Harrison Gray Search has partnered with a respected U.S. manufacturer to find its first-ever Industrial Engineer. Our client has been designing, welding, and assembling heavy-duty equipment in the Grand Rapids area for generations, building machines for the agriculture, construction, rental, and industrial markets. Business is growing, demand is up, and leadership is investing in new initiatives to build a stronger, more efficient operation for the long term.
This is a brand new position, and it is a rare opportunity to be the person who defines what industrial engineering looks like on site. There is no existing playbook here; you will work hand-in-hand with operations leadership to identify the biggest opportunities and figure out the path forward together, then own those projects from start to finish.
Job Summary
The Industrial Engineer will lead efforts to improve plant layout, production flow, and labor efficiency. The initial focus is the final assembly line, with scope expanding over time into the broader manufacturing operation, including the machine shop, welding, and paint departments.
Key Responsibilities
Process Improvement & Kaizen
- Plan, facilitate, and lead kaizen events that engage production teams and deliver measurable results.
- Analyze production schedules, workflow, and process bottlenecks to streamline operations and eliminate waste.
- Identify root causes of inefficiencies and develop practical, sustainable solutions.
- Apply Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to improve throughput, quality, and cost.
Plant Layout & Production Flow
- Evaluate and redesign plant and work cell layouts, starting with final assembly, to improve material flow and reduce non-value-added motion.
- Develop time studies, line balancing, and standard work to improve labor utilization.
- Design integrated systems that bring together people, equipment, materials, and information to meet production goals.
Project Ownership & Collaboration
- Plan and coordinate projects from concept through completion, working with vendors, purchasing, management, and the shop floor while staying on budget and on schedule.
- Partner with operations, supply chain, quality, and production supervisors to implement and sustain process changes.
- Build trust and buy-in with hourly production teams, helping lead change in an established, unionized manufacturing environment.
Data, Metrics & Quality
- Use data analysis, statistical tools, and modeling to assess operational performance and drive data-driven decisions.
- Build and maintain KPI tracking and dashboards (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent) to monitor process health.
- Support the development and monitoring of quality control systems to ensure product standards are met.
Qualifications & Requirements
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
- Experience: Minimum of 2–3 years of industrial, manufacturing, or process engineering experience in a manufacturing environment. Co-op experience is a plus, but this role is not suited to a new graduate.
- Industry: Open to all manufacturing backgrounds. If you can find a bottleneck and fix it, your skills will transfer.
- Methodologies: Hands-on experience with Lean, kaizen, and/or Six Sigma; certification is a plus.
- Technical Skills: Proficiency with CAD software, process mapping tools, statistical analysis, and Microsoft Office.
- Self-Direction: Comfortable with ambiguity and able to take an idea from analysis through implementation with minimal oversight.
- People Skills: Strong communicator who can explain technical ideas to operators and executives alike, with the resilience to work through resistance to change.
Schedule & Work Environment
- Full-time, salaried position, 100% on-site.
- Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM.
- Work is split between the office and the manufacturing floor.
Why This Role
You will be the first industrial engineer this plant has ever had, with the visibility, autonomy, and leadership support to make a lasting impact on how a long-standing American manufacturer builds its products.