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Industrial Engineer - Continuous Improvement (Regional)

Job Description

 Dexter is actively hiring a Regional Industrial Engineer – Continuous Improvement.  This is a strategic and hands-on role supporting multiple manufacturing sites across our axle, brake, suspension, and chassis product lines. This role is critical to sustaining Dexter’s reputation as the leading manufacturer of trailer axles and mobility solutions in North America.

The Regional Industrial Engineer partners with plant managers, engineering teams, and frontline supervisors to drive measurable gains in safety, quality, delivery, and cost (SQDC). With a balance of technical expertise and leadership influence, the role advances Dexter’s continuous improvement culture by aligning Lean and Six Sigma practices with Dexter’s values: Execute with Determination, Connect with People, and Do the Right Thing.

Scope of Responsibility – Regional Coverage

Dexter’s Industrial Engineering organization is structured regionally to provide hands-on support to multiple facilities. This role will be aligned with one of the following regional clusters, requiring multi-plant influence, travel, and collaboration:

• IE #1 – Midwest Region
• IE #2 – Southeast Region
• IE #3 – Southwest Region
• IE #4 – Northern Indiana Region

Key Responsibilities

Process & Technical Expertise

• Lead continuous improvement projects across assigned plants (welding, machining, stamping, axle/brake assembly).
• Conduct value stream mapping, time studies, and process flow analysis to optimize throughput, takt time, and resource allocation.
• Design and implement ergonomic workstations and assembly lines to improve operator safety, efficiency, and quality.
• Develop and maintain labor standards, capacity models, and production forecasts to support planning and scheduling accuracy.
• Optimize material flow, internal logistics, and line-side delivery systems to reduce handling, downtime, and waste.
• Implement visual management systems (kanban, Andon, production boards) to improve shop floor communication and accountability.
• Lead root cause analysis and structured problem-solving (8D, A3, FMEA) to drive permanent solutions to production challenges.
• Partner with welding engineers to advance robotic welding automation, weld sequence optimization, and fixture/tooling design.
• Support automation and technology integration (PLC-controlled systems, robotics, smart manufacturing, IoT-enabled equipment).
• Apply statistical process control (SPC) and advanced data analytics to monitor quality and process performance.
• Collaborate with Maintenance/Engineering teams on Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) to improve equipment uptime and reliability.
• Work with New Product Engineering to integrate Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) into new axle and suspension designs.
• Identify and implement cost reduction initiatives in direct labor, indirect labor, scrap, rework, and utilities.
• Standardize best practices across regions, ensuring sustainability and replication of improvements.

Leadership & Influence

• Act as a regional CI coach and trainer, mentoring plant engineers and supervisors.
• Facilitate Kaizen workshops and problem-solving events.
• Track and report KPIs (OEE, scrap, safety, cost savings) across the regional cluster.
• Promote best practice sharing across regions to reduce variation.
• Drive Dexter’s Lean culture through engagement with both leadership and frontline employees.

Minimum Qualifications

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• Experience: 7–10+ years in manufacturing (axle, chassis, suspension, automotive/trailer components preferred).
• Technical Skills:
  • Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt preferred).
  • Welding knowledge (manual/robotic, MIG, TIG, resistance).
  • Time studies, labor standards, and plant layout design.
  • ERP/MES (Oracle, Plex, SAP) and data analytics.
• Dexter Fit: Collaborative, safety-first, hands-on problem solver who thrives in a multi-site manufacturing environment.

Competencies

• Customer Focus – aligns CI work with Dexter’s product reliability and customer commitments.
• Collaboration – effective across plants, union environments, and functional teams.
• Operational Excellence – uses Lean/Six Sigma to drive sustainable results.
• Communication – able to translate CI strategy from plant floor to executive level.
• Change Leadership – drives adoption of CI culture in established operations.

For more information about Dexter, go to our web site at www.dextergroup.com

Apply now to join an industry leader and make a difference in what we do for the customers we serve!

Equal Opportunity Employer

Offers of employment are contingent upon successfully passing a background check and drug screen. Dexter Axle Company is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for positions without discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, veteran status, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.