Sr. Director of Operations

Crane Aerospace & Electronics; United States; Remote; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace and electronics company is seeking a Sr. Director of Operations to drive manufacturing excellence at their Elyria, OH or Auburn, CA facilities. The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of experience in operations, strong leadership qualities, and familiarity with Lean tools. This role focuses on ensuring safety, quality, and productivity while collaborating with various departments to meet strategic goals. Excellent benefits and a commitment to operational excellence are offered.

Benefits

Health care

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k with company match

15 days of paid time off

Qualifications

• 15+ years in manufacturing or operations in aerospace or electronics.
• 10+ years in a management role.
• Proven track record of metrics cadence.

Responsibilities

• Lead operations functions and maintain safe work environments.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Implement improvement processes through Lean and Six Sigma.

Skills

Manufacturing operations leadership

Lean manufacturing tools

Team development

Metrics-driven problem solving

Budget management

Education

BS degree in Engineering or related field

Master’s degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

ERP Systems

Lean tools

AS9100D QMS

Job description

Crane Aerospace and Electronics has an exciting opportunity for a Sr. Director of Operations (Fluids, Pumps and Systems) at our Elyria, OH or Auburn, CA location.

About Crane

Crane Aerospace & Electronics supplies critical systems and components to the aerospace and defense markets. You’ll find Crane Aerospace & Electronics in some of the toughest environments: from engines to landing gear; from satellites to medical implants and from missiles to unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Our Elyria facility has been a bedrock in the community for more than a century. Known for our excellence in pumping technology, the site produced the first-ever positive displacement pump for high performance piston engine aircraft and supplied pumps for Charles Lindbergh in the 1930s. We have more than 150,000 fuel and lubrication pumps in service today and offer custom thermal management system solutions for next-gen applications.

Start the next chapter of your career with Crane Aerospace & Electronics!

Job Summary

The Sr. Director of Operations is a key member of the leadership team whose peers include other CAE Site Operations Directors and functional directors within the Elyria and Auburn site, including the Sr. Controller, Quality Manager, Director of Human Resources, Business Director, Director of Business Development, Director of Program Management and Director of Engineering. As a key member of the leadership team, the Sr. Director of Operations will participate with peers to continuously evaluate and establish the direction and strategy for the business.

A critical skill in the role is the proven ability to drive a disciplined cadence of site metrics and reviews for consistency across the location, while coaching and mentoring direct staff and influencing other functions for the outstanding delivery of Safety, Quality, Delivery and Productivity metrics in support of sales growth goals.

Crane is well known for its world class operating model known as the Crane Business System, which encompasses best-in-class processes around lean and advanced six sigma deployment as well as AS9145 quality management systems. The ideal candidate will have familiarity driving results within this type of environment.

Essential Functions

As the leader of all Manufacturing Operations in Elyria and Auburn, this role must elicit personal trust and confidence from both internal and external customers as well as other team members by maintaining the highest ethical standards. This individual must be at home in an environment where responsiveness to customers is a strongly held value.

• Providing leadership to the operations functions including guiding, delegating, developing, and training the team to meet current and future customers’ needs while keeping employees engaged and safe. Safety of employees is the first and most important priority of the role.
• Using a metrics-driven cadence and a focus on coaching to drive root cause and corrective action. Use 5-why and problem-solving methods to get to root cause, and then read across corrective action to other parts of the business.
• Continuously implementing improvement processes through Kaizen, Six Sigma, and JDI events, utilizing Crane Business System tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work, Problem Solving, Transactional Process Improvement, Total Productive Maintenance, and 5S as needed to reduce cost and increase throughput.
• Directing, motivating, and appraising performance of reporting departments and personnel while coordinating activities. Focus on the IC (Talent) process, succession planning, and ensuring development plans are available to all associates.
• Developing and presenting to all levels of the organization on organizational, strategic, financial, and operational proposals aimed at continually advancing manufacturing effectiveness.
• Lead the Sales Inventory Operations Planning process to ensure adequate labor, material, and services to meet the sales forecast and improve on-time delivery and inventory turns.
• Provide leadership and oversight to the Supply Chain team to reduce material costs, improve supplier performance, reduce inventory, and improve transactional processes.
• Collaborate closely with Quality Assurance to ensure high-quality standards for parts and products and to implement AS9145.
• Establish targets and monitor all elements of manufacturing costs including labor, material, and performance to standards, setup, process variance, lost time, scrap, and rework to ensure they do not exceed projected levels.
• Provide sales forecast by product line and market, personnel requirements, projected capital investment, inventory, and productivity improvement projections for the site’s operating plan.
• Any other task assigned by management.

