Manager, Industrial Engineering & Lean Transformation

avav; Simi Valley (CA); On-site; USD 117,500 - 179,250; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Manager of Industrial Engineering & Lean Transformation to design, implement, and optimize manufacturing systems while leading Lean initiatives. The role focuses on improving throughput, efficiency, cost, quality, and lead time across production lines.

The successful candidate will drive capacity planning, line balancing, and digital manufacturing adoption, mentoring teams and reporting progress to executive leadership. Domestic travel up to 50% is expected.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in high-mix, low-volume or complex production environments.
• 3+ years leading manufacturing teams in product development.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering or related field.
• Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt preferred.
• Proficiency in process simulation tools, time studies, and data analytics.
• Strong leadership, PM and facilitation skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% domestically and internationally.
• Excellent organizational and time-management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain time standards, labor models, and production layouts.
• Lead capacity planning, line balancing, and throughput optimization.
• Design and improve facility layouts, workstation ergonomics, and material flow.
• Conduct value stream mapping to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Lead Lean transformation initiatives using 5S, Kaizen, Kanban, SMED, Standard Work, and Visual Management.
• Deploy Lean Six Sigma methodologies to reduce waste and non-value-added activities.
• Facilitate cross-functional Kaizen events and improvement workshops across departments.
• Analyze production data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities.
• Establish and track KPIs for productivity, efficiency, takt time, and OEE.
• Develop cost-benefit analyses for capital projects and process changes.
• Support factory modernization and digital manufacturing initiatives (MES, automation, real-time analytics).
• Partner with Product Development/NPI to drive DfM and scalability.
• Train and mentor supervisors, engineers, and frontline teams.

Skills

Lean transformation

Lean Six Sigma

Leadership

Capacity planning

Value stream mapping

Data analytics

Facilitation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

Process simulation tools

Job description

Summary

The Manager of Industrial Engineering & Lean Transformation is responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing manufacturing systems and workflows, while leading Lean transformation initiatives. They drive value stream efficiency, capacity planning, and strategic use of resources, ensuring alignment with business goals related to output, cost, quality, and lead time.

Position Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain time standards, labor models, and production layouts.
• Lead capacity planning, line balancing, and throughput optimization.
• Design and improve facility layouts, workstation ergonomics, and material flow.
• Conduct value stream mapping to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Lead Lean transformation initiatives using tools like 5S, Kaizen, Kanban, SMED, Standard Work, and Visual Management.
• Deploy Lean Six Sigma methodologies to reduce variation, waste, and non-value-added activities.
• Facilitate cross-functional Kaizen events and improvement workshops across departments.
• Analyze production data to identify trends, root causes, and improvement opportunities.
• Establish and track KPIs for productivity, efficiency, takt time, and OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).
• Develop cost-benefit analyses for capital projects and process changes.
• Support factory modernization and digital manufacturing initiatives (e.g., MES, automation, real-time analytics).
• Partner with Product Development and NPI teams to drive Design for Manufacturability (DfM) and scalability into new product designs.
• Train and mentor supervisors, engineers, and frontline teams in Lean principles.
• Act as a change agent, promoting a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Build Lean maturity roadmaps 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.
• Represent the Supplier Quality organization in high-level cross-functional meetings and executive updates.
• Ensure compliance with applicable standards including AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR, and customer-specific quality requirements.
• Foster a continuous improvement culture within the supplier base and internal SQE team.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Minimum of 8 years of related experience in high-mix, low-volume, or complex production environments.
• Minimum of 3 years of successfully leading manufacturing teams within a product development environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field and/or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Lean Six Sigma certification (Green/Black Belt) strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in process simulation tools, time studies, and data analytics.
• Strong leadership, project management, and facilitation skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-mix, low-volume production environment.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed (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.

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office and manufacturing environment (Constant).
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent).

Special Requirements

• U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or asylum/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required.
• Occasionally may be required to travel within the Continental U.S.
• U.S. Citizenship required.

Clearance Level

No Clearance.

$117,500 - $179,250

Benefits

Benefits: AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.