Lean Operations Consultant

iBase-t•,

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lean Operations Consultant (LOC) is a distinctive role within iBase-t’s Customer Success organization, focusing on applying lived Aerospace & Defense (A&D) manufacturing experience to drive change on customer shop floors. While Customer Value Partners (CVPs) manage strategic relationships and Expert Services (ES) provide product expertise, the LOC bridges the gap by addressing the operational, habitual, and organizational barriers that prevent customers from fully utilizing Solumina's capabilities. This role requires a deep understanding of lean principles and organizational change management, with the primary goal of helping customers realize the full value of their software investment by transforming their shop floor processes and structures. The LOC acts as a lean and industrial engineering expert, an organizational change practitioner, and a manufacturing digitalization advisor, leveraging credibility built from direct shop floor experience to facilitate adoption and drive measurable improvements.

Requirements

10+ years in aerospace and defense manufacturing operations, lean manufacturing, or industrial engineering, with direct, hands-on experience working on or managing A&D shop floor operations.
Demonstrated, documented track record of driving organizational change in A&D manufacturing environments, specifically facilitating adoption of process improvements by resistant workforces.
Deep A&D shop floor domain knowledge, including work order management, traveler control, quality inspection workflow, First Article Inspection (FAI), nonconformance report (NCR) processes, DCMA oversight environments, and AS9100 and NADCAP compliance context.
Kaizen facilitation expertise, value stream mapping (VSM), standard work development, and PDCA methodology are required.
Strong executive presence and interpersonal credibility to challenge VP and Director-level operations leadership effectively.
Ability and willingness to travel 40–50% of the time to customer manufacturing sites across the United States and internationally.
Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field required.

Nice To Haves

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification strongly preferred.
Familiarity with Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software for standardizing shop floor work, specifically using MES for enforcing standard work, routing control, and digital traveler management.
Experience with Solumina, Teamcenter, SAP Production Planning (PP), or comparable MES/ERP platforms in an A&D manufacturing environment.
APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) or Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) certification.
Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt or equivalent advanced lean credentials.
Prior experience working in or alongside a professional services or consulting engagement model.
Familiarity with digital transformation change management frameworks in manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

Conduct structured lean assessments at customer manufacturing facilities, observing shop floor operations, documenting current-state workflows, and identifying friction points hindering adoption.
Apply methodologies like value stream mapping (VSM), standard work analysis, and gemba walks to identify value loss and necessary changes.
Distinguish between process, configuration, and relationship friction, directing findings to the appropriate teams (LOC, ES, CVP).
Quantify improvement opportunities in operational terms (e.g., cycle time reduction, compliance rates) and link them to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Produce formal Lean Assessment Reports detailing findings, opportunities, and recommendations.
Develop and execute site-specific Organizational Change Management (OCM) plans tailored to observed resistance patterns.
Build an internal champion base by identifying and coaching influencers on the shop floor.
Collaborate with customer operations leadership to secure visible executive sponsorship for process changes.
Facilitate kaizen events, standard work development sessions, and cross-functional workshops to achieve documented process changes.
Address shop floor objections to standardization and digitalization with evidence-based counterarguments.
Develop and maintain 30-60-90 day OCM plans with clear milestones and checkpoints.
Translate lean assessment findings into specific, prioritized Solumina configuration recommendations for Expert Services.
Brief Expert Services on operational context and OCM initiatives to ensure configuration alignment.
Provide operational context to Expert Services during configuration to ensure Solumina decisions reinforce lean direction.
Identify and build the operational case for enabling underutilized Solumina capabilities relevant to customer operations.
Brief Customer Value Partners (CVPs) on lean assessment findings to ensure the Value Realization Framework (VRF) reflects operational reality.
Provide CVPs with quantified improvement findings for use in executive conversations and reporting.
Act as the operations credibility resource in customer-facing sessions, including steering committees and QBRs.
Flag account-level signals to CVPs indicating the need for additional LOC engagement.
Contribute lean assessment findings and OCM approaches to iBase-t’s internal knowledge base.
Participate in industry events (e.g., Solumina User Group, Excelerate conference) as a subject matter expert.
Collaborate on methodology development with the Principal Customer Value Partner to ensure alignment with best practices.