Lean Transformation Manager — Manufacturing Excellence

Roboticsconnected; Simi Valley (CA); On-site; USD 107,000 - 163,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental & Vision

401K with company match

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 multiple business units. You will drive value stream efficiency, resource utilization, and lead initiatives aligned with output, cost, quality, and lead time.

The role requires 8+ years in complex assembly environments, 3+ years leading manufacturing teams, and a degreed in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering or related field.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field (or equivalent).
• 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%.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a demanding production environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead lean manufacturing implementation across all 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 and deploy tracking centers across units.
• Deploy Lean to reduce waste and non-value-added activities.
• Facilitate cross-functional Kaizen events and improvement workshops.
• Analyze production data to identify trends and root causes.
• Establish visual and daily management systems with KPI tracking.
• Develop cost-benefit analyses for capital projects and process changes.
• Mentor supervisors, engineers, and front line teams in lean principles.
• Act as change agent to foster ownership and continuous improvement.
• Build lean maturity road maps and assess readiness for transformation.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and PM to align lean initiatives.
• Interface with executive leadership to report progress, ROI, and impact.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR, and customer quality requirements.
• Work with local teams to foster continuous improvement culture.
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Leadership

Project management

Facilitation

Data analytics

Process simulation tools

Time studies

Travel up to 50%

Organizational/time management

Strategic thinking

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 multiple business units. You will drive value stream efficiency, resource utilization, and lead initiatives aligned with output, cost, quality, and lead time.

The role requires 8+ years in complex assembly environments, 3+ years leading manufacturing teams, and a degreed in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering or related field.