Sr. Industrial Engineer - Nordstrom Restaurant Division- Hybrid, Seattle

This position plays a critical role in developing, implementing, and maintaining standards that drive activity-based labor models. By establishing clear guidelines and processes, the Industrial Engineer Sr ensures that workforce strategies are aligned with operational needs, supporting efficient labor allocation and productivity improvements across Nordstrom Restaurants and Coffee Bars.  

In this role, you will lead the design and evolution of labor modeling strategies—including labor standards, coverage requirements, operating hours, forecast and demand distribution—to support activity-based labor models, enable data-driven decision making, and drive continuous improvement in workforce planning and management. Your work will help ensure that labor is allocated based on specific activities, maximizing efficiency and effectiveness throughout the business.  

This role is hybrid and based in Seattle, WA. Candidates must be available to work onsite at the Nordstrom corporate headquarters a minimum of four days per week.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Delivery of complex projects and solutions that support the Restaurant Division 

• Champion, influence, and lead standard work efforts at scale, with an emphasis on developing and maintaining standards that support activity-based labor models  

• Creation of requirements that form cohesive, iterative plans. Outline alternatives for process, equipment and system design, ensuring these requirements facilitate the adoption and effectiveness of activity-based labor standards 

• Work with cross-functional Business partners to deliver data driven processes and solutions 

• Use data to translate into continuous improvement ideas, cost/benefit analysis and change initiatives for large scope projects 

• Process obsessed, eliminate waste and optimize using continuous improvement methodology to lead and provide Restaurant and Coffee Bar solutions for current and future operators 

Leadership 

• Strategically influence timing and rationale. Influence stakeholder expectations 

• Listen to effectively and assimilate multiple perspectives 

• Assist in enhancing department vision and strategies to support company goals and receives guidance from more senior leaders 

• Clearly communicate complex information and simply drive actions.  

• Communicate to diverse audiences so that information is credible, digestible and easily understood 

• Communicate using fact-based and relevant data 

• Build and deliver against plans across a single capability 

• Proficiently manage work execution through transparent communication, well-articulated written or oral formats for technical solutions 

• Facilitate team progress in driving solutions and making effective business decisions. Ability to command and influence rationale 

• Use collaboration and networking with other functions to understand and resolve problems 

Problem Solving 

• Manage solution implementation of high impact, risk and complexity 

• Identify issues/changes and independently drives solutions 

• Identify others’ communication styles and tailors message accordingly to achieve desired results consistently. Find ways to accomplish deliverables by enabling others 

• Overcome and resolve obstacles regardless of own team boundaries or size 

Competencies 

• Strategic Mindset: Is aware of how own work connects to the broader organization's strategy; understands what actions to take to help the organization reach its goals. 

• Manages Complexity: Looks at complex issues from multiple angles; gains a sound understanding of the topic. 

• Decision Quality: Integrates analysis, experience, and other inputs to make effective decisions. 

• Communicates Effectively: Pays attention to others’ input and perspectives; ask questions and summarizes input to confirm understanding; tailors communication content and style to the needs of others. 

Qualifications 

• 5-10 years of Industrial Engineering experience focused on Workforce management, labor modeling and planning in a Retail or Restaurant environment 

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial and system engineering or equivalent preferred 

• Applies technical methods and discipline, business & customer expertise to recommend and devise efficient systems  

• Demonstrated track record of making recommendations that enable the business to achieve goals 

• Drives collaboration across teams and capabilities to ensure that the right people with the right knowledge and expertise are involved 

• Experience communicating with senior leadership