Job description
NovaForge Industries is seeking a highly skilled Senior Industrial Production Engineer to lead manufacturing excellence at our Detroit facility. You will design, optimize, and monitor production processes, champion lean initiatives, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver world-class efficiency, safety, and quality.
In this role, you will standardize work, analyze line layouts, manage capacity planning, and drive continuous improvement projects from concept through implementation. You will mentor operators and engineers, ensure compliance with safety and quality standards, and partner with Maintenance and Quality teams to sustain peak performance.
Responsibility
- Lead the design, optimization, and documentation of production processes to maximize throughput and minimize waste.
- Develop and implement lean manufacturing initiatives (5S, SMED, Kaizen, Kanban) to reduce cycle times and inventory.
- Analyze production data to identify bottlenecks, implement corrective actions, and track metrics (OEE, yield, scrap).
- Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance to ensure robust process control and equipment reliability.
- Lead root cause analysis (RCA) and implement permanent corrective actions (FMEA, CAPA).
- Develop standard work, capacity plans, and line balancing strategies for multiple product lines.
- Support New Product Introductions (NPI) with DFM/DFA reviews and process validation.
- Mentor junior engineers and operators, fostering a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
Qualification
- Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
- Minimum 5-7 years of hands-on experience in industrial production or manufacturing engineering within a high-volume facility.
- Proven expertise in Lean, Six Sigma (DMAIC), and continuous improvement methodologies; Green Belt or higher certification.
- Strong data analysis and problem-solving skills with experience using data tools (Excel, Minitab, JMP, Tableau) and MES/ERP systems.
- Proficient in process mapping, line balancing, and capacity planning; experience with automation/robotics and PLCs is a plus.
- Excellent communication, cross-functional collaboration, and project management capabilities.
- Commitment to safety, quality, and reliability in a manufacturing environment; ability to travel as needed.