Senior Industrial Engineer (MODAPTS, Lean Manufacturing)

Industrial Manufacturing Project Engineer

Pontiac, IL

24 months Contract

Why this Role?

The Industrial Project Engineer serves as a technical and operational leader within a large-scale manufacturing facility, focusing on end-to-end process flow, throughput optimization, and workforce alignment. This role operates as an individual contributor without direct reports but requires strong informal leadership, coordination across functions, and ownership of key operational outcomes. The person in this role will be responsible for designing and improving material flow, balancing production systems, and ensuring efficient pull-through of work across the value stream

Typical task breakdown:

• Design, analyze, and optimize end-to-end material and process flows across the manufacturing value stream.
• Drive throughput improvements by reducing WIP, minimizing lead time, and eliminating bottlenecks.
• Lead value stream mapping initiatives and implement future-state flow improvements.
• Monitor and improve key performance metrics including throughput, on-time delivery, lead time, and capacity utilization.
• Lead digital transformation initiatives, including production KPI digitization and integration of autonomous robotics.
• Develop and optimize staffing models, labor utilization, and workforce planning aligned to production demand.
• Act as a lead engineer, influencing cross-functional teams to achieve flow, productivity, and performance goals.
• Lead Lean and continuous improvement initiatives using structured problem-solving (A3, DMAIC) to eliminate waste.
• Partner with production, supply chain, quality, and maintenance teams to align materials, staffing, and execution with operational priorities.
• Work environment:

Production facility with multiple Manufacturing machines

Education & Experience Required:

• Years of experience: 8-10
• Degree requirement: Engineering

Top 3 Skills

Capacity Planning & Management – MFG: Knowledge of tools, approaches and practices for determining production demand and ability to manage resources needed to provide satisfactory levels of service.

Project Management: Knowledge of effective project management strategies and tactics; ability to plan, organize, monitor, and control projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve project objectives.

Lean Manufacturing: Knowledge of the philosophy, principles and implementation approaches of lean manufacturing; ability to integrate and implement lean manufacturing philosophy into existing production and management processes. Judgment and Decision Making: Knowledge of the decision-making process; ability to carefully evaluate the impact of emerging business situations and choose the best path forward communicating actions and activities that maximize organizational performance.

Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.

Additional Technical Skills

(Required)

• Power Apps experience for workflow automation.
• Data analytics skills with a focus on actionable insights.
• Working knowledge of AI tools.
• Leadership or team guidance experience.
• MODAPTS certification.
• CAD