Industrial Engineer

Gradian Thermal Solutions•Dayton, MN

10d•$80,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Industrial Engineer improves manufacturing efficiency, productivity, and cost performance in a commercial HVAC production environment. The role analyzes processes, labor standards, material flow, and plant layout to optimize HVAC equipment production while maintaining quality, safety, and delivery requirements. The engineer partners with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain on continuous improvement initiatives. Gradian is an engineering-led thermal solutions provider serving data center, commercial, industrial, and other mission-critical markets. Its products include liquid cooling systems, air handling equipment, heat rejection units, and modular factory-assembled thermal management solutions. The company operates an integrated engineering and manufacturing model and describes its culture as people-first and team-oriented.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
2–5 years of experience in a manufacturing environment.
Experience supporting assembly lines, fabrication, or configurable products.
Familiarity with ERP/MES systems and manufacturing data analysis.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Solid knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles and work measurement.
Experience with time studies and labor modeling.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
Effective communication and change-management skills.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, hands-on manufacturing environment.

Nice To Haves

Manufacturing experience in HVAC, heavy equipment, or engineered products.
Experience in commercial HVAC or engineered-to-order manufacturing.
Knowledge of mixed-model or low-to-medium-volume production environments.
Familiarity with AutoCAD or layout/design tools.
Lean or Six Sigma certification at Green Belt level or higher.
Experience with data visualization tools.

Responsibilities

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.
Design and improve plant layouts to optimize material flow and minimize handling.
Support point-of-use material strategies and warehouse-to-line replenishment.
Evaluate ergonomics and workstation design to improve safety and productivity.
Analyze production data for trends in efficiency, scrap, rework, and downtime.
Develop and maintain KPIs, including labor efficiency, cycle time, takt time, and throughput.
Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for production issues.
Assist with ramp-ups, new product introductions, and process changes.
Ensure process changes align with quality standards and safety requirements.
Support PFMEA, control plans, and standard operating procedures.
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.