Lean Transformation Manager

AeroVironment, Inc.; Strathearn (CA); On-site; USD 107,000 - 163,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Manager of Operational Excellence to design, implement, and optimize a lean manufacturing strategy across multiple business units in California.

You will drive value stream efficiency, reduce waste, and ensure alignment with output, cost, and lead time goals. You will lead value stream mapping, deploy daily management systems with KPIs, and mentor supervisors and engineers in lean principles, while collaborating with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years in complex assembly production environments.
• At least 3 years leading manufacturing teams in a product development environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead and own lean manufacturing implementation across all units.
• Develop and maintain lean training tools, content, training boot camps, workshops, kaizen & project management funnels.
• Standardize problem solving methodology, draft accompanying training content and deployment strategy.
• Conduct and lead value stream mapping activities to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Own the implementation and execution of value stream tracking centers at all business units.
• Deploy Lean methodologies to reduce variation, waste, and non-value-added activities.
• Facilitate cross-functional Kaizen events and improvement workshops across departments and business units.
• Analyze production data to identify trends, root causes, and improvement opportunities.
• Establish visual and daily management systems with appropriate KPI tracking for performance management at various levels and departments.
• Develop cost-benefit analyses for capital projects and process changes.
• Develop, train and mentor supervisors, engineers, and front line teams in lean manufacturing principles.
• Act as a change agent, promoting a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Build lean maturity road maps and assess organizational readiness for transformation.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Program Management to align lean initiatives with business objectives.
• Interface with executive leadership to report lean transformation progress, ROI, and impact.
• Ensure compliance with applicable standards including AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR, and customer-specific quality requirements.
• Work collaboratively with local teams & foster a continuous improvement culture within all business units.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Leadership

Data analytics

Project management

Process improvement

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or related field

Job description

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Manager of Operational Excellence to design, implement, and optimize a lean manufacturing strategy across multiple business units in California.

You will drive value stream efficiency, reduce waste, and ensure alignment with output, cost, and lead time goals. You will lead value stream mapping, deploy daily management systems with KPIs, and mentor supervisors and engineers in lean principles, while collaborating with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply