Overview

Spirit AeroSystems designs and builds aerostructures for both commercial and defense customers. With headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit operates sites in the U.S., U.K., France and Malaysia. The company's core products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components for the world's premier aircraft. Spirit AeroSystems focuses on affordable, innovative composite and aluminum manufacturing solutions to support customers around the globe.

This position will be responsible for leading the Continuous Improvement / Lean team that supports the Fabrication division in Wichita, Ks. This group has responsibility over defining new processes, identifying deficiencies within existing processes, developing and implementing process improvements, and helping shape the Continuous Improvement culture within Spirit Fabrication. Other areas of interest may include lead time, lot sizing, time studies, OPE studies, OEE studies, etc.

Other roles and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, understanding the business metrics and targets, utilizing those metrics to identify opportunity areas, being able to rapidly respond to changing business needs or priorities, and guiding the team through various activities to come to the data-driven solution. Regular report-out cadences are in place, and interaction will be up to executive-level leadership.

Responsibilities

Location: Wichita,KS

Key Accountabilities:

• Manages experienced professional managers that lead teams of represented salary employees (e.g., ME, IE, Continuous Improvement, and other Operations Engineering disciplines).
• Enforce policies, and procedures that may affect sections and subordinate work units.
• Competency to complete the task with little to no oversight.
• Skills to navigate difficult situations and conversations to a productive outcome.
• Capable of managing multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment to closure.
• Ability to ensure direct reports are able to meet critical schedule deadlines.
• Requires interaction across all levels of leadership.
• Lead a team of represented employees in Industrial Engineering and Continuous Improvement.
• Conduct studies pertaining to cost control, cost reduction, inventory control, and production record systems – based on these studies, develop, and implement optimized product flow. 
• May assist facilities engineers in the planning and design of facilities.
• Interact across all levels of the organization; efficiently and effectively communicate and execute the manufacturing plan and schedule, implement agreed-upon changes; navigate difficult situations and conversations to a productive outcome.
• Lead team in quality improvement initiatives.
• Lead team in developing solutions to complex problems which require the regular use of ingenuity and creativity.
• Manage the build process and compliance with engineering requirements, Quality Assurance standards, and customer contract requirements.
• Knowledge of IE Tools used in production i.e.: capacity analysis, facility layout, and production improvements.
• Experience utilizing production metrics to make informed decisions and drive results.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Requires a Bachelor of Science Degree or equivalent experience
• Understanding of a manufacturing production atmosphere.
• Use problem-solving skills and analytical abilities to develop innovative and expedient solutions to fabrication problems.
• Ability to manage projects and to lead and participate in cross-functional teams to accomplish engineering initiatives, in a team environment, and interact with multiple disciplines and levels of management.
• Ability to communicate effectively, act decisively, and demonstrate innovation and resourcefulness.
• Familiarity with Lean principles and tools including Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Root Cause/Corrective-Action Analysis (RCCA), bottleneck analysis, etc.
• Understanding and use of standard computing software, ie. Excel, PowerPoint

Preferred Qualifications:

• Aerospace, mechanical, or industrial engineering degree preferred.
• Prefer experience with/knowledge of Theory of Constraints management
• Prefer experience with/knowledge of APICS Supply Chain management
• Prefer experience with/knowledge of Six Sigma
• Prefer skills in data analysis and statistics
• Knowledge of SAP MRP software
• Knowledge of Access, SQL, or other databases
• Knowledge of CATIA V5 programs. Experience in an Aircraft or Aerospace Manufacturing environment.

Spirit AeroSystems is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected factor under federal, state or local law.