Director of Industrial Manufacturing Engineering (Dir Manufacturing Eng 1) - 28273

HII's Mission Technologies division•Newport News, VA

About The Position

HII-Mission Technologies is seeking a Director of Industrial Manufacturing Engineering to join the team! This position can be flexible on location, primarily being loacted on the east coast. The Director of Industrial Manufacturing Engineering is a senior leader responsible for designing, optimizing, and governing the systems, methods, and flows that underpin production operations across all hardware programs. This individual serves as the technical authority for industrial engineering discipline within the organization, leading cross-functional teams to improve throughput, reduce waste, balance capacity, and enable cost-effective scale-up of complex defense systems from prototype to low-rate initial production (LRIP) through full-rate production (FRP). Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director will partner with the technology and product business groups. In particular, the Director will work closely with manufacturing engineering, systems engineering, program management, supply chain, and quality assurance to apply industrial engineering methods that make production operations more efficient, repeatable, and resilient. This role requires an individual who combines deep quantitative expertise in production systems analysis with organizational leadership and soft skills to implement lasting operational improvements across people, processes, and facilities.

Requirements

10 years relevant progressive experience with Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Research, or related field; or 8 years relevant progressive experience with Masters in related field.
12+ years of progressive industrial engineering experience (8 with Master’s degree), with a minimum of 4 years in a senior or leadership role.
Demonstrated experience in defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated manufacturing environment with exposure to government customer requirements and oversight.
High-complexity low volume manufacturing with a focus on short interval active control through structure, visibility, heuristics, and performance management.
Deep expertise in production systems analysis, including value stream mapping, line balancing, capacity planning, and constraint identification using Theory of Constraints (TOC) and similar frameworks.
Proficiency in discrete-event simulation tools (e.g., Arena, FlexSim, AnyLogic or Plant Simulation) with demonstrated ability to build and validate models that inform production planning decisions.
Strong quantitative background in work measurement and labor standards, including time studies, predetermined motion time systems (PMTS/MTM), and methods-time measurement sufficient to support cost estimating and EAC development.
Hands-on experience designing and implementing Lean production systems, including pull/kanban systems, one-piece flow cells, 5S, visual management, and structured Kaizen event facilitation.
Familiarity with statistical process tools (SPC, process capability analysis, Gage R&R) and their application to monitoring and improving production output quality; experience with Minitab or equivalent preferred.
Experience with facility layout design and material flow analysis using digital tools (e.g., AutoCAD, Visio, or dedicated plant layout software) to optimize production floor configurations.
Strong command of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies; Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred.
Familiarity with Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) criteria and the DoD Manufacturing Readiness Assessment (MRA) process, including MRL 5–8 gate reviews.
Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems, manufacturing executions systems (MES) and production scheduling tools; experience with Costpoint MES and/or Siemens Teamcenter is preferred.
Familiarity with DCMA surveillance, CPSR processes, and government quality assurance requirements (e.g., ISO 9000 series).
Experience supporting or leading production readiness reviews (PRR), production cost analyses (e.g., should-cost models, BCWP/ACWP variance), and first article testing in a government contract environment.
Understanding of ITAR, EAR, and associated export compliance obligations as they apply to manufacturing operations and supply chain management.
Proven ability to develop and retain high-performing industrial engineering teams in a fast-paced production environment.
Track record of influencing cross-functional stakeholders, including program managers, manufacturing engineers, supply chain, and executive leadership, to drive operational improvements.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; capable of presenting production analyses, capacity plans, and improvement recommendations to senior leadership and government customers.
Active DoD Secret clearance.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or MBA preferred, particularly with a focus on operations management, industrial engineering, or engineering management.
Top Secret/SCI eligibility preferred.

Responsibilities

Expertly blend management systems and industrial manufacturing expertise to satisfy on-time delivery and quality performance, properly address risks and impact, and help define clear roles, responsibility, and accountability across the production process.
Design and maintain production system architectures — including value stream maps, line balance analyses, and facility layout models — to maximize throughput and minimize non-value-added activity across all production lines.
Develop and own capacity planning models that account for demand variability, headcount, equipment utilization, and supplier lead times; translate model outputs into actionable build plans and capital investment recommendations.
Lead time-and-motion studies, work measurement, and labor standards development to establish accurate labor hour estimates, staffing plans, and earned value baselines in support of government cost proposals and EAC reviews.
Build and maintain discrete-event simulation models of key production processes to evaluate bottleneck scenarios, validate capacity assumptions, and de-risk production ramp decisions prior to committing capital.
Establish and monitor manufacturing performance dashboards covering throughput, cycle time, OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), labor efficiency, and WIP levels; translate data into structured improvement programs with measurable targets.
Lead application of Lean manufacturing principles across the production floor — including 5S programs, Kaizen events, pull-system implementation, kanban replenishment, and visual management systems — to eliminate waste and improve flow.
Own the production ergonomics and workstation design program, ensuring workstations are configured for operator safety, efficiency, and compliance with applicable occupational health standards.
Collaborate with program managers and contracts teams to support Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) assessments, manufacturing cost analyses, and government audits, DCMA surveillance, and customer production readiness reviews.
Collaborate with product development and product design engineers on the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly and associated reviews and pilot build and process validation for effective and efficient production.
Specify, develop, and/or deliver training necessary to implement manufacturing improvements.
Define and implement material handling strategies and internal logistics flows, including kitting operations, WIP routing, and point-of-use storage, aligned with production sequence and schedule requirements.
Manage a team of industrial engineers and operations analysts, including hiring, performance management, and professional development.