Build Manager

Mettle Ops•Madison Heights, MI

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Build Manager is responsible for overseeing the execution of complex defense and ground vehicle builds from initial planning through final completion and delivery. This position requires a strong understanding of defense manufacturing, military ground vehicles, vehicle integration, and the practical execution of mechanical and electromechanical builds. The Build Manager will work closely with Engineering, Program Management, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and leadership to translate technical requirements and program objectives into executable build plans. This individual must be comfortable working directly on the production floor, understanding how components and systems fit together, identifying issues during assembly, and making informed decisions to keep builds moving. The ideal candidate has direct experience building, modifying, integrating, or managing production of military ground vehicles, tactical vehicles, armored vehicles, or similar defense platforms. They should understand the relationship between engineering design, fabrication, armor, vehicle systems, assembly, testing, and final acceptance.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in defense manufacturing, military vehicle production, vehicle integration, manufacturing engineering, production management, or a closely related field.
Direct experience working with military, tactical, armored, or other defense ground vehicles.
Demonstrated understanding of how defense ground vehicles are fabricated, assembled, integrated, tested, and delivered.
Strong understanding of mechanical and electromechanical vehicle systems.
Experience interpreting engineering drawings, bills of material, specifications, work instructions, and technical documentation.
Experience coordinating complex builds involving multiple disciplines and components.
Ability to identify practical manufacturing and assembly issues and work with Engineering to resolve them.
Strong understanding of production sequencing, material requirements, labor planning, and build scheduling.
Ability to work directly on a production floor and communicate effectively with technicians, fabricators, engineers, and leadership.
Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Excellent organizational and communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
Ability to manage multiple builds, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.

Nice To Haves

Experience with tactical wheeled vehicles, armored vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, military trucks, or similar defense platforms.
Experience with vehicle armor and survivability-related components.
Experience with welding, fabrication, machining, mechanical assembly, or vehicle modification.
Experience integrating electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, or other vehicle subsystems.
Experience with prototype and low-rate initial production environments.
Experience working directly with U.S. Department of Defense programs or defense prime contractors.
Familiarity with MIL-SPEC requirements and defense quality systems.
Experience with configuration management and engineering change processes.
Experience with ERP/MRP systems and production tracking.
Experience managing subcontractors or outside manufacturing partners.
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Business, or a related field is preferred; equivalent defense or manufacturing experience may be considered.

Responsibilities

Manage complete ground vehicle builds from build planning and material readiness through assembly, integration, testing, inspection, and final delivery.
Apply practical knowledge of military and tactical ground vehicle construction to effectively plan and manage production activities.
Understand the major mechanical, structural, electrical, and auxiliary systems that make up a defense ground vehicle and how those systems interact during the build process.
Review vehicle designs, engineering drawings, bills of material, specifications, and work instructions to understand how components and systems are intended to be manufactured, assembled, and integrated.
Understand vehicle structures, frames, armor systems, mounting structures, brackets, enclosures, mechanical assemblies, electrical systems, and other vehicle components.
Coordinate the integration of components and subsystems into complete vehicle platforms.
Identify potential build conflicts, access issues, interference, fitment concerns, installation challenges, and sequencing problems before they impact production.
Understand the practical differences between building individual components and integrating those components into a complete operational vehicle.
Work directly with Engineering and Production to determine practical manufacturing and assembly solutions when design issues arise.
Support prototype, low-rate initial production, and production vehicle builds as required.
Understand the unique requirements associated with defense production, including traceability, documentation, configuration control, quality requirements, and customer acceptance.
Support vehicle inspection, functional testing, troubleshooting, and final acceptance activities.
Develop detailed build plans and schedules based on engineering requirements, program timelines, material availability, labor resources, and customer commitments.
Coordinate the sequence of fabrication, assembly, installation, integration, inspection, and testing activities.
Ensure materials, components, tooling, fixtures, equipment, drawings, and work instructions are available before work begins.
Monitor production progress and adjust priorities to keep builds on schedule.
Coordinate closely with fabrication, machining, welding, assembly, electrical, engineering, and quality personnel.
Provide hands-on production-floor direction and support when required.
Identify bottlenecks and production constraints and develop practical solutions to keep work moving.
Monitor workmanship and ensure builds are completed in accordance with engineering requirements and established processes.
Identify and address rework, nonconformances, fitment issues, missing components, and other problems affecting build completion.
Coordinate with Engineering on design changes, drawing revisions, deviations, and manufacturing issues.
Ensure configuration changes are properly communicated and incorporated into the build.
Maintain visibility into build cost, labor requirements, material requirements, schedule, and overall production performance.
Track actual build progress against planned schedules and identify potential delays early.
Communicate build status, risks, resource requirements, material constraints, and anticipated completion dates to Program Management and leadership.
Support labor and material estimates for new builds and modifications.
Identify opportunities to reduce labor hours, material waste, rework, and unnecessary production delays.
Assist with determining appropriate build sequencing and resource allocation across multiple concurrent programs.
Escalate issues that could materially impact cost, schedule, quality, or customer delivery.
Serve as a primary point of coordination between Engineering and Production during vehicle builds.
Work with Program Management to ensure production execution remains aligned with contractual and customer requirements.
Coordinate with Supply Chain and Purchasing to resolve material shortages and supplier issues.
Work with Quality to address inspections, nonconformances, corrective actions, and customer acceptance requirements.
Partner with Engineering to evaluate manufacturability and practical implementation of vehicle designs.
Communicate build requirements clearly to production personnel and ensure changes are understood and implemented correctly.
Coordinate subcontractors and outside manufacturing resources when applicable.
Understand the importance of building defense products to defined technical, quality, configuration, and contractual requirements.
Maintain awareness of customer-specific requirements and applicable military specifications and standards.
Ensure appropriate documentation and traceability are maintained throughout the build.
Support configuration management and ensure production personnel are working from current drawings, revisions, and approved documentation.
Participate in internal and customer build reviews, inspections, testing, and acceptance activities.
Understand the importance of maintaining product integrity and configuration throughout the manufacturing process.
Support continuous improvement efforts focused on improving repeatability, quality, production efficiency, and readiness for future builds.