Industrial Engineer

Grey Search + Strategy; Maple Grove (MN); On-site; USD 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Grey Search + Strategy is recruiting an Industrial Engineer to improve manufacturing efficiency, productivity, and cost performance in our HVAC production environment. You will analyze processes, labor standards, and material flow while partnering with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to drive continuous improvement.

The role emphasizes eliminating waste, balancing lines, and maintaining quality, safety, and on-time delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment (HVAC, heavy equipment, or engineered products preferred).
• Experience supporting assembly lines, fabrication, or configurable products.
• Familiarity with ERP/MES systems and manufacturing data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Analyze manufacturing processes to identify waste, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead Lean initiatives including Kaizen events, value stream mapping, and 5S.
• Implement standardized work to improve consistency, safety, and productivity.
• Support continuous improvement projects focused on throughput, labor utilization, and cost reduction.
• Conduct time studies and work measurement analysis.
• Establish and maintain labor standards for production and assembly operations.
• Support capacity planning and staffing models based on demand and seasonal fluctuations.
• Partner with Operations to balance production lines and optimize labor deployment.
• Design and improve plant layouts to optimize material flow and minimize handling.
• Evaluate ergonomics and workstation design to improve safety and productivity.
• Analyze production data to identify trends in efficiency, scrap, rework, and downtime.
• Develop and maintain KPIs such as labor efficiency, cycle time, takt time, and throughput.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for production issues.
• Assist in ramp-ups, new product introductions (NPI), and process changes.
• Ensure process changes align with quality standards and safety requirements.
• Support PFMEA, control plans, and SOPs.
• Partner with EHS and Quality teams to drive injury reduction and defect prevention.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering, Supply Chain, and Maintenance.
• Support engineering change implementation with minimal production disruption.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to leadership.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Time studies

Work measurement

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering

Tools

ERP/MES systems

AutoCAD

Job description

Our client is a fast-growing, engineering-led thermal solutions provider serving data center, mission-critical, commercial, and industrial markets. Headquartered in the Twin Cities, with additional facilities across North America, the company designs and manufactures liquid cooling systems, air handling equipment, heat rejection units, and modular, factory-assembled thermal management solutions.

Formed through the integration of four established, complementary businesses, the company offers comprehensive cooling solutions designed to optimize efficiency, space, and performance. With vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing capabilities, the team delivers rapid design turnaround and precision fabrication to support complex projects where reliability, speed, and quality are critical.

Why Work Here

This is an exciting opportunity to join a rapidly growing organization supporting the evolving needs of AI infrastructure and data center cooling. You'll work alongside a collaborative, technically driven team that enjoys solving complex challenges and seeing projects move from concept to production in a fast-paced environment.

Despite its rapid growth, the company remains committed to a people-first culture built on teamwork, shared success, strong relationships, and a genuine passion for the work.

Position Summary:

The Industrial Engineer is responsible for improving manufacturing efficiency, productivity, and cost performance in a commercial HVAC production environment. This role analyzes processes, labor standards, material flow, and layout to optimize production of HVAC equipment while maintaining quality, safety, and delivery requirements. The Industrial Engineer partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to support continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

Process Improvement & Lean Manufacturing

• Analyze manufacturing processes to identify waste, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities


• Lead and support Lean initiatives including Kaizen events, value stream mapping, and 5S


• Implement standardized work to improve consistency, safety, and productivity


• Support continuous improvement projects focused on throughput, labor utilization, and cost reduction


• Conduct time studies and work measurement analysis


• Establish and maintain labor standards for production and assembly operations


• Support capacity planning and staffing models based on demand and seasonal fluctuations


• Partner with Operations to balance production lines and optimize labor deployment

Layout & Material Flow

• Design and improve plant layouts to optimize material flow and minimize handling


• Evaluate ergonomics and workstation design to improve safety and productivity

Production Support & Performance Metrics

• Analyze production data to identify trends in efficiency, scrap, rework, and downtime


• Develop and maintain KPIs such as labor efficiency, cycle time, takt time, and throughput


• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for production issues


• Assist in ramp-ups, new product introductions (NPI), and process changes

Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Ensure process changes align with quality standards and safety requirements


• Support PFMEA, control plans, and standard operating procedures (SOPs)


• Partner with EHS and Quality teams to drive injury reduction and defect prevention

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering, Supply Chain, and Maintenance


• Support engineering change implementation with minimal production disruption


• Provide data-driven recommendations to leadership

Qualifications & Requirements:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field


• 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment (HVAC, heavy equipment, or engineered products preferred)


• Experience supporting assembly lines, fabrication, or configurable products


• Familiarity with ERP/MES systems and manufacturing data analysis

Preferred:

• Experience in commercial HVAC or engineered-to-order manufacturing


• Familiarity with AutoCAD or layout/design tools


• Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher)


• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills


• Solid knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles and work measurement


• Experience with time studies and labor modelingProficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with data visualization tools a plus


• Effective communication and change-management skills


• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, hands-on manufacturing environment