Head of Jigs, Tools, and Maintenance

Airbus • Kinston, NC

22h • Hybrid

About The Position

Airbus Aerosystems Kinston is looking for a Head of Jigs, Tools & Maintenance to join our Manufacturing Engineering team based in Kinston, NC. You will be part of the Plant Manufacturing Engineering organisation providing Jigs, Tools and Maintenance to the plant operational activities. The position holder is accountable for the delivery and maintenance of each of the industrial assets, such as machinery, jigs & tools, measurement and ground test systems. The role also ensures the asset park (Critical spares) are maintained in a safe, reliable and cost effective way, delivering value to the Operations customer.
Our team at Airbus Aerosystems Kinston manufactures crucial aircraft components. On the shop floor you’ll be surrounded by individuals who are passionate about aviation and skilled in areas like electrical, structure and quality. Join our team and help build the next generation of aircraft.
The Airbus Aerosystems Kinston facility sits at the forefront of aerospace manufacturing, specializing in the production of large, advanced composite aerostructures. Our team builds critical components for the state-of-the-art Airbus A350 XWB, including the composite center fuselage and wing spar.

Requirements

• Bachelors degree from an ABET engineering program.
• Minimum of 15 years relevant engineering experience within a Manufacturing Engineering environment.
• Strong background in Manufacturing or Industrial / Manufacturing Engineering with a knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles.
• Strong understanding of both, Maintenance, Jigs and tooling philosophies.
• Self-driven with a ‘can-do’ attitude.
• Working knowledge and application of Business management systems (BMS) and Quality management systems (QMS).
• 15% Domestic and International travel.
• Authorised to work in the US.

Nice To Haves

• Masters degree from an ABET engineering program.
• Detailed knowledge of design methods both on 2D and 3D design platforms with excellent drawing/design interpretation skills.
• Excellent working knowledge of the Microsoft Suite - Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook or equivalent.
• General knowledge of FAA, EASA and ICAO preferred.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Management: Investment projects - New investments to support the Kinston site industrial transformation in support of the rate ramp up activities. These new investments will need to include but not limited to Advance Fibre Placement machines, Autoclaves, NDI and Automated drilling machines etc. Accountable for planning future needs and operational requirements. Using a robust risk management process to support the organisation in making informed decisions about machine obsolescence and to implement a realistic timeline to secure the required upgrades. Drive trade studies around further robotics and automation needs of the facility. Be a 'champion for safety', driving a 'safety first' culture in the Jigs, Tools and Maintenance team. Develop an Asset Management strategy to deliver a multifunctional approach, maximising value from all aspects of the industrial system. Develop a make buy strategy for the industrial assets within the Kinston facility.
• Jigs Tools & Industrial Maintenance Management: Lead the Jigs, Tools and maintenance team with Tool Request(analysis, assessment and acceptance). Ensure the Jigs, Tools and Maintenance team is equipped to be the Technical Project lead, including technical interface to suppliers. Ensure the Jigs, Tools and Maintenance team manage all aspects of the new Jigs and Tools and that maintainable assets are robustly secured, from data set creation through to full manufacturing acceptance of new assets. Develop a road map to transition the team from the current on site practices to align with the Airbus methodology. Ensure that industrial asset availability is significantly improved to aid the production organization to secure the master production schedule. Complete a full assessment of the production tool to ensure it is all at a safe and reliable level. Ensure that all onsite tooling is maintained and improvements made to aid the facility to improve its cost of non quality. Lead the day to day management of the onsite purchase service teams supporting maintenance activities. (AIT, MTorress etc.)
• Team Management: Lead the Jigs, Tools and Maintenance team to secure the definition for Maintenance, Training, Re-certification and Re-calibration. Ensure that the Jigs, Tools and Maintenance team robustly handover new assets to Operations. Maintain a Quality Management System which ensures compliance, providing standardised ways of working. Setup regular people reviews and drive a culture of recognition, accountability, and continuous improvement Ensure the Airbus people tempo is deployed, recruit and monitor the performance of the team members. Provide leadership to other managers and professionals, and have full management authority including performance reviews, pay decisions and recruitment.
• Other duties as assigned: Promote a customer-focused mindset and act as a change leader within the manufacturing organization. Work in conjunction with the widerME function to ensure manufacturability and smooth industrialization. Create and manage Conditions of Supply (COS) documentation. Oversee structural and systems installation activities, ensuring compliance with engineering requirements. Interpret, verify, and validate engineering drawings and documentation. Standardize manufacturing operations, including developing and maintaining SOI’s (Standard Operating Instructions). Respond to and resolve technical queries from various departments and stakeholders. Synthesize complex technical scenarios and present clear, concise updates to multiple levels of management. Specify and validate tools and equipment required to ensure geometric tolerances and process efficiency. Collaborate closely with all site functions (engineering, materials logistics, quality, and production teams) to implement strategy changes effectively. Other duties as assigned by the management.

Benefits

• Financial Rewards: Competitive pay, incentive compensation which may include profit sharing schemes, retirement savings plan and the ability to participate in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”)
• Work/Life Balance: Paid time off including personal time, holidays and a paid parental leave program.
• Health & Welfare: Comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, disability, Employee Assistance Plan (“EAP”) and other supplemental benefit coverages.
• Individual Development: Upskilling and development opportunities through our global Leadership University, including unlimited access to 10,000+ e-learning courses focusing on ways to develop your employability, certifications, career path; as well as the opportunity to participate in accelerated development programmes; and both national and international mobility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees