Senior Industrial Reliability Engineer

SUMMARY OF POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITY

The Senior Industrial Reliability Engineer is responsible for driving manufacturing performance, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement across our cabinet manufacturing operations. This position will analyze production processes, labor utilization, equipment performance, material flow, and manufacturing data to identify opportunities to improve safety, quality, productivity, delivery, capacity, and cost.

The Senior Industrial Reliability Engineer will partner closely with Operations, Production, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and other cross-functional teams to eliminate waste, reduce downtime, improve labor efficiency, optimize manufacturing processes, and increase production capacity.

This position will apply Industrial Engineering, Lean Manufacturing, data analytics, and continuous improvement methodologies to develop practical, measurable solutions that improve overall manufacturing performance. The Senior Industrial Reliability Engineer will also work closely with Maintenance to analyze equipment reliability and downtime trends and support initiatives that improve equipment uptime and asset performance.

This position requires a strong understanding of process mapping, data analysis, and project management methodologies to drive continuous improvement initiatives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Industrial Engineering & Process Improvement

• Analyze manufacturing processes, workflows, and production methods to identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality, safety, ergonomics, equipment utilization, and cost.
• Conduct time studies, work measurement, and process observations to establish and maintain accurate labor standards and production rates.
• Develop and maintain standard work, labor standards, production routings, and process documentation.
• Analyze labor utilization, staffing levels, production rates, and units per labor hour to identify opportunities for improved labor efficiency.
• Perform line balancing and workflow analysis to optimize staffing, equipment utilization, and production flow.
• Identify and eliminate unnecessary motion, transportation, waiting, overproduction, defects, and other forms of manufacturing waste.
• Develop recommendations for process changes, staffing adjustments, equipment improvements, and automation opportunities based on data and business needs.
• Support ergonomic assessments and recommend improvements that reduce unnecessary motion, physical strain, and workplace injury risk.

Equipment Reliability & Downtime Reduction

• Analyze equipment downtime, production interruptions, equipment performance, and maintenance data to identify recurring problems and improvement opportunities.
• Partner with Maintenance leadership to identify root causes of equipment failures and develop sustainable corrective actions.
• Support initiatives designed to reduce unplanned downtime and improve equipment reliability and availability.
• Analyze and report equipment reliability metrics, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), Mean Time to Repair (MTTR), equipment uptime, and downtime.
• Utilize data from the CMMS to identify equipment trends, recurring failures, PM opportunities, and reliability improvement priorities.
• Partner with Maintenance to evaluate and improve preventive and predictive maintenance strategies based on equipment performance and failure trends.
• Support Maintenance in establishing measurable reliability goals and improvement initiatives.
• The Industrial Engineer does not directly manage Maintenance activities or personnel but provides engineering analysis, data, and process improvement support to improve asset reliability.

Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

• Lead Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives across the manufacturing operation.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, 5S initiatives, value stream mapping, visual management, and other Lean activities.
• Facilitate root cause analysis and corrective action activities related to quality, equipment, production, and process issues.
• Develop and implement continuous improvement projects with measurable goals, timelines, and financial impact.
• Monitor project results to ensure improvements are sustained over time.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and accountability throughout the organization.

Production, Capacity & Performance Analysis

• Monitor production performance, throughput, scrap, labor efficiency, downtime, production rates, and other manufacturing KPIs.
• Develop capacity models and analyze production requirements to identify staffing, equipment, and process needs.
• Evaluate current and future production capacity based on demand, available labor, equipment capabilities, and process constraints.
• Identify bottlenecks and develop recommendations to improve throughput and manufacturing capacity.
• Support production planning by providing data-driven analysis of labor, equipment, and process capabilities.
• Develop and maintain performance dashboards and reports for Operations and leadership.

Layout, Material Flow & Facility Optimization

• Design and improve manufacturing layouts to optimize workflow, material flow, equipment utilization, safety, and space.
• Evaluate material handling processes and identify opportunities to reduce transportation, handling, and unnecessary movement.
• Support facility layout, expansion, relocation, and workflow optimization projects.
• Utilize AutoCAD or other appropriate layout tools to develop and communicate proposed improvements.

Capital Projects, Automation & New Product Introduction

• Support evaluation of new equipment, automation, and manufacturing technology.
• Develop business cases and ROI/payback analyses for capital equipment, automation, and process improvement projects.
• Evaluate expected labor savings, throughput improvements, quality improvements, capacity gains, and operating costs associated with proposed investments.
• Support capital project planning, implementation, and post-project performance evaluation.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) activities by evaluating manufacturing methods, capacity requirements, labor requirements, process flow, and production readiness.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure new products and processes can be manufactured efficiently and consistently.

Data Analysis & Reporting

• Develop, maintain, and report key manufacturing performance indicators.
• Analyze production and maintenance data to identify trends, performance gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Translate complex operational data into clear recommendations for management.
• Establish project baselines and measure financial and operational results following implementation.
• Quantify improvements in labor, downtime, throughput, scrap, capacity, and manufacturing costs.
• Prepare presentations and reports for Operations and senior leadership.

QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, AND/OR TRAINING)

Required Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Operations, or a related field is a plus.

Required Experience:

• 5–7 years of Industrial Engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience improving manufacturing processes, labor productivity, throughput, and operational efficiency.
• Experience conducting time studies, work measurement, line balancing, and developing labor standards.
• Experience analyzing equipment downtime and partnering with Maintenance to improve equipment reliability.
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Experience developing business cases, ROI analyses, and financial justifications for process improvements, automation, and capital investments.
• Experience in cabinet manufacturing, wood products, furniture, building products, or other high-volume manufacturing environments is preferred.
• Experience working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment with multiple production processes and cross-functional teams is preferred.

Preferred Experience:

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt.
• Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE) or other relevant manufacturing/engineering certification.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY, AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Required Skills & Knowledge

• Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong understanding of Industrial Engineering principles and manufacturing processes.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including data analysis, pivot tables, lookups, and reporting.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Experience with time studies, work measurement, labor standards, and line balancing.
• Strong understanding of OEE, root cause analysis, process capability, and manufacturing performance metrics.
• Ability to analyze production, labor, maintenance, and equipment performance data.
• Ability to develop capacity models and identify production constraints and bottlenecks.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple improvement projects simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to influence teams and drive change without direct authority.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems.
• Experience with a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) preferred.
• Knowledge of AutoCAD or manufacturing layout software preferred.
• Experience with manufacturing dashboards, data visualization, or business intelligence tools is a plus.
• Strong understanding of workplace ergonomics and manufacturing safety principles.