We are seeking an Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing Subject Matter Expert to support a large-scale manufacturing operations improvement initiative within a complex defense manufacturing environment. This consultant will work directly with manufacturing and operations teams to identify bottlenecks, improve production flow, reduce cycle times, enhance quality, and increase overall factory throughput.
The ideal candidate brings 8-15 years of manufacturing, engineering, operations, or supply chain experience with significant hands-on exposure to shop-floor operations. Aerospace & Defense manufacturing experience is strongly preferred.
Responsibilities
- Assess current manufacturing processes and identify opportunities to improve cycle time, throughput, productivity, quality, and material flow.
- Apply Lean manufacturing principles across machining, fabrication, assembly, testing, and related production operations.
- Identify and eliminate production bottlenecks while reducing work-in-process inventory.
- Improve production scheduling and shop-floor planning, including coordination around materials, parts availability, labor, equipment, and other production constraints.
- Analyze production and quality issues using root-cause analysis, statistical process control, and defect-prevention techniques.
- Help improve first-pass yield and reduce rework, scrap, and inspection findings.
- Evaluate factory layouts and workflows to reduce unnecessary movement and touchpoints and improve labor utilization.
- Standardize manufacturing processes and identify opportunities to improve workforce productivity.
- Improve throughput across test, integration, and final assembly operations.
- Identify opportunities to reduce equipment downtime and improve preventive maintenance.
- Partner with manufacturing, operations, supply chain, quality, engineering, and other stakeholders to implement sustainable process improvements.
Skills Required
- 8-15 years of relevant experience within manufacturing, engineering, operations, or supply chain.
- Significant hands-on manufacturing/shop-floor experience.
- Demonstrated experience improving production processes within complex manufacturing environments.
- Strong knowledge of Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Experience identifying manufacturing bottlenecks and improving cycle time, throughput, material flow, and productivity.
- Experience with production scheduling, manufacturing planning, or supply chain/material availability.
- Experience with root-cause analysis, quality improvement, and reducing defects/rework.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing operations involving one or more areas such as:
- Precision machining
- Fabrication and welding
- Mechanical or electromechanical assembly
- Test and integration
- Complex equipment or systems manufacturing
- Ability to work directly with shop-floor personnel as well as engineering, operations, quality, and leadership stakeholders.
- U.S. citizenship required.
Title
A&D Manufacturing SME
Location
Sunnyvale, CA
About Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry unleashes potential in people, teams, and organizations. We work with our clients to design optimal organization structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people and advise them on how to reward and motivate their workforce while developing professionals as they navigate and advance their careers. To learn more, please visit Korn Ferry at www.Kornferry.com
