Industrial Engineer I

Spike Electric and Controls LLC; Pasadena (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Spike Electric Controls in Pasadena, TX is seeking an Industrial Engineer I to improve manufacturing performance through process analysis, cost and throughput optimization, and lean project execution. You will work on the production floor across multiple functions to deliver measurable improvements.

This entry- to early-career role focuses on managing well-defined improvement projects, conducting time studies, and developing current/future state processes with guidance as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Zero to three years of IE/Manufacturing Engineering or related experience in a manufacturing or similar environment.
• Foundational knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous-improvement methods.
• Experience with time studies, workflow analysis, capacity/labor analysis, process mapping, data analysis, or documentation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel to organize, validate, analyze and communicate operational data; Power BI familiarity is a plus.
• Ability to translate observations into practical recommendations for production settings.
• Comfort working on the manufacturing floor and collaborating with operators and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Analyze processes to improve safety, quality, cost, delivery, productivity, capacity and throughput.
• Conduct time studies, work sampling, cycle-time analysis, and other analyses to establish baselines.
• Develop current/future state process maps and value-stream representations.
• Identify waste and non-value-added activities using Lean principles and root-cause methods.
• Lead defined improvement projects from charter to sustainment, with clear milestones and success criteria.
• Coordinate with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Maintenance, IT, Finance and Operations to implement improvements.
• Pilot changes, collect feedback, and support training and change adoption.
• Measure post-implementation results and sustainment of improvements.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Root-cause analysis

Data analysis

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

ERP systems (Dynamics 365)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

Dynamics 365 Business Central

Job description

Description

Industrial Engineer

Spike Bay Area Pasadena TX Operations

Position Summary

The Industrial Engineer I improves manufacturing performance across Spike Electric Controls by analyzing production and supporting business processes, reducing waste and variation, and helping implement sustainable operating methods. Reporting to the Director of Manufacturing Systems and Operations, this role works extensively on the production floor and across Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Maintenance, Information Technology, Finance, and Operations to improve safety, quality, cost, delivery, productivity, capacity, and throughput.

This is an entry- to early-career Industrial Engineering position. The employee will manage well-defined improvement projects and perform broader process-analysis work with technical guidance appropriate to the assignment's complexity and risk. The initial assignment will be management of the Manufacturing Cart Project, including current-state assessment, requirements development, project coordination, prototype or solution evaluation, implementation support, documentation, performance verification, and sustainment.

Key Responsibilities

Process Analysis and Continuous Improvement

• Analyze manufacturing and supporting business processes to identify opportunities affecting safety, quality, cost, delivery, productivity, capacity, and throughput.
• Conduct time studies, work sampling, cycle-time analysis, workflow observations, and labor-content reviews to establish reliable performance baselines.
• Develop current-state and future-state process maps, value-stream maps, spaghetti diagrams, and other practical representations of product and information flow.
• Identify bottlenecks, constraints, non-value-added activity, process variation, excessive handling, queue time, rework, and other forms of waste using Lean principles.
• Apply structured problem-solving and root-cause methods to define issues, test countermeasures, and help prevent recurrence.
• Develop practical recommendations that balance productivity, quality, safety, cost, staffing, equipment, and customer requirements.
• Seek technical review when the evidence, risk, method, or authority boundary is unclear.

Project Leadership and Implementation

• Manage assigned improvement projects of defined scope from charter, baseline, and target definition through implementation, closeout, and sustainment.
• Develop and maintain project plans, milestones, resource needs, risk controls, action logs, decision records, and measurable success criteria.
• Communicate project status, risks, evidence, and decisions clearly to the project sponsor and affected stakeholders.
• Coordinate with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Maintenance, Information Technology, Finance, and Operations to implement approved improvements.
• Pilot proposed changes, collect operator feedback, resolve or elevate implementation issues, and support training and change adoption before full rollout.
• Measure post-implementation results, document lessons learned and establish controls that help sustain the improved process.
• Escalate decisions involving safety, technical approval, Quality disposition, production priority, capital expenditure, supplier commitment, or another function's authority.

Initial Assignment - Manufacturing Cart Project

• Establish the current state of carts used to move, stage, protect, identify, and retrieve materials, tools, components, work in process, and completed assemblies.
• Document cart types, quantities, conditions, locations, uses, movement paths, storage practices, ownership gaps, and recurring operational constraints.
• Gather requirements from operators, material handlers, supervisors, Engineering, Quality, Safety, Maintenance, Planning, and other affected users.
• Translate use cases into documented requirements such as load, dimensions, maneuverability, product protection, ergonomics, labeling, storage, cleanability, maintainability, and facility compatibility.
• Coordinate evaluation of reuse, modification, internal fabrication, or purchase alternatives and document the cost, risk, operational, and implementation tradeoffs.
• Maintain the project plan, milestone status, risk and issue log, requirements register, action log, and decision record.
• Coordinate prototypes or trials, collect user feedback and comparable before-and-after evidence, and route required approvals to the appropriate functional owner.
• Develop rollout recommendations covering identification, point-of-use location, storage, training, inspection, maintenance, repair, replacement, and standard work.
• Verify and report the project's effect on relevant handling time, travel, waiting, searching, congestion, ergonomic exposure, product protection, cart availability, utilization, and location visibility.

Data Analysis and Performance Management

• Collect, organize, validate, and analyze manufacturing data using Microsoft Excel and available ERP, production, and business systems.
• Develop clear reports, dashboards, and performance measures that communicate operating conditions, trends, losses, and improvement opportunities.
• Support labor studies, staffing models, capacity planning, line balancing, productivity analysis, cost analysis, and internal or external process benchmarking.
• Analyze cycle time, setup time, queue time, work in process, downtime, scrap, rework, yield, scheduled attainment, and other relevant measures.
• Make assumptions, limitations, missing data, and confidence levels visible rather than overstating conclusions.

