DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING & OPERATIONS
What if you could build something meaningful? What if could work alongside a team of highly capable, driven, and high-character individuals to do something impactful? Something significant? Not just existing within an established business and organization, but truly building. Growing. Applying your manufacturing and problem-solving expertise to do something that has never been done before. Learning and improving at a remarkable rate. Working with a team to push each other to deliver excellence.
That opportunity exists today.
Edison Manufacturing and Engineering is doing something meaningful, and we’re looking for a Director of Engineering and Operations to help guide us on this journey. This role will be crucial to the success and growth of Edison. This individual will lead the technical execution within our organization, assuring that we successfully execute low volume production for a variety of different applications.
WHO WE ARE
Edison Manufacturing and Engineering is a contract manufacturing partner, focused on low volume assembly and integration of complex mobility and mobility-related products. We leverage 40+ years of automotive powertrain supply experience from our sister company, PJ Wallbank Springs, to build complex components and sub-assemblies up to full systems and vehicles. We take a product-centric approach to optimize our production system for the product at hand, allowing us to move far faster than a typical contract manufacturer.
WHAT SETS US APART
Culture is where we compete first and foremost; having the right people with the right values enables our organization to be at the forefront of the technologies of today and what is to come tomorrow. Our team thrives in high change environments.
Our experience and commitment allows us to deliver a level of service that isn’t matched in this industry. We guide our customers as they transition from proof of concept into production. This includes execution of low volume production, taking a customized approach that is right-sized for the situation at-hand.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
For us, values always come first:
- Treat others as you would want to be treated
- Challenge the status quo
- Take ownership
- Either win or learn
WHAT YOU WILL DO
This role leads three of our most important functions:
- Manufacturing engineering, assuring that production solutions meet our customer and organizational demands
- Supply chain, assuring that we effectively execute sourcing and procurement activities to enable our production needs
- Operations, driving performance to assure that we deliver at a world-class level
The specific tasks to be executed include:
- Overseeing the technical direction for assembly program strategy including tooling, line layouts, and ERP/MES strategies
- Leading implementation of production systems with delivery, efficiency, and quality performance tracking and execution
- Leading supplier identification, qualification, sourcing, and backend execution
- Working closely with project management, assuring that projects are executed in a manner that impresses our customers and serves our internal needs
- Proactively identifying and mitigating roadblocks during execution
- Assuring that prospective business is quoted properly
- Assuring that projects are executed on time, on budget, and to an appropriate quality standard
- Supporting business development and marketing activities for new business acquisition
- Coaching and growing individuals within their teams
- Providing technical leadership for the organization
- Setting an example for effective, efficient, and reliable problem solving
WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THIS ROLE
The Director of Engineering and Operations must have the ability to consistently and confidently oversee the successful development, launch, and execution of a wide range of production systems, all of which are optimized for the complex, low/medium volume productions that we’re assembling.
We expect this individual to bring the following:
- Contextual judgement and discernment, assuring that we make develop and implement the right systems and processes for high-level execution
- The ability to learn quickly and to apply these learnings, assuring that any and all technical gaps can be closed effectively
- Excellent problem-solving abilities
- Ability to lead and develop the team both technically and to the standard of our values/critical actions (as described in our Living Our Culture & Values development tool)
- Ability to think outside the constraints of rigid production development and launch processes
- Ability to apply tools and best practices from several schools of thoughts (including APQP, Lean, and Agile) to develop a production system that is optimal for the type and maturity of a given product, market, and customer
- Pragmatic production experience in a low volume, complex assembly environment and/or experience scaling to a moderate volume
- Expertise in design for manufacturability/assembly
- Product launch experience
- Ability to understand how production system design impacts all aspects of Edison’s business
WHAT WE EXPECT:
Within the first 3-6 months, this role will be accountable for:
- Identifying and closing any short-term gaps within our current systems and capabilities
- Leading the upfront engineering and launch phase of one or more complex programs
- Timely delivery of proposals and estimates
- Identifying and developing a plan to address any long-term capability gaps
Within the first 12 months, this role will be accountable for:
- Successfully leading the production launch for one or more complex programs, with success measured by quality performance, timeliness, reliability, and financial performance
- Closing capability gaps, to the extent required by ongoing work and expected future work
- Growing their direct reports to prepare them for the increased job scope and responsibility that will come as we continue to grow
WHY EDISON?
The compensation package will be attractive to the candidate possessing the experience, qualifications, and ability to deliver exceptional value to the company.
We are committed to the success and growth of our community. Giving back isn’t just about donating resources; it’s about making an investment that is sustainable. We partner with local schools and FIRST Robotics to engage youth early on and give them a compelling reason to stay in their hometown. We offer regular events for our employees and their families.
We know that our people determine our success, therefore we are committed to engage and invest in you. We are focused on providing employees with the opportunity to learn and grow in a high-performing team atmosphere where your opinion will be valued.
The individual for this role must be onsite in Port Huron, Michigan, as required. There may be flexibility, but it is expected that this individual will be onsite daily during launches, and at other critical times. Occasional offsite travel will likely be required.
It is the policy of Edison Manufacturing to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to any legally protected status such as race, color, ethnic status, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.
