New VP of Manufacturing, HM/LV production, complex, custom build, lean, durable good OEM in Jacksonville area.

This is a critical position to the momentum of a new, structured lean conversion at a $120M, 500 non-union workforce site in eastern, TN   

Director Manufacturing Tooling Systems, Southeast MI

Career Kaizen - Greater Detroit Area

We seek an experienced automotive body and interiors styling and design leader to develop new, high-end luxury vehicle products.

Scope:

• Design:  concept to delivery for new vehicle body and select interior component styling, design and development.
• Leadership:  lead department of internal and external designers and drafters.  Act as primary liaison with sales and manufacturing teams to translate market trends and customer attributes to create producible body and component designs.
• Project management: Champion styling and design process in a Lean and Continuous improvement product development and production environment.

Scope:  Site is >$100M sales and is in growth mode.   Reports to Regional VP Operations.  Six direct reports.  Non-union workforce.

Experience: We seek a TPS/Lean savvy gemba leader capable of transforming business and behavior.  Expectation is to lead this plant to #1 of 5 manufacturing sites.

Manufacturing environment and processes:  HMLV.  Metal fabrication, machining, assembly, and paint.

TPS/Lean application expertise:  System Kaizen:  Takt-time analysis, Value Stream Analysis with broad application of Standardized work and Visual Management. Capability to lead Hoshin Kanri leadership down to supervisory level. Other lean tools as needed.

Requirements:

• Current experience as a plant manager in <100M plant, more than one value stream
• Operations leadership experience in a automotive or heavy equipment industry.
• 5+ years experience in a leadership role in a TPS/Lean manufacturing business and culture.
• Manufacturing process experience with metal fabrication, machining, and paint experience

For immediate, confidential consideration, please reply with resume to: leanmatters@gmail.com

• Two site lean leadership opportunity with NO OVERNIGHT TRAVEL.

• This is a new lean conversion and cultural transformation.

• The senior leadership team is engaged in the lean process.

• We look for gemba style lean problem solvers who can implement, teach, coach and hold others accountable for sustaining results.

• Career runway goes far beyond this opportunity and extends to a portfolio of low and medium volume US manufacturing OEM businesses

SCOPE

• 2 manufacturing sites
• 4 value streams
• Wall-to-wall SME lean conversion – systems and behavior change leadership

Desired Skills & Experience

Requirements:

• Highly prefer candidates with experience implementing lean in high-mix, low-volume production environments (mixed-model value streams).

• Must demonstrate strong understanding and application of lean principles and fundamentals.

• Must have applied the PDCA learning cycle to teaching and coaching others.

• Must demonstrate skilled use of Takt time analysis, value stream mapping, cell layout, developing and recording standard work, one piece flow, Kaizen, quick change over, Kaizen leadership, A3 problem solving, OEE, and visual management.

• Bachelors degree required. Engineering degreed preferred.
• 2-4 years lean manufacturing implmentation experience.  Lean office deployment skills preferred.
• Eligible to work in the US without a VISA.

TO APPLY

For quick, confidential consideration, please email your resume to leanmatters@gmail.com. Please summarize how your lean experience satisfies the requirements listed in this ad.

Company Description

Career Kaizen recruits and develops US manufacturing leaders. Our specialty is “continuous people improvement.”  We’re active partners in rebuilding USA Manufacturing.  We help companies hire top talent across the manufacturing value chain.  In addition to recruiting, our proprietary  CREATE People TM product adds horsepower to onboarding, people development and retaining your talent investments.

Career Kaizen is retained to identify hands on senior manufacturing leader for this company to build a new lean culture.  Must be able to:

• Lead change
• Install discipline
• Increase quality
• Develop and retain people

Own the manufacturing of aerospace tools. Results on-time, high quality, and on/under budget.  Where off target, prepare and implement plans to correct.

• Use a scheduling system to provide forward visibility and adjust work schedules accordingly.
• Manage procurement to insure we get best value.  Use our size to help in this, ultimately providing a competitive advantage through buying at a better price than our competitors.
• Drive for efficient machine and equipment utilization.
• Create a self-sustaining continuous improvement culture to enhance our long term competitiveness.  Instill and maintain a data-driven culture for problem solving.
• Work with management to establish Key Performance Indicators for manufacturing, maintain them, and meet targets (e.g. safety, cost, quality, on-time delivery, etc.).  Develop up-stream metrics that control the output metrics, and take action to be proactive in avoiding problems.
• Deliver the operational objectives while maintaining good employee morale.  Balance the company culture of respect for people while insisting on performance and hustle.

Company Description

Parent company has grown 300% in past 4 years due to Lean engagement at the board level.

Apply

• For quick, confidential consideration, email resume to leanmatters@gmail.com. Please summarize how you lead change, install discipline and develop people.

Job Purpose

Control of the Operation of an aerospace tooling composite company. Only those with a strong, disciplined people development leadership track record will be considered.

