Factory Flow Engineer: Optimize Layouts & Throughput

Zipline; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 104,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline is seeking a Material Flow Engineer to design factory layouts, work methods, and capacity models for scalable production. You’ll connect demand, labor, equipment, space, and capital through time studies, standard work, and line balancing.

Based in South San Francisco, you will work on the factory floor to translate observations and production data into practical changes in station loading and capacity, helping define investments for future growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years in industrial/ manufacturing engineering or comparable environment.
• Experience with time studies, labor and capacity models, line balancing, takt time, standard work, factory layouts, and material flow.

Responsibilities

• Improve factory layouts, workstations, operator movement, and material presentation.
• Define WIP, buffer, queue, and rework strategies to protect output while reducing lead time.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Production, Supply Chain, and Material Planning on line architecture and replenishment.
• Lead time studies; define standard work and labor models; balance station loading against takt time.
• Build capacity and capital-investment scenarios for labor, equipment, shifts, space, and future demand.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement throughput, utilization, and cost improvements.
• Own factory performance and production-system design; connect processes end-to-end.
• Develop factory KPIs, decision tools, and make-versus-buy analyses.

Skills

Time studies

Line balancing

Takt time

Standard work

Factory layouts

Material flow

ERP/MES data

Capital investment

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering / Manufacturing Engineering / Mechanical Engineering (or related)

Tools

SQL

Python

ERP/MES platforms

BI tools

Job description

Zipline is seeking a Material Flow Engineer to design factory layouts, work methods, and capacity models for scalable production. You’ll connect demand, labor, equipment, space, and capital through time studies, standard work, and line balancing.

Based in South San Francisco, you will work on the factory floor to translate observations and production data into practical changes in station loading and capacity, helping define investments for future growth.