Manufacturing Lead

Description:

Consett - Manufacturing Lead

We are currently recruiting for a Manufacturing Lead to join our manufacturing team at our Consett site.

???? £47,550 per annum

Hours: Monday - Thursday 8.00am-17.00pm / Friday 8.00am-1.00pm

Benefits:

* Pension

* 25 days annual leave + 8 statutory holidays (Christmas shutdown)

* Long Service awards

* Death in Service

Purpose of role and key accountabilities:

Reporting to the Production Manager, the function of the role is to provide hands-on manufacturing leadership, improving Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery and People performance through technical problem solving, process improvement and effective operational support. The role will work closely with Production Supervisors, Shift Managers, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance and shop-floor employees to improve the capability, efficiency and reliability.

Safety:

* Work to and promote company policies, procedures and Health, Safety & Environmental standards including IS(phone number removed), 50001 and 18001, to promote a strong HS&E culture and provide a healthy and secure working environment for all

* Work in conjunction with the wider site team to reduce the number of accidents, near misses and environmental hazards utilising 6S principles managing HS&E proactively and effectively

* Support legislative site audits and site action plans to drive improved safety standards and continuous improvement performance throughout the business

Quality:

* Lead the technical investigation and resolution of manufacturing and quality issues, working with Production, Quality and Engineering to establish robust corrective actions.

* Drive quality performance towards zero defects through structured root cause analysis, process capability improvement and defect-prevention activity.

* Develop and maintain robust manufacturing methods, process parameters, tooling, fixture and component set-up standards to improve process stability and repeatability.

* Ensure effective two-way communication of internal and external quality concerns to the shop floor and support timely resolution through SQCDP and structured problem-solving methodologies.

Cost:

* Identify and deliver cost reduction opportunities through cycle-time reduction, improved tooling, reduced scrap and rework, setup reduction, improved machine utilisation and elimination of process waste.

* Develop and support business cases for manufacturing improvements, tooling, fixtures and capital equipment, ensuring benefits are defined, measured and sustained.

* Drive continuous improvement (Kaizen) activity across the unit to improve productivity and value for money.

Delivery:

* Drive improvements in delivery performance by removing manufacturing constraints and recurring process losses that impact scheduled attainment (D1).

* Improve machine utilisation and OEE through analysis of downtime, cycle time, setup/changeover time and process losses.

* Generate and maintain visual operational KPI’s that enable machine and process performance to be tracked and improvement priorities identified.

* Work with Maintenance and Engineering to investigate recