Outplant Supervisor - Plant 3

Howmet Aerospace•Whitehall, MI

About The Position

The Supply Chain Leader for the Outplant Department leads non-exempt salaried employees who handle and transact outsourced manufacturing processes. The role manages day-to-day external machining, heat treat, coating, inspection, and other specialty supplier activities, while coordinating internal logistics to achieve customer quality, cost, and delivery requirements. The Outplant Leader provides leadership to company and contract personnel, drives supplier performance, ensures adherence to aerospace quality standards, and serves as the primary operational interface between the plant and external manufacturing partners. Working cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Planning, and Customer Service, the role resolves production issues, improves throughput, reduces lead time, and maintains schedule adherence. The position champions continuous improvement, develops standardized processes, monitors key performance indicators, and ensures work complies with customer specifications, regulatory requirements, and company safety standards. The role includes supervising and developing an effective team; coordinating staffing, training, performance feedback, and work assignments; scheduling production; resolving operational problems; and promoting EHS and continuous improvement. It also coordinates outsourced operations and transportation logistics, develops supplier relationships and capabilities, conducts supplier operational reviews, and supports recovery plans for late orders and capacity constraints. Travel to suppliers is required as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, or a related field from an accredited institution.
At least 1 year of leadership experience.
At least 3 years of experience in supply chain.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States; employment eligibility verification is required at hire, and visa sponsorship is unavailable.

Nice To Haves

Experience supervising in a manufacturing environment.
Experience with TPM, Synchronous Manufacturing, and Kaizen concepts.
Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
Good team-building and people skills.
Ability to handle multiple tasks and be technically oriented.
Energetic, self-starting approach and ability to promote and implement change.
Good PC and telephone skills.
Strong organizational skills and ability to promote a continuous improvement atmosphere.

Responsibilities

Lead employees responsible for handling and transacting outsourced manufacturing processes.
Coordinate external machining, heat treat, coating, inspection, repair, secondary processing, and other specialty supplier operations.
Coordinate internal logistics and transportation of products between internal and external suppliers.
Ensure supplier performance aligns with production schedules, customer commitments, and quality, cost, and delivery requirements.
Drive a zero-defect culture and accountability for supplier delivery, quality, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.
Identify and eliminate bottlenecks affecting throughput; support recovery plans for late orders and capacity constraints.
Develop relationships with supplier leadership teams, conduct routine operational reviews, and support supplier development to improve capability and capacity.
Serve as the primary operational contact between the plant and supplier partners.
Supervise an effective team by planning and holding meetings, conducting performance appraisals as appropriate, managing staffing levels, approving time and attendance, and prioritizing work assignments.
Support employee career development by motivating, coaching, and training employees to improve quality, productivity, morale, and cooperation.
Provide positive and corrective feedback and maintain documentation for disciplinary actions.
Direct employee training and orientation to ensure employees understand EHS rules and company policies and procedures.
Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, practices, customer specifications, regulatory requirements, and safety standards.
Schedule production and work teams; review production and operating reports and resolve operations, manufacturing, and maintenance problems to minimize costs and prevent delays.
Inspect machines and equipment to ensure operational performance and optimum utilization.
Promote EHS and continuous improvement initiatives and culture; develop standardized processes and monitor key performance indicators.
Work cross-functionally to resolve production issues, improve throughput, reduce lead time, and maintain schedule adherence.
Travel to suppliers as needed.