Key Competencies

• Team Leadership: Lead by example with high energy and influence. Recruit and develop a high potential team, provide behavioral feedback, and support professional development. Work effectively with diverse teams and develop future leaders.
• Collaboration and Influencing: Listen well, use fact-based persuasion, and influence stakeholders inside and outside the organization. Build credibility and trust with internal and external constituencies.
• Results Orientation: Develop and deploy a manufacturing strategy to enable profitable growth, move initiatives forward with metrics, and create customer value.
• Personal Presence and Interpersonal Skills: Strong presentation and interpersonal skills, with an entrepreneurial drive balanced by teamwork. Elicit trust from customers, leadership, and colleagues by maintaining high standards.
• Self Confidence, Customer Focus, and Work Ethic: Customer-focused, action-oriented, with independent thinking and a sense of urgency.
• Business Acumen: Champion new approaches and par adigms to drive positive change, with the ability to understand current processes and envision future state.
• Hands-on Approach: Balance strategy and execution, spend significant time on the shop floor (GEMBA), prioritize safety and work improvements, and progress toward a Future Factory Vision.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication with peers and executives. Self-motivated and empower employees.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience:

• 15+ years in manufacturing, operations, and/or supply chain in high-mix/low-volume aerospace, defense, and space manufacturing, or top-tier automotive electronics manufacturing with ability to operate in a dynamic regulatory environment and with prime/tier 1 customers and challenging suppliers.
• 10+ years in a management/leadership role.
• Proven track record of metrics cadence and monthly reviews.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and lead teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience deploying lean manufacturing tools to achieve breakthrough results.
• Expert in operating within AS9100D, AS16949, or ISO9001 QMS.
• Familiarity or ability to learn FAA, EASA, and CAAC QMS for aftermarket spares and repairs.
• Familiarity or ability to learn DOD and DCMA government logistics and oversight.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA laws and environmental and site safety auditing practices.
• Working knowledge of sustainability metrics including scope 1, 2 and 3 reporting.

Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of electronics and machine shop manufacturing processes, systems, and technology. Knowledge of environmental and safety laws. Expertise in materials management, ERP, and Systems Controls (TQM).

Education/Certification: BS degree in Engineering or related field; Six Sigma or Lean experience.

Preferred Qualifications: Master’s degree in Engineering or related field

Location: Onsite — Elyria, OH or Auburn, CA manufacturing sites

Travel: 25%–50% of the time

Eligibility: This position may require access to Controlled Data. US Persons only for ITAR-controlled access. As a DoD contractor, ITAR applies.

Top Benefits

As a team member at Crane Aerospace and Electronics, you’ll enjoy:

• Benefits: Health care, dental, vision, life and disability insurance starting the first day of the month
• Time Off: 15 days of paid time off accruing from day one, plus 12 paid holidays per year
• 401k Retirement Plan: 401k with company match
• Education Reimbursement: eligible after 90 days of employment
• You can see a list of our benefits at https://www.craneae.com/company/careers or visit our website at www.CraneAE.com for more information.

We are committed to operational excellence and world-class processes. We employ Lean to optimize manufacturing efficiency and accuracy. Our products are known for strength, reliability, and value.

In our efforts to maintain a safe and drug-free workplace, candidates must complete a satisfactory background check. FAA sensitive positions require random drug testing.

#LI-MD1 #CAE

This description indicates the general nature and level of work and is not intended to be an exhaustive inventory of duties, responsibilities, and qualifications.

Crane Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.