Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor

AeroVironment•Simi Valley, CA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor provides Manufacturing Engineering support to internal and external manufacturing facilities to resolve any manufacturing or related issues on sustaining and new products and leads the planning, task management, and execution of engineering activities to ensure accountability to schedule, cost, and quality targets. Ensures product quality and delivery schedule requirements for composite fabrication, composite & mechanical subassemblies, and final integration and testing of systems. Works closely with the other functional leaders and Program Managers to execute key objectives and programs to meet schedules and budgets.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in industrial, Mechanical, or similar field is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
Minimum 2 years' experience in supervisory role
Minimum 3-5 years' experience in a Manufacturing, Industrial, Mechanical, Electrical, Test Engineering or similar field in Aerospace, Automotive, or Commercial industries
Familiar with Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies and tools for process development and control
Demonstrated effective problem-solving and analytical skills; familiarity with root cause analysis techniques
Strong organization/planning, time management, interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills; ability to manage conflict
Ability to work within defined requirements and deadlines to complete tasks independently; ability to manage stress
Effectively communicates with management, engineering, and other staff regarding manufacturing capabilities and other considerations to facilitate and improve production processes
Ability to apply statistical analysis to optimize production workflows and production layouts
Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
Familiar with electro-mechanical manufacturing, drawings, procedures, and Bill of Materials
Experienced user in Microsoft Office (Word, Visio, Excel, Outlook, Power Point, Access, Project)
U.S. Citizenship required

Nice To Haves

Certification in Lean / Sigma Black Belt through an accredited certification body, preferred
Familiar with Minitab, MRP/ERP (Oracle is preferred), Agile, and CAD programs (SolidWorks is preferred)

Responsibilities

Supports the development, maintenance, and improvement of manufacturing processes with a focus on efficiency and quality
Helps implement Lean Manufacturing principles and apply Six Sigma methodology to achieve continuous improvement in productivity, quality, and lead time reduction
Analyzes production metrics (yields, capacity, cost, and process capability) to trigger and lead improvement projects
Establishes and maintains standard hours and sequence of operations for current and future production processes
Generates and updates work instructions, assembly procedures, and supporting documentation controlling the manufacturing process
Participates in root cause analysis and problem solving to resolve issues related to materials, design, equipment, and people
Works on Manufacturing Strategies and capacity models for new and current products, including estimation and maintenance of capital requisitions
Participates in the design and development of manufacturing workflows and layout of equipment for maximum efficiency
Performs cost estimating of new tooling and fixtures required to support production floor; leads Make/Buy analysis and trade studies on assemblies with cross-functional team
Performs Design for Manufacturing, cost, and reliability analysis on new products with the design engineering team
Utilizes Jira (or equivalent work management tools) to create, prioritize, assign, and track engineering and production tasks, ensuring alignment with program schedules and milestones.
Develops and maintains Task Tracking boards, dashboards, and workflows to provide clear visibility of task status, dependencies, and risks to stakeholders and leadership.
Ensures timely and accurate updating of tasks by the team to support effective planning, forecasting, and resource allocation.
Leads collaborative engineering improvement activities alongside engineering and suppliers to improve cost, cycle time, or to drive quality improvement activities
Participates in Design Failures Modes and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) and Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) activities as a key contributor in the process.
Provides guidance to engineering regarding design concepts and specification requirements to best utilize equipment and manufacturing techniques
Leads daily/weekly stand‑ups and regular team syncs to review priorities, remove roadblocks, and reinforce accountability for task completion to committed deadlines.
Clearly defines task ownership, deliverables, and due dates for team members, and follows up proactively to ensure on‑time execution in support of production and NPI schedules.
Establishes and tracks key performance indicators (KPIs) for on‑time task completion, cycle time reduction, and defect reduction, and drives corrective actions when targets are not met.
Coaches and develops team members in effective task management, prioritization, and time management to improve individual and team productivity
Escalates critical risks to delivery dates in a timely manner and leads cross‑functional problem‑solving to return programs to plan
Performs hands-on work to support production floor and aircraft integration and assembly processes as required
Other duties as assigned