Title:  Operations Manager, Production Planning & Execution

Job Title: Operations Manager, Production Planning & Execution

Job Code: 23577

Job Location: Wilmington, MA

Job Description:

The L3Harris Imaging Division in Wilmington, MA is an industry leader in the design and production of space-based optical telescopes for small satellites.  This business has produced and continues to produce optical systems for many customers in both the commercial and military markets, as well as NASA.  One such NASA program supported by this business was New Horizons.  Imaging Division Wilmington designed and built the telescope which snapped the first close-up pictures of Pluto (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/images/index.html).  There are many other interesting programs that this business has supported and continues supporting!

The Operations Organization is looking for a talented, strategic, and transformational leader to lead an evolution of the Production Planning and Execution department.  This business has doubled in revenue in the last 2 years and is looking to both scale and transform the organization to optimize delivery to both internal and external customers’ needs.  This position will lead a growing team of Production Planning and Execution program leads (current team is 4-5) on both development and production programs.  This position will be required to revolutionize the department by doing the following things:  

• Developing a strategic transformation plan, including developing and establishing a robust production planning process, to optimize value creation for our internal programs, lead the execution of this plan
• Develop, maintain, and scale metrics that measure success and failure to customers’ needs
• Perform ad hoc root cause analysis on missed metrics or process escapes, develop and implement corrective and preventative actions
• Balance the tactical and strategic demands to meet both the immediate programmatic needs with longer-term transformational and improvement projects
• Creating strong internal supplier relationships, work together with these internal suppliers to improve delivery to processes
• Coordinate effectively with internal customers and suppliers to drive improvement within the organization
• Effectively expand the ERP system to drive more automation within the operation
• Effectively lead in a matrixed environment with several different customers

Essential Functions:

In addition to the transformation activities detailed above, this position

• Drive a Safety and Quality first culture on the production planning/control team, and across the Operations organization with your peers on the Operations Management Team.
• May oversee, support government/customer property control program, internal property control program, and calibration planning to meet specific goals
• Develop the capability of the production planning and execution team; grow technical skills, as well as project management and facilitation skills
• Provides onsite supervision to the stockroom and shipping/receiving staff
• Focuses on constantly improving the efficiency of processes utilizing data automation and strategies from Lean Manufacturing
• Supports bids by providing manpower estimates for the execution of the program
• Head the effort to develop strategies that optimize and monitor manufacturing process design, development and QA/validation efforts from early product development through product launch monitoring
• Plan and execute on headcount needs to support the department

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 9 years prior related experience. Graduate Degree with a minimum of 7 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, a minimum of 13 years of prior related experience.

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Proven success and results in driving improvements in cost, quality, and efficiency in manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated experience leading and transforming teams.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to quickly identify efficient solutions to problems; the ability to think systemically
• 9+ years’ experience in a manufacturing, production, or development environment.
• 2+ years’ experience with ERP/MRP systems, experience as an ERP/MRP super user preferred
• Strong coaching and employee development skills
• Knowledge and experience with Lean and 6 Sigma tools such as 5S, value stream mapping, Kaizen, process control, root cause analysis, etc. Dedicated to continuous improvement
• The ability to communicate cross-functionally with various levels of leadership
• Project Management skills and the ability to organize and manage multiple products through the manufacturing process simultaneously
• Program Management experience a plus
• Business Analytics experience a plus
• Quality focus and high attention to detail
• Effectively work with vendors, customers and various internal departments
• Excellent communication skills; able to communicate effectively with management and personnel at all levels
• Strong organizational and time management skills

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