Operations Engineering Support Manager

Riverside Mfg LLC•Fort Wayne, IN

6h•Onsite

About The Position

This is a hands-on Operations Engineering Manager role that involves managing and participating in industrial engineering activities, with a strong emphasis on the shop floor environment. The successful candidate will lead an Operations Engineering Support group, spending the majority of their time observing operations, conducting time studies, designing and physically setting up assembly lines and cells, and collaborating with operators and supervisors. A key aspect of this role is supporting new product launches from pre-production planning through rate readiness, including full assembly line and cell setup. This is a role for someone who is comfortable working in steel-toed boots on the production floor.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or related field (or equivalent hands-on experience)
2+ years of IE experience in a manufacturing or assembly environment
Direct experience designing and setting up assembly lines or manufacturing cells
Direct experience conducting time studies and developing labor standards
Demonstrated involvement in new product launches or production ramp-ups
Comfortable working in an active manufacturing environment (noise, machinery, PPE required)
Must be US person per ITAR regulations

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting NPI (New Product Introduction) or APQP processes
Hands-on experience with U-cell or one-piece flow assembly configurations
Familiarity with Lean tools: 5S, standard work, line balancing, value stream mapping, kaizen
Experience with ERP/MES systems for data extraction and tracking
Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent training
Experience in defense, aerospace, or regulated manufacturing

Responsibilities

Manage/Lead manufacturing engineering and industrial engineering team members
Build strong working relationships with operators, leads, and supervisors
Communicate findings and changes clearly to both floor personnel and management
Partner with automation engineering, production supervision, and supply chain during new product launches and line reconfigurations
Design, configure, and physically set up assembly lines and manufacturing cells for new and existing products
Establish cell layout, workstation sequencing, and material flow paths based on operation routing and takt time
Select and position equipment, fixtures, tooling, and point-of-use storage at each workstation
Install and validate flow racks, kitting lanes, shadow boards, and visual management systems
Conduct line balancing to distribute work content evenly across stations and eliminate bottlenecks
Set up and verify ergonomic work heights, reach envelopes, and operator movement patterns at every station
Coordinate with facilities, maintenance, and manufacturing engineering during physical setup activities
Walk the line during initial builds to observe flow, identify setup deficiencies, and make real-time adjustments
Establish WIP caps, buffer locations, and material replenishment triggers within the cell
Document final cell configuration with floor markings, station drawings, and photographic baseline
Serve as the IE lead for new product introductions from early planning through sustained production
Develop launch-phase labor standards and refine them through pilot runs and first article builds
Conduct pre-launch capacity and line balance analyses to confirm takt alignment
Participate in design for manufacturability (DFM) reviews and provide IE input during product development
Build and document standard work for all new assembly operations prior to operator training
Lead or support trial runs and production pilots, observing and recording actual vs. estimated times
Identify and resolve launch bottlenecks in real time on the floor
Track launch-phase performance metrics (actual vs. standard, first pass yield, throughput) and drive corrective action
Transition products from launch mode to steady-state with fully validated standards and documented processes
Conduct direct time studies and work sampling on the production floor
Develop, validate, and maintain engineered labor standards using time study
Observe and document current-state assembly operations with precision and objectivity
Work directly with operators to understand job content, sequence, and variation
Identify waste through direct observation — motion, waiting, overproduction, transport
Lead and participate in kaizen events and 5S activities on the floor
Implement standard work and visual management at the workstation level
Follow improvements through to sustainment, not just recommendation
Gather production data firsthand — cycle times, downtime, scrap, throughput
Build capacity models and staffing plans grounded in observed reality
Translate floor data into clear recommendations for management