Director, Industrial Engineering
Company
KeHE Distributors
Location
Naperville, IL
Other
Supply Chain/Logistics
Why Work for KeHE?
- Full-time
- Pay Range: $130,000.00/Yr. - $190,000.00/Yr.
- Shift Days: , Shift Time:
- Benefits on Day 1
- Health/Rx
- Dental
- Vision
- Flexible and health spending accounts (FSA/HSA)
- Supplemental life insurance
- 401(k)
- Paid time off
- Paid sick time
- Short term & long term disability coverage (STD/LTD)
- Employee stock ownership (ESOP)
- Holiday pay for company designated holidays
Overview
Good people, working with good people, for our common good.
Sound good?
KeHE-a natural, organic, specialty and fresh food distributor-is all about "good" and is growing, so there's never been a more exciting time to join our team. If you're enthusiastic about working in an environment with a people-first culture and an organization committed to good living, good food and good service, we'd love to talk to you!
Primary Responsibilities
The Director of Industrial Engineering is responsible for leading the development, implementation, and optimization of engineered standards, labor management systems, process improvements, and automation initiatives across our food distribution network. This role will drive operational efficiency, productivity, and cost savings while ensuring high service levels, food safety, and compliance standards are maintained. As with all positions at KeHE Distributors, we expect that all actions will be consistent with KeHE's Mission, Vision, and Values.
Essential Functions
DUTIES, TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Strategy & Leadership:
- Develop and execute the industrial engineering strategy in alignment with corporate goals.
- Lead a team of engineers across multiple distribution centers.
- Act as a change agent to promote continuous improvement culture across the organization.
- Process Improvement & Optimization:
- Analyze current distribution processes, identify inefficiencies, and design improvements.
- Lead process reengineering efforts to enhance safety, quality, throughput and reduce waste.
- Lead time studies, capacity modeling, and workflow simulations to support DC optimization.
- Labor Management:
- Lead team in design and implement engineered labor standards and labor management systems (LMS).
- Monitor labor performance and identify opportunities for productivity gains and workforce planning.
- Technology & Automation:
- Collaborate with IT, strategic initiative and Operations teams to assess and implement WMS, TMS, and automation solutions (e.g., conveyor systems, AS/RS, robotics).
- Lead initiatives to evaluate and deploy warehouse automation technologies to improve efficiency and accuracy.
- Capital Projects & Facility Layout:
- Support the design of new DC layouts, slotting strategies, and material flow.
- Support new site launches and expansions by providing engineering expertise in facility design and equipment selection.
- Data Analytics & Reporting:
- Develop dashboards in partnership with analytics team and reports to track KPIs, productivity, cost-to-serve, and utilization metrics.
- Provide data-driven recommendations to executive leadership.
- Other duties and projects as assigned.
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
- Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate a team to achieve goals and drive results.
- Deep expertise in engineering principles, including process design, optimization, and troubleshooting.
- Proficiency in data analysis and statistical tools/software for process optimization and problem-solving expertise in conducting process analysis, workflow optimization and process auditing.
- Expertise in labor standards, process design, layout planning, and warehouse automation.
- Proficiency with tools such as AutoCAD, Excel, SQL, and WMS/LMS systems.
- Solid understanding of Lean principles and experience in implementing Lean projects.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and lead projects across multiple sites, ensuring consistent implementation and successful outcomes.
Minimum Requirements, Qualifications, Additional Skills, Aptitude
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or related field; Master's degree preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in industrial engineering within distribution, logistics, or supply chain; experience in food distribution preferred.
- Proven experience (6+ years) managing high performing Engineering teams.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.
Requisition ID
2025-26668
Equal Employer Opportunity Statement
KeHE Distributors provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion or faith, sex, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, mental or physical disability or medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training as well as the administration of all Human Resources and Talent Acquisition processes.