Lean Transformation Leader – Operational Excellence

AeroVironment; West Valley City (UT); On-site; USD 107,000 - 163,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company matching

9/80 work schedule

paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment is seeking a Manager of Operational Excellence to design, implement, and optimize our lean manufacturing strategy across all business units. You will drive value stream efficiency, lead Kaizen events, and ensure alignment with output, cost, quality, and lead time goals.

The role requires 8+ years in complex assembly environments and 3+ years leading manufacturing teams in a product development setting, with strong analytics, leadership, and facilitation skills.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of related experience in complex assembly production environments.
• 3+ years leading manufacturing teams within a product development environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.
• Proficiency in process simulation tools, time studies, and data analytics.
• Strong leadership, project management, and facilitation skills.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 50%.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Proven adaptability in fast-paced, evolving environments.
• Strategic thinker who anticipates change and fosters team alignment.
• Collaborative, team-oriented mindset with a focus on shared success.
• Ownership-driven, continuously learning, and improvement-focused.

Responsibilities

• Lead lean manufacturing implementation across all business units using lean tools and concepts.
• Develop and maintain lean training tools, content, boot camps, workshops, kaizen and project management funnels.
• Standardize problem solving methodology and deployment strategy.
• Conduct value stream mapping to identify bottlenecks and implement value stream tracking centers.
• Deploy Lean to reduce variation and waste.
• Facilitate cross-functional Kaizen events and improvement workshops.
• Analyze production data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities.
• Establish visual and daily management systems with KPI tracking.
• Develop cost-benefit analyses for capital projects and process changes.
• Mentor supervisors, engineers, and frontline teams in lean principles.
• Act as change agent to promote ownership and continuous improvement.
• Build lean maturity road maps and assess readiness for transformation.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Program Management.
• Report lean transformation progress and ROI to leadership.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR and customer quality requirements.
• Collaborate with local teams to foster continuous improvement across units.
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Process analytics

Data analytics

Leadership

Project management

Facilitation

Time studies

Process simulation

Organizational skills

Travel readiness

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Ownership-driven

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering or related field

Job description

AeroVironment is seeking a Manager of Operational Excellence to design, implement, and optimize our lean manufacturing strategy across all business units. You will drive value stream efficiency, lead Kaizen events, and ensure alignment with output, cost, quality, and lead time goals.

The role requires 8+ years in complex assembly environments and 3+ years leading manufacturing teams in a product development setting, with strong analytics, leadership, and facilitation skills.