Manufacturing Systems, Layout, and Standardization

• Improve manufacturing layouts, workstation design, ergonomics, point-of-use storage, material presentation, and movement paths to support safe and efficient flow.
• Develop and maintain standard work, work instructions, visual controls, process documentation, and training materials for implemented improvements.
• Support accurate routings, labor standards, capacity assumptions, and other manufacturing-system data used for planning and performance evaluation.
• Evaluate tooling, equipment, fixtures, carts, and appropriate automation opportunities; document requirements, operational impacts, risks, and expected returns.
• Support new product introduction, process transfers, product-mix changes, and Engineer-to-Order workflow improvements by assessing capacity, sequence, labor, and material-flow needs.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Change Leadership

• Conduct regular Gemba walks and engage directly with operators, supervisors, technicians, engineers, and department leaders to understand operating conditions and constraints.
• Support or facilitate focused Kaizen events, value-stream mapping sessions, process-improvement workshops, and structured problem-solving meetings.
• Translate technical analysis into practical actions, visual information, and recommendations understandable to production teams and leadership.
• Build stakeholder participation by incorporating frontline expertise, clarifying responsibilities, and supporting adoption of new standards and systems.
• Maintain strong working relationships across departments and escalates barriers requiring leadership decisions or additional resources.

Safety, Quality, and Operational Discipline

• Integrate safety, ergonomic, quality, traceability, and compliance requirements into process designs and improvement recommendations.
• Partner with Quality and operational leaders to reduce defects, rework, process escapes, and variation without weakening required controls.
• Follow applicable change-control, document-control, equipment-approval, and training requirements before revised processes are released.
• Model safe behavior, follow required PPE and facility rules, and promptly report hazards, incidents, or conditions that could affect people or operations.

Professional Development

• Continue developing Industrial Engineering expertise through hands-on project work, technical guidance, mentorship, benchmarking, and formal learning.
• Expand capability in Lean Manufacturing, value-stream mapping, statistical analysis, process optimization, project management, and operational-excellence methods.
• Progress toward leading larger and more ambiguous cross-functional initiatives as technical depth, business understanding, and influence grow.

Initial 12-Month Performance Outcomes

• Develop a practical understanding of Spike Electric Controls' manufacturing processes, product families, information flow, and key operational constraints.
• Establish a controlled current state, requirements set, project plan, and measurable baseline for the Manufacturing Cart Project.
• Coordinate the cart project through evaluated alternatives, trials or prototypes, approved rollout, standard work, performance verification, and sustainment controls.
• Complete current-state process maps and validate performance baselines for assigned manufacturing areas.
• Complete assigned improvement projects that produce verified gains or reliable learning in productivity, quality, safety, cost, delivery, capacity, or throughput.
• Implement approved standard work and supporting documentation and establish measures that confirm whether the improvement is being sustained.
• Build effective working relationships with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Maintenance, Information Technology, Finance, and Operations stakeholders.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage a defined improvement project with appropriate technical guidance, make evidence gaps visible, and escal…
• Participate in company-supported Lean or Six Sigma development and progress toward Green Belt capability; certification is preferred but not required at hire.

Requirements

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Zero to three years of Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, project, internship, co-op, or process-improvement experience in a manufacturing or comparable technical environment.
• Foundational knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, continuous-improvement methods, and structured root-cause problem solving.
• Academic, internship, co-op, project, or professional exposure to time studies, workflow analysis, capacity or labor analysis, process mapping, data analysis, or process documentation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel sufficient to organize, validate, analyze, and clearly communicate operational data; advanced capability may be developed in the role.
• Ability to translate observations and analytical findings into practical recommendations that can be reviewed, implemented, and sustained in a production environment.
• Comfort working extensively on the manufacturing floor and collaborating directly with production personnel at all organizational levels.
• Strong written and verbal communication, organization, follow-through, and analytical problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage a defined project, maintain accurate records, seek guidance appropriately, and elevate risks or decisions promptly.

Preferred

• Experience in a custom manufacturing or Engineer-to-Order environment.
• Internship, co-op, project, or professional exposure to value-stream mapping, Kaizen events, 5S activities, standardized work, material handling, carts, fixtures, ergonomics, or workplace layout.
• Familiarity with ERP and manufacturing-planning systems; exposure to Dynamics 365 Business Central is beneficial.
• Exposure to switchgear, electrical equipment, control systems, fabrication, assembly, or another discrete manufacturing environment.
• Experience developing visual-management systems, production documentation, workstation layouts, or material-flow improvements.
• Familiarity with Power BI, Minitab, AutoCAD, simulation, CAD, or comparable analysis and layout tools.
• Lean or Six Sigma coursework or certification.

Work Environment

• Work is performed across office and active manufacturing environments and requires frequent presence on the production floor.
• The role requires regular walking, standing, observation of work processes, and use of required personal protective equipment in designated areas.
• Occasional schedule flexibility may be required to observe or support operations, trials, or implementations outside normal business hours.

Reporting Structure

Reports To: Director of Manufacturing Systems and Operations

• Operates as an individual contributor who may coordinate cross-functional project teams and subject-matter experts without direct supervisory authority.
• Works closely with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Maintenance, Information Technology, Finance, and Operations leadership.
• Receives technical guidance and project review appropriate to the employee's experience and the assignment's complexity; the exact technical-review role requires confirmation.

Disclaimer

The statements above describe the general nature and level of work performed. They are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Duties may evolve as needed to meet the organization's goals, and the employee may be required to perform tasks outside normal responsibilities to support the success of Spike Electric Controls.