Responsibilities:

• Drive organization to achieve profitable growth by delivering on customer commitments, meet internal budget commitments and overcome obstacles.  Where off target, prepare plans and communicate those to adjust course.
• Understand the tooling business from a technical, operational, and customer perspective and insure that the business improves its value proposition while earning profit.
• Provide direct oversight of the quoting process to maintain sufficient backlog and insure profitability.  Interface with the sales group to identify opportunities early and develop capture plans.
• Lead implementation of lean manufacturing by example.  Drive lowest cost and create a self-sustaining continuous improvement culture to enhance our long term competitiveness.
• Insure the development of talent throughout the organization to help the business thrive and grow.
• Hands on leadership by example.

• General Manager experience

• Knowledge of tooling for aerospace and experience in welding, fabrication, NC machining, and jig/fixture/mold tool making
• Experience with ERP systems and SAP experience.  Particular emphasis on capacity planning and scheduling
• Experience with estimating, scheduling and quoting low volume tools, or ability to learn
• Lean implementation experience and Hoshin Kanri (Top Down/Bottom Up) in a low volume / high mix environment.

TO APPLY

For quick, confidential consideration, please email your resume to leanmatters@gmail.com. Please summarize how your lean experience satisfies the requirements listed in this ad.

This is the top USA operation leader for a profitable transportation products business.  Scope is 2-sites, $90M sales and no overnight travel.  Successful candidate will transform, run and grow a business without interference and with full engagement by senior management in the lean process.

This market segment is on a huge growth spurt. Reports to remote C-Level. Product has excellent US Manufacturing reputation. Business portfolio continues to grow due to wise investments and application of lean principles.   Strong compensation package including large profit sharing plan.

Career Kaizen is retained to identify hands on senior manufacturing leader for this non-union company to build a new lean culture.  Must be able to:

• Lead change
• Install discipline
• Increase quality
• Develop and retain people

Scope

• Multi-Plant (Same general geography)
• 4 product lines
• 5 Direct Reports; 300+ Indirect Reports (non-union)

Company Description

Parent company has grown 300% in past 4 years due to Lean engagement at the board level.

Apply

• For quick, confidential consideration, email resume to leanmatters@gmail.com. Please summarize how you lead change, install discipline and develop people.

Within a few short weeks after completing Career Kaizen’s intense work/study program, Justin got to work.  He actualized his career PDCA strategy and self-initiated an internal career move to manufacturing operations.

Almost a year later, Justin’s still at the same company in a Area Lean Production Manager role.  He’s also making huge customer impacts by transforming how the work is performed and the way people engage in it.  According to his new boss, Justin is a natural leader; he’s influencing and changing hearts and minds of his people.  According to Justin, the most exciting career news is that he feels his career is just beginning.

Justin tells more about his experience with Career Kaizen below:

“As I mentioned in my first article, I found myself frustrated with the state of my career.  Something wasn’t right but it really was invisible to me – I couldn’t figure it out.  I knew what I needed and yet I didn’t.

Career Kaizen gave me the principles of framework, structure, and discipline and most importantly, a lens through which I could see things with a fresh perspective. When I developed my A3 and Career Arrow, I found I was the problem, so to speak, on a couple of really important levels.  When I changed this lens, things started moving in the right direction.

Demonstrating a clear vision of my goals enabled several key managers to help me reach them.  I was quickly promoted from a Lean Change Agent to a Lean Area Production Manager, and what a great influence I’m having on my direct reports and my manager!  What gives me the framework to be able to do this is the CK work I did to get through my problem – the obstacles preventing me from moving forward.  Now I can take others through the same process!

It’s having a huge impact on how they all think and how they need to be thinking.  I know it because my boss told me directly that the bar has been set higher for everyone with me on board because of the CK thinking I’ve introduced – and where it’s taking my organization.  Everyone feels compelled to raise the bar, which is giving a whole new energy to the staff.  His words, not mine.

Working with CK gave me a period of reflection which actually allowed me to develop a process for continued reflection and I’m using this to consider what my management team, direct reports and peers are telling me.

My direct manager was really impressed when I shared with him my entire A3, career arrow, learning plan, and background for how I got to where I am.  In a brief meeting I was able to give my entire story as a sort of snapshot of where I want to go in the short and long term.  He was actually shocked by how easy he could understand the plan for what I wanted to accomplish and how he could help me to write my objectives for 2012, specifically my developmental objectives.

I showed him how I’m using the same approach with my six direct reports to gauge their developmental needs by focusing on what their strengths are, and to have them think of   where they want to be in 6 – 12 months.  They’ve never had a manager talk to them about how they’re going to grow as leaders.  It has all been very positive.

One of the keys is confidence.  CK taught me real things about myself I didn’t know were there.  I was able to hone in on strengths like an entrepreneurial bent I wasn’t sure I had.  Now I’m able to experiment with that and almost act like I own part of the business I manage.  I’m clear on my level of business acumen – another strength that allows me to see that I understand the business better than most and that I can be a big influence and agent of change for my peers, my boss and his boss.

So I’m staying with CK and my new role allows me to play out the career arrow I developed.  I continue to acclimate myself to the new role, applying my lean knowledge, and making a positive impact while determining the things I needed to learn or improve, to get myself to the next level.

Honestly, I’m learning so much in my new role that I haven’t had an opportunity to develop the next role yet.  In any case, I’ll stick with CK for the short and long term.  The lens it provides really fits for the here and now as well as the next step.”