Industrial Engineer

NextPlay Jobs; Dalton (GA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

NextPlay Jobs in Dalton, GA seeks an experienced Industrial Engineer to join a growing manufacturing operation. The role focuses on leading continuous improvement, conducting time studies, and supporting new product launches to expand capacity and efficiency.

The ideal candidate will own projects from analysis to implementation, work on the manufacturing floor, and communicate recommendations clearly to leadership and operators alike.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years in industrial/manufacturing engineering or a related role.
• Manufacturing experience required; automotive experience preferred but not required.
• Experience with time studies and process analysis.
• Experience launching new products, equipment, or lines.
• Strong project management and leadership skills.
• Lean manufacturing, waste reduction, and process optimization experience.
• Ability to perform root-cause analysis and implement countermeasures.
• Working knowledge of CAD and layout development.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Bachelor's degree preferred but not required; significant experience accepted.

Responsibilities

• Lead industrial engineering and continuous improvement projects across manufacturing operations.
• Conduct time studies and analyze processes to establish labor standards and targets.
• Support new product and production line launches, including process development and planning.
• Analyze processes and layouts to improve efficiency and flow.
• Develop and optimize layouts for equipment, materials, and workstations.
• Lead projects from problem identification through countermeasure implementation.
• Present findings to staff, engineering teams, and leadership.
• Collaborate with tenured staff to gain buy-in for changes.
• Develop methods and labour utilization standards to boost productivity.
• Review schedules and documentation to establish effective manufacturing methods.
• Support tooling, capital equipment, and trial material requirements.
• Evaluate data to identify opportunities in quality, cost, capacity, and efficiency.
• Participate in value engineering and capacity planning for growth.
• Support automation and material-handling improvements (AGVs, AMRs, etc.).

Skills

Time studies

Root-cause analysis

Project management

Lean manufacturing

Communication

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

CAD software

Job description

Industry: Manufacturing / Automotive Manufacturing

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Industrial Engineer to join a growing manufacturing operation in Dalton, Georgia. This is a newly created position supporting the launch of multiple new product lines and continued expansion of the facility.

The ideal candidate is a confident, hands‑on engineer who can independently lead projects, identify opportunities for improvement, and work effectively with employees at all levels of the organization. This person will spend significant time on the manufacturing floor and must be comfortable gaining buy‑in from experienced production employees as well as communicating recommendations to leadership.

This is an excellent opportunity for an Industrial Engineer who enjoys taking ownership of projects and seeing improvements through from analysis to implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead industrial engineering and continuous improvement projects across manufacturing operations.
• Conduct time studies and analyze production processes to establish and improve labor standards, staffing requirements, and production targets.
• Support new product and production line launches, including process development, equipment planning, workflow design, and implementation.
• Analyze manufacturing processes, material flow, work sequences, and production layouts to identify opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Develop and optimize layouts for equipment, materials, workstations, and production areas using CAD and other engineering tools.
• Lead projects from initial problem identification and root‑cause analysis through countermeasure development and implementation.
• Present findings and recommendations clearly to production employees, engineering teams, and senior leadership.
• Partner with long‑tenured manufacturing employees and operational leaders to gain support for process and workflow changes.
• Develop and implement manufacturing methods and labor utilization standards designed to increase productivity and reduce waste.
• Review production schedules, engineering specifications, and process documentation to establish effective manufacturing methods.
• Support tooling, capital equipment, and trial material requirements for new and existing projects.
• Evaluate production data and performance metrics to identify opportunities related to quality, cost, capacity, and efficiency.
• Support value analysis and value engineering initiatives focused on reducing manufacturing costs.
• Participate in capacity planning and strategic planning for future production growth.
• Support automation and material‑handling improvement initiatives, including AGVs, AMRs, automated tugger systems, and similar technologies where applicable.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of experience in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, continuous improvement, or a related manufacturing role.
• Manufacturing experience is required; automotive manufacturing experience is preferred but not required.
• Demonstrated experience conducting time studies and process analysis within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting new product, equipment, or production line launches.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to independently lead projects from concept through implementation.
• Experience with lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, waste reduction, and process optimization methodologies.
• Ability to perform root‑cause analysis, develop practical countermeasures, and clearly communicate the reasoning behind recommendations.
• Working knowledge of CAD tools and manufacturing layout development.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with both hourly production employees and senior leadership.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities with limited supervision.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field is preferred but not required.
• Candidates without a four‑year degree should have significant progressive manufacturing, engineering, or project management experience.

Highly Preferred Experience

• Experience with AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles), AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots), automated tugger systems, or other automated material‑handling technologies.
• Automotive or high‑volume manufacturing experience.
• Experience launching new manufacturing lines or significantly expanding production capacity.
• Demonstrated success gaining stakeholder buy‑in and implementing process changes in established manufacturing environments.

What We're Looking For

Technical ability is important, but success in this position also requires confidence, emotional intelligence, and strong communication skills.

The right person will be comfortable walking onto the production floor, identifying an issue, gathering input from the employees closest to the process, using data to determine the root cause, and confidently recommending and implementing a solution.

We're looking for someone who can take ownership, lead conversations, influence change, and move projects forward without needing to be micromanaged.

About NextPlay Jobs

At NextPlay Jobs, we believe great recruiting is personal—not transactional. We connect exceptional talent with organizations where they can make a meaningful impact while building long‑term careers.