Industrial Engineer

Description

The Industrial Engineer uses data analysis to help production teams make better scheduling decisions and to focus continuous improvement efforts where they will have the greatest impact within an aerospace precision machining environment. This role supports the continued development of the Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP) process and builds and improves the scheduling utilities used on the shop floor. The Industrial Engineer performs Work In Progress (WIP) inventory, lot sizing, and part family analyses, maintains work center data in the ERP system, and recommends work center and machine configurations. The role works closely with Production, Planning, Quality, and Program Management and reports to the Industrial Engineering Manager.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

· Support the development and continuous improvement of the SIOP process by building the analyses, models, and reports that translate demand into capacity requirements by work center.

· Design, build, and maintain scheduling utilities and tools that give production teams clear, data-driven job priorities and realistic schedules.

· Analyze production, scheduling, and shop floor data to identify trends, bottlenecks, and root causes of schedule slippage, and present findings that help production teams make better scheduling decisions.

· Monitor and analyze WIP inventory levels, queue times, and material flow; recommend actions to reduce WIP, shorten lead times, and improve flow through machining work centers.

· Perform lot sizing analyses that weigh setup cost, carrying cost, machine utilization, and demand patterns, and recommend lot sizes and order policies.

· Perform part family analyses that group parts by routing, machine requirements, setup, tooling, and material to support scheduling strategies, setup reduction, and work center design.

· Maintain work center data in the ERP/MRP system, including capacities, calendars, efficiency factors, setup and run times, and queue and move times, and audit it regularly for accuracy.

· Recommend work center configurations and machine groupings or assignments based on part family, capacity, and utilization analysis.

· Model constrained versus unconstrained capacity scenarios to identify capacity gaps and quantify the capacity impact of new programs, quotes, and equipment changes.

· Develop and maintain dashboards and metrics such as schedule adherence, WIP, utilization, and on-time delivery for production teams and leadership.

· Use data to prioritize and focus continuous improvement efforts; lead or support improvement projects, time studies, and standard work updates.

· Document analysis methods, scheduling utilities, and procedures, and train production and planning personnel on their use.

Key Roles

• Provide the data analysis that drives production scheduling decisions and continuous improvement priorities.
• Support the development and improvement of the SIOP process
• Perform WIP inventory, lot sizing, and part family analyses.
• Maintain work center data in the ERP and recommend work center and machine configurations.

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Education & Experience Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 2-5 years of experience in industrial engineering, production scheduling, or capacity planning, preferably within an aerospace or precision machining environment is a plus.

Required Knowledge / Skills 

• Working knowledge of SIOP/S&OP processes, finite capacity scheduling, and constrained versus unconstrained capacity planning.
• Knowledge of lot sizing methods, WIP and flow management, and constraint-based concepts such as Theory of Constraints.
• Experience with part family analysis or group technology, including the use of routings, setups, and tooling to group similar parts.
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems (e.g.  Jobboss, SAP, etc.), including work center, routing, and capacity data.
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, Power Query, advanced formulas).
• Experience with Power BI, SQL, or Python for data analysis. 
• Strong data analysis, statistics, and data visualization skills, with the ability to turn analysis into clear recommendations.
• Knowledge of Lean and continuous improvement methods; Lean or Six Sigma certification preferred.
• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems and requirements (e.g., AS9100) preferred.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, routings, and work instructions in a machining environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present data clearly to production teams and leadership.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those the employee encounters while performing the functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Primarily an office/administrative environment with regular time spent on the production floor to gather data, observe operations, and coordinate with Production and Planning personnel. When on the production floor, occasional exposure to moving mechanical parts, light fumes, noise levels, or airborne particles typical of a machining environment should be expected.

Safety and Policy Practices

The employee in this job must be knowledgeable regarding the safety policies and procedures of the Company as described in the Company safety manual. The employee must adhere to all said policies and procedures while supporting the goals and objectives of the organization and recognize the Company’s need to achieve its business objective. Employee is responsible for complying with company hazardous waste disposal procedures.