Industrial Engineer

WHY JOIN THE AMES COMPANIES

We have amazing Benefits! Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Wellness, 401K, Holidays Employee Assistance Program, Vacation Days, Disability, and much more.

WHO WE ARE

The AMES Companies, headquartered in Lake Nona-Orlando, FL has a rich American history. The AMES story goes back to 1774, when Captain John Ames began making America's first shovels. AMES brand is the third oldest consumer brand in the country, and its tools helped build America for more than two hundred years. You can learn more about our history here.

Our business lines include Home Organization, Lawn and Garden Tools, Outdoor Living, and Cleaning Tools. Our leading global brands are sold to homeowners and professionals involved in new construction, remodeling, and maintenance activities. To learn more about out business lines, visit our website: https://www.homebyames.com/en-us/.

WHO YOU ARE

The Industrial Engineer is responsible for improving manufacturing productivity, quality, safety, capacity, and cost performance through the analysis, development, and optimization of manufacturing processes, labor utilization, facility layouts, equipment utilization, and material flow. The position serves as a key link between Engineering, Production, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Management to support operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives.

This role provides leadership in work measurement, standardization, lean manufacturing, plant layout design, capital projects, labor planning, manufacturing cost analysis, and process improvement activities. The Industrial Engineer is expected to identify and eliminate waste, improve operational efficiency, and support strategic growth objectives while maintaining a safe and productive work environment.

WHERE YOU WILL WORK

In our ClosetMaid Ocala facility. A 600,000 square feet manufacturing and distribution facility.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Analyze manufacturing processes to identify opportunities for productivity, quality, safety, and cost improvements.
• Develop and implement process improvements that increase throughput and reduce waste.
• Establish and maintain standard work procedures and best practices.
• Lead continuous improvement projects utilizing Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Support root cause investigations and corrective action implementation.
• Conduct time studies and work measurement analyses.
• Establish and maintain labor standards for manufacturing operations.
• Monitor plant productivity metrics and identify performance improvement opportunities.
• Assist operations in balancing production lines and staffing requirements.
• Develop labor utilization reports and recommendations for management.
• Design and maintain facility and equipment layouts.
• Evaluate workflow, material handling systems, and inventory movement.
• Recommend layout improvements to maximize efficiency, ergonomics, and safety.
• Maintain plant CAD drawings and facility documentation.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing bills of material (BOMs).
• Support product costing efforts for new and existing products.
• Analyze labor, material, and overhead costs to identify savings opportunities.
• Assist in preparing return-on-investment (ROI) analyses for capital expenditures.
• Support equipment selection, justification, installation, and startup activities.
• Participate in capital project planning and execution.
• Coordinate with Maintenance, Production, and outside vendors during project implementation.
• Track project timelines and ensure deadlines are achieved.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering and Product Management to ensure manufacturability.
• Participate in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews.
• Develop manufacturing processes and labor standards for new products.
• Support production launches and process validation activities.
• Monitor key operational metrics including productivity, efficiency, scrap, downtime, and throughput.
• Develop reports and dashboards to support management decision-making.
• Present findings and recommendations to plant leadership.
• Facilitate Kaizen events and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Promote a culture of operational excellence and employee engagement.
• Serve as a technical resource for production teams.
• Drive measurable improvement in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost performance.
• Ensure engineering activities support all quality management system requirements.
• Develop processes that promote defect prevention and repeatability.
• Participate in corrective and preventive action activities.
• Support audits and compliance requirements as necessary.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering or related Engineering discipline.
• Minimum 3 to 5 years manufacturing experience preferred.
• Experience in high-volume production environments strongly preferred.
• Experience with labor standards, time studies, facility layouts, and process improvement initiatives.
• Technical skills: Microsoft Excel (Advanced), Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Project Management Software, CAD Software (AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, or equivalent)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Lean Manufacturing Certification
• Six Sigma Green Belt or higher
• Project Management training or certification
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems
• Skilled in ERP/MRP Systems, Power BI or Data Analytics Tools, Statistical Process Control (SPC), Manufacturing Simulation Software

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

• Labor productivity improvement
• Manufacturing efficiency (OEE)
• Cost reduction achievements
• Throughput improvements
• Scrap and rework reduction
• Project completion on schedule
• Capital project ROI performance
• Safety improvement initiatives
• Inventory and material flow optimization
• Standard work implementation

LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS

Although this position may not have direct supervisory responsibility, the Industrial Engineer is expected to:

• Lead cross-functional improvement teams.
• Influence positive operational change.
• Communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Drive accountability for process adherence and continuous improvement.
• Support production as an internal customer.

ENVIRONMENTAL/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

• This position is primarily based in an office environment and may require sitting for extended periods. While performing the duties of this role, the employee may occasionally be required to lift and carry loads of up to 50 pounds.

• The position may also require periodic work in a manufacturing environment. In such settings, the employee may be exposed to moving mechanical equipment, noise generated by manufacturing processes, temperature variations common to industrial facilities, and forklift or other material-handling traffic.

• Employees working in manufacturing areas are required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with plant policies. Required PPE may include safety glasses, steel-toed footwear, hearing protection, and any additional protective equipment as necessary for the work being performed.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

The AMES Companies will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States.