing throughput, capacity, and cost efficiency. This is a hands-on role in a small team environment (8-12 members), requiring strong analytical skills, safety awareness, and the ability to maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) like throughput, utilization, and cycle times.

Key Responsibilities

• Process Optimization and Analysis:
  • Analyze manufacturing processes, identifying opportunities to reduce variability, waste, and cycle times using lean principles, SPC, and other relevant tools.
  • Develop and maintain machine/process capability matrix to assess equipment and process performance.
  • Develop and maintain machine/process capacity matrix to evaluate production capabilities and identify bottlenecks.
  • Develop and maintain measurements of throughput, utilization of resources, line balancing, cycle times, and similar industrial engineering KPIs to track efficiency and inform improvements.
  • Collaborate with the team to conduct process-related risk assessments and support failure analysis, FMEA, RCCA, and PFMEA.
• Manufacturing Procedures Development:
  • Lead the creation of standardized manufacturing procedures, including work instructions, process flows, and operational guidelines. Review and update procedures based on personnel feedback and program goals.
  • Provide process data to the Planner for production scheduling and to Quality Engineers for defect prevention.
  • Master Data Management: Develop, validate, and input master Bill of Materials (BOM) and master routers into the ERP system, ensuring alignment with product designs, cost structures, and production requirements.
• Productivity Projects Leadership:
  • Identify and drive productivity improvement projects using SPC, lean methodologies, and variability reduction to achieve measurable gains by enhancing throughput and efficiency.
• Capital Project Support:
  • Identify equipment needs to support process improvements, providing recommendations to the Engineering Lead and Program Manager for capital investments.
  • Ensure capital projects integrate with manufacturing procedures and productivity goals, focusing on safety and compliance.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience: 1-2 years in industrial engineering or manufacturing process optimization.
• Preferred Experience: Defense/aerospace manufacturing with pyrotechnics or hazardous materials.
• Technical Skills:
  • Proficiency in lean manufacturing, SPC, FMEA, and tools like Minitab or SigmaXL for data analysis and KPI tracking.
  • Familiarity with productivity methodologies and matrix development (capability, capacity, KPIs).
• Soft Skills: Excellent communication for cross-functional collaboration; safety-focused mindset; ability to work in a small team environment with hands-on shop floor involvement.
• Other Requirements: U.S. citizenship required for ITAR/DFARs compliance; ability to obtain security clearance; willingness to work in environments with hazardous materials (with proper training/PPE).