Senior Production Manager

As a production manager within the HarnessPro team you will have a unique opportunity to lead a cross-functional team of individuals that build heavy-duty automotive wire harnesses in a high-rate environment.

Ensuring production deadlines are met, this individual will maintain high quality and high productivity output by production personnel, introduce new/improved products, upgrade equipment and implement processes.

You will put your experience and knowledge to the test by collaborating with your team to drive step-change improvements in traditional heavy-duty automotive harness manufacturing methods and deliver high-quality hardware on time.

This is a dynamic position that requires the ability to monitor and create actions for key department metrics while managing production schedules, identifying risks and clearly communicating them to key stakeholders. As a sr. production manager, you will lead several complex, multi-disciplinary production teams and projects and will be required to dive into the unique engineering challenges we face daily.

We seek candidates who are flexible with change, positive in the face of challenge, able to think outside the box to solve problems, and who go the extra mile to ensure that internal and external customer needs are met. The ideal candidate will embrace the objectives and culture of the company and integrate them into daily decisions/actions consistently while motivating others to do the same. We value strong character, humility, ability to work with a wide range of people, and an innate desire to get things done.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for leading and managing a staff of 50+ across varied disciplines.
• Responsible for managing the complete production process ensuring safety at all times.
• Lead the overall manufacturing development strategy for the areas under ownership for key metrics (quality, delivery, and cost) and actively measure team's performance against these metrics.
• Create, maintain and communicate production schedules with sufficient detail to ensure that all assigned personnel are aware of their tasks and deadlines.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship for team members to ensure quality of deliverables and capability of team members.
• Manage modification, repair, assembly and integration of production assemblies in order to guarantee achievement of on-time delivery and quality targets.
• Resolve reoccurring non-conformance issues.
• Review work instructions, and make change recommendations when needed.
• Meet tight production schedules to achieve high-rate production.
• Responsible for assessing, staffing and vetting the appropriate skill sets needed.
• Monitor material costs and cost savings.
• Identify and set up training programs.
• Develop, initiate, coordinate, and enforce system policies, and procedures.
• Monitor labour hours and overtime, and implement improvement plans and time management with staff.
• Manage capacity planning of equipment and personnel.
• Coordinate with engineering and other departments to minimise production interruptions.
• Think creatively and question the status quo while following documentation and maintaining prescribed quality standards.
• Develop and assure adequate machine maintenance schedules and back-up spares availability.
• Drive innovation within your team to refine processes and strategise changes that increase manufacturing efficiency and capabilities.
• Identify automation opportunities and establish requirements as well as evaluate return on investment for each, working with in-house resources or vendors as necessary to develop these solutions and implement on production line.
• Develop and/or source new tools and capital equipment to drive harness manufacturing to new heights of performance.
• Drive design for manufacturing (DFM) best practices and design for test (DFT) with design engineers and test engineers.
• Identify internal and external resources required to support the HarnessPro production rate; work with Group management to ensure that these resources are assigned to the project.
• Apply order management concepts to optimise service, productivity and customer satisfaction levels.
• Analyse and adjust workload to the appropriate level in sync with production capabilities/business plans.
• Utilise continuous improvement methodology to analyse and propose solutions to planning process issues.
• Use scheduling, materials and order processing systems.
• Create and interpret value stream maps.
• Understand how to design line layout, workstations and material presentation that minimise waste and balance work content and conducts takt/cycle time analysis.

Other duties as assigned or otherwise beneficial to fulfilling the mission and vision.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering field or at least 10+ years of experience in a production/military/automotive environment.
• Preferred 6+ years of experience in a manufacturing leadership role.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Understands the applications of the different material management systems (Kanbans, 5S, JIT, Lean).
• Experience bringing teams and processes from development to production.
• Able to effectively communicate with engineering and production (verbal and written).
• Excellent concentration and attention to detail with outstanding work efficiency and accuracy.
• Ability to interpret engineering models, drawings, specifications, written work instructions, and test procedures.
• Schematics: engineering drawings, circuit layouts, and parts list.
• Cable Harnesses: wiring diagrams, layout drawings, and parts list.