College of Engineering
Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
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Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering

Careers in Industrial Engineering

  • In IE, your journey starts with discovering what kinds of industries align with your passions and life goals.

    Industrial Engineers are behind every great product and process, bringing efficiency and proficiency to the nation’s top-tier companies. As an Industrial Engineer, you won’t just make things. You’ll make things better. You’ll improve people’s lives by optimizing work environments, elevating service quality, lowering living costs, and reducing waste.

    IE students have a wide variety of careers options available to them after graduation, including at companies like:

    • Abbott
    • Anderson Windows & Doors
    • Boeing
    • Corteva
    • Danfoss
    • Disney
    • Edward Jones
    • Garmin
    • General Electric
    • General Mills
    • Honeywell
    • HNI
    • Iowa State University
    • J.B. Hunt
    • John Deere
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Mayo Clinic
    • Nestle
    • Pella
    • Procter & Gamble
    • SpaceX
    • Tesla
    • Trane
    • United States Postal Service (USPS)
    • University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
    • VectorOne
    • Vermeer
    • Winnebago

Examples of Job Titles and Descriptions

  • Develop and maintain short and long term global supply chain strategies
  • Complete tactical and strategic supply chain studies
  • Identify and support implementation of regional and global enhancements to improve supply chain efficiency
  • Assess and analyse performance to support key business decisions
  • Identify and investigate potential supply chain and logistics opportunities
  • Initiate, analyse and develop cost reduction and performance improvement initiatives

  • Utilize and enhance existing models to improve operations and reduce company operating cost
  • Create, validate and implement new tools/models to monitor and improve field performance and operations
  • Strong knowledge of SAS, ACCESS, EXCEL, Visual Basic and GUI systems are required
  • Strong written, oral and presentation communication skills are required
  • Knowledge of transportation, optimization, simulation and statistical analyses are definite pluses

  • Plan, direct, and coordinate manufacturing processes in industrial plant(s)
  • Train operators to perform  assigned duties
  • Develop, evaluate, and improve manufacturing methods based on the “Toyota Production System”  continuous improvement process
  • Analyze/plan work force utilization, space requirements, and workflow
  • Design layout of equipment and workspace
  • Confer with planning and design staff concerning product design and tooling
  • Confer with vendors to determine product specifications and arrange for purchase of equipment, materials, or parts
  • Estimate production times, staffing requirements, and related costs
  • Confer with management, engineering, and other staff regarding manufacturing capabilities, production schedules, and other considerations
  • Apply statistical methods (Six Sigma, SPC, Shainin, etc.) to continually improve the manufacturing processes

  • Make recommendations concerning the availability and suitability of models, simulations and tools to support operations
  • Evaluate models, simulations and tools for application to company operations
  • Develop concepts, white papers or other decision documents in sufficient detail to support decision making
  • Support decision making and integrate products into operations
  • Assist with the developmental efforts to modify models, simulations and tools for use
  • Analyze and definerequirements for models, simulations, and analytical tools
  • Responsible for project execution, including planning, requirements analysis, modeling, data collection, software development, presentations, and final reports

  • Manage and coordinate diverse projects and activities
  • Complete assigned analyses and reports concerning operations
  • Data analysis
  • Work process redesign
  • Project implementation support
  • Benchmarking data resources
  • Software technology administration
  • Database design and maintenance
  • Web development

  • Recruit, manage and develop warehouse and clerical personnel
  • Maintain budgets and cost containment
  • Define and design processes
  • Design warehouse layouts
  • Implement warehouse systems
  • Interface with customers
  • Negotiate contracts

  • Implement Lean Manufacturing techniques to reduce costs, improve quality, and reduce cycle times
  • Develop, qualify, and implement new manufacturing processes
  • Identify equipment needs and product design changes to improve cost, quality, and manufacturability
  • Identify root cause of manufacturing problems and implement corrective actions

Career Services

The College of Engineering offers a team of career services professionals who focus specifically on engineering students. They’ll help you polish your resume, hone your interview skills and land internships or co-ops that pay extremely well.