Director of Industrial Engineering (Automation Design)

November 5, 2026

Job Title: Director of Industrial Engineering (Automation Design)Job Location: Whitestown, IN (Also open to Seattle, WA)Job Status: Exempt, Full Time About SHEINSHEIN is a global fashion and lifestyle e-retailer committed to making the beauty of fashion accessible to all. We use on-demand manufacturing technology to connect suppliers to our agile supply chain, reducing inventory waste and enabling us to deliver a variety of affordable products to customers around the world. From our global offices, we reach customers in more than 160 countries. Founded in 2012, SHEIN has nearly 18,000 employees operating from offices around the world, with U.S. Headquarters located in Los Angeles.In SHEIN, we work with outstanding, creative, and capable peers. We share an energetic and open culture for capable people to discern, work and ignite as a team.At SHEIN, our culture is driven by our core values: Customer First, Take Ownership, Deliver Results, Make Change, and Celebrate Diversity. These are not just words, they are the principles that guide our work as we strive to meet the needs of our customers around the world. Position SummaryWe are looking for a Director of Industrial Engineering (Automation Design) to lead warehouse solution design across our logistics network, with a primary focus on flow picking system design for large-scale e-commerce fulfillment operations. This role requires deep technical expertise and direct ownership of picking solution development, including layout design, material flow, picking and replenishment processes, capacity modeling, and integration with upstream and downstream operations. The Director will also lead facility design, automation strategy, and engineering standards, partnering with Operations, Project Execution, Finance, IT, and external solution providers to deliver scalable, cost-effective solutions. Key ResponsibilitiesFlow Picking System and Solution Design<ul><li>Own the end-to-end engineering design of flow picking systems, from operational requirements and concept development through detailed design and implementation handover.</li><li>Analyze order profiles, SKU characteristics, inventory velocity, and peak demand to define picking strategies, system configuration, and design capacity.</li><li>Design picking area layouts, SKU slotting strategies, replenishment flows, workstation configurations, and material handling interfaces.</li><li>Develop throughput and labor models to size picking capacity, balance workloads, and identify bottlenecks across replenishment, picking, consolidation, and packing.</li><li>Define functional requirements with WMS, WES, and WCS teams for order release, task allocation, replenishment triggers, and exception handling.</li><li>Evaluate solution alternatives using simulation, operational performance, capital requirements, and cost per order.</li><li>Lead technical design reviews with Operations, equipment suppliers, and system integrators; establish performance acceptance criteria and validate designs against project requirements.</li></ul>Network and Facility Design Strategy<ul><li>Lead the design of new fulfillment centers, distribution centers, and warehouse expansions, aligning facility layouts, storage strategies, and material flows with picking system requirements.</li><li>Define long-term warehouse design and automation roadmaps, evaluate network capacity, and recommend expansion strategies to support future demand.</li><li>Develop engineering standards and design guidelines that improve throughput, space utilization, labor efficiency, and operational flexibility across facilities.</li></ul>Automation and Solution Design<ul><li>Design integrated automation solutions using appropriate technologies, including AS/RS, conveyors, Goods-to-Person systems, sortation, AGVs, AMRs, and robotics.</li><li>Conduct feasibility studies and technology evaluations; develop equipment specifications and functional requirements based on operational needs.</li><li>Collaborate with vendors and system integrators to assess solution performance, integration requirements, scalability, and investment tradeoffs.</li></ul>Process Engineering & Continuous Improvement<ul><li>Design standardized processes for inbound, storage, replenishment, picking, packing, shipping, returns, and value-added services, ensuring effective handoffs between functions.</li><li>Apply Lean, Six Sigma, engineered labor standards, and Industrial Engineering methods to improve productivity, reduce operating costs, and maintain service levels.</li><li>Establish and share process design best practices across multiple sites.</li></ul>Capacity Planning & Engineering Analytics<ul><li>Perform capacity modeling for labor, storage, equipment, and throughput to support peak planning and long-term growth.</li><li>Conduct simulation, scenario analysis, and sensitivity modeling to validate facility and picking system designs and identify capacity constraints.</li><li>Establish KPIs and use operational data to evaluate design performance and identify improvement opportunities.</li></ul>Cross Functional Leadership<ul><li>Partner with Operations, Project Execution, Finance, Supply Chain, IT, Real Estate, and Procurement throughout project lifecycles.</li><li>Provide engineering guidance during planning, design reviews, implementation, and performance validation; present recommendations and business cases to executive leadership.</li><li>Lead, mentor, and develop Industrial Engineering and Solutions Design teams; coordinate external consultants, equipment suppliers, and system integrators.</li></ul>Financial & Business Case Development<ul><li>Develop capital investment business cases, cost-benefit analyses, and ROI evaluations for facility and automation projects</li><li>Evaluate labor savings, operational efficiencies, and financial impacts of proposed solutions; support annual capital planning and long-term investment strategies.</li><li>Ensure engineering designs align with approved budgets and business objectives.</li></ul> Job Requirements<ul><li>Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain Engineering, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.</li><li>10+ years of Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Engineering, or Warehouse Design experience, including 5+ years leading Industrial Engineering or Solutions Design teams within large-scale distribution or fulfillment operations.</li><li>Demonstrated experience directly leading the design of flow picking systems for large-scale e-commerce or high-SKU fulfillment operations is required, including ownership of concept development, detailed engineering, and implementation support.</li><li>Strong technical expertise in picking system layout, SKU slotting, replenishment design, material flow, throughput and labor modeling, and integration with consolidation and packing operations.</li><li>Proven ability to translate order and SKU data into engineering design decisions, with completed projects demonstrating measurable results in throughput, labor productivity, space utilization, or cost per order.</li><li>Proven experience designing automated warehouse solutions and integrating material handling technologies with facility and operational requirements.</li><li>Experience with warehouse design and modeling tools such as AutoCAD, Revit, FlexSim, AnyLogic, or similar software.</li><li>Strong understanding of WMS, WES, WCS, ERP systems, and warehouse automation integration.</li><li>Demonstrated success developing engineering standards, scalable operational solutions, and capital investment business cases.</li><li>Excellent leadership, analytical, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.</li></ul> Working Conditions<ul><li>Office-based with approximately 30–50% travel to distribution centers, vendor facilities, and project sites.</li><li>Occasional visits to warehouse environments requiring appropriate PPE.</li><li>Limited evening or weekend work may be required to support major project milestones or business initiatives.</li></ul> Benefits and Culture<ul><li>Health Savings Account with Employer Funding</li><li>Healthcare (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs)</li><li>Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare and Dependent care)</li><li>Company-Paid Basic Life/AD&D insurance</li><li>Company-Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability</li><li>Voluntary Benefit Offerings (Voluntary Life/AD&D, Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, and Accident)</li><li>Employee Assistance Program</li><li>Business Travel Accident Insurance</li><li>401(k) Savings Plan with discretionary company match and access to a financial advisor Vacation, paid holidays, floating holidays, and sick days</li><li>Employee discounts</li><li>Free swag giveaways</li><li>Annual Holiday Party</li></ul> SHEIN is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workplace environment.

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