Industrial Engineer

Job Title: Industrial Engineer
Job Description
This Industrial Engineer role focuses on building and maintaining a data-driven, 3D simulation-based virtual factory that captures current processes, physical constraints, business rules, and decision logic across the shop floor, warehouse, factory, and supply chain. You will design new production lines and workstation layouts, create feasible and capacity-aware plans and schedules, and maintain an adaptive digital reference model that supports transformation projects and investment decisions. The position offers significant ownership over real systems and subsystems in a fast-paced environment developing next-generation autonomous aerospace and defense products, with rapid prototyping timelines and a strong emphasis on mission-driven, cutting-edge work.
Responsibilities

• Capture current manufacturing and supply chain processes, including all physical constraints, business rules, and detailed decision logic, into a 3D simulation-based virtual factory that serves as a comprehensive process and operational knowledge base.
• Create feasible production plans and schedules for shop floor, warehouse, factory, and supply chain execution across all relevant time horizons, ensuring that all scheduled operations are feasible in terms of resource capacity, material availability, and timelines.
• Maintain an adaptive, data-generated and data-driven virtual factory to provide an up-to-date digital reference model that accurately reflects current factory and supply chain status.
• Use the digital reference model to evaluate and predict future performance of the factory and supply chain for transformation projects, capacity expansions, and investment decisions.
• Own the design of new production lines and workstation layouts for both low-rate and full-rate production, leveraging a data-driven approach to optimize flow, efficiency, and scalability.
• Proactively identify high-variation processes, imbalances, and bottlenecks caused by line layout, equipment constraints, staffing levels, and other production inputs, and escalate constraints to the appropriate stakeholders in Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Quality.
• Drive resolution of identified constraints and bottlenecks by collaborating with cross-functional teams and implementing process improvements.
• Translate production metrics, KPIs, and reports into actionable improvements by monitoring line health and efficiency measures such as cycle time, throughput rate, capacity, utilization, and first pass yield.
• Produce and maintain capacity plans that align resources with demand across production lines and work centers.
• Develop and maintain balanced line layouts that optimize workflow, minimize bottlenecks, and improve overall throughput.
• Establish and maintain staffing allocations and time standards for manufacturing work content, ensuring accurate labor planning and productivity measurement.
• Conduct time studies and analyze material workflow to refine process standards and eliminate waste.
• Apply industrial engineering tools such as value stream mapping, process flow analysis, line balancing, and simulation to drive continuous improvement and lean manufacturing initiatives.
• Collaborate across domains to drive end-to-end operational improvements for next-generation defense products as they scale in maturity and production rate.
• Work on both execution-focused tasks and strategic future-state design for products and business lines, bridging immediate operational needs with long-term factory and supply chain evolution.
• Leverage technical documentation, including facility drawings, assembly drawings, technical specifications, and manufacturing procedures, to inform process design and layout decisions.
• Support the deployment of next-generation autonomous aerospace systems by ensuring that production systems can scale rapidly while maintaining quality and reliability.

Essential Skills

• 8+ years of experience in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong background in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, or process engineering.
• Hands-on experience with process improvement, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Proficiency in conducting time studies and establishing time standards for manufacturing operations.
• Experience with material workflow analysis and value stream mapping to identify and remove waste.
• Knowledge of line balancing and plant layout design to optimize production flow and capacity.
• Experience with simulation tools and methods for modeling manufacturing systems and processes.
• Ability to create and interpret process flows and production line layouts using tools such as AutoCAD or similar CAD software.
• Ability to read and interpret facility drawings, assembly drawings, technical specifications, and manufacturing procedures for electronics, mechanical, electromechanical assemblies, system tests, and structural work.
• Experience monitoring and improving production performance using metrics such as cycle time, throughput, capacity, utilization, and first pass yield.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in ambiguous environments and adapt to evolving requirements.
• Eligibility to access U.S. export-controlled information or facilities as a U.S. Person.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with discrete event simulation (DES) software such as Plant Sim or equivalent tools like Promodel, FlexSim, or Simio.
• Basic knowledge of object-oriented programming languages, for example Python, R, C++, or similar, to support simulation, automation, or data analysis.
• Experience working with large data sets using SQL or NoSQL technologies to support data-driven decision making.
• Familiarity with lean Six Sigma principles and tools applied in a manufacturing or industrial setting.
• Experience in industrial environments involving manufacturing processes for electronics, mechanical, and electromechanical assemblies.
• Exposure to next-generation defense or aerospace products and an interest in mission-driven work.
• Comfort working in a startup-like environment with high intensity, rapid iteration, and accelerated development timelines.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to work across Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Quality teams.

Work Environment
The role operates in a high-impact, fast-paced environment focused on building next-generation autonomous aerospace and defense systems that are actively deployed. You will typically own complete systems or subsystems early in the product lifecycle, rather than working on a small, isolated component. The organization moves significantly faster than traditional defense manufacturers, with prototypes developed in months instead of years, creating a startup-like intensity and rapid iteration culture. You will work closely with manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, and quality teams in facilities that include both completed buildings and additional sites that are still under development. The environment emphasizes cutting-edge technology, data-driven decision making, and continuous improvement across factory and supply chain operations.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Ashville, OH.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $53.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Ashville,OH.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Jul 29, 2026.
About Actalent


Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.


The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.


If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.



San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.



Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.



Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.