Industrial Engineering Manager

A lead defense contractor sitting onsite in Simi Valley, CA is looking to hire a Lean Manager of Industrial Engineering that will be responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing manufacturing systems and workflows, while leading Lean transformation initiatives. They drive value stream efficiency, capacity planning, and strategic use of resources, ensuring alignment with business goals related to output, cost, quality, and lead time.

• Develop and maintain time standards, labor models, and production layouts.
• Lead capacity planning, line balancing, and throughput optimization.
• Design and improve facility layouts, workstation ergonomics, and material flow.
• Conduct value stream mapping to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Lead Lean transformation initiatives using tools like 5S, Kaizen, Kanban, SMED, Standard Work, and Visual Management.
• Deploy Lean Six Sigma methodologies to reduce variation, waste, and non-value-added activities.
• Facilitate cross-functional Kaizen events and improvement workshops across departments.
• Analyze production data to identify trends, root causes, and improvement opportunities.
• Establish and track KPIs for productivity, efficiency, takt time, and OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).
• Develop cost-benefit analyses for capital projects and process changes.
• Support factory modernization and digital manufacturing initiatives (e.g., MES, automation, real-time analytics).
• Partner with Product Development and NPI teams to drive Design for Manufacturability (DfM) and scalability into new product designs.
• Train and mentor supervisors, engineers, and frontline teams in Lean principles.
• Act as a change agent, promoting a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Build Lean maturity roadmaps and assess organizational readiness for transformation.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Program Management to align Lean initiatives with business objectives.
• Interface with executive leadership to report Lean transformation progress, ROI, and impact.
• Represent the Supplier Quality organization in high-level cross-functional meetings and executive updates.
• Ensure compliance with applicable standards including AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR, and customer-specific quality requirements.
• Foster a continuous improvement culture within the supplier base and internal SQE team.
• Other duties as assigned

• 8+ years of experience in Industrial Engineering;
  Minimum of 3 years of successfully leading manufacturing teams within a product development environment
• Strong foundation in lean manufacturing principles, familiarity with all related tools, 5s's, value stream mapping, Kaizen concepts
• Related experience in high-mix, low-volume, or complex production environments
• Highly experienced within the Production Floor; experience laying out new facilities, optimizing production processes, and driving data (Proficiency in process simulation tools, time studies, and data analytics).
• Experience with current state assessments, tracking sustainment, gathering cycle time data, implementing change
• Strong Communication Skills and experience gathering data such as cycle time data or tracking the implementation of a change on the floor etc.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed (up to 50%)

• Experience with 3D printing software, equipment, and materials +
• Lean Six Sigma certification (Green/Black Belt) strongly preferred +
• Experience with simulation software (e.g., SIMIO) and CAD tools (e.g., AutoCAD, Solid Works) +
• Knowledge of Quality Management Systems (QMS) and compliance with industry standards such as ISO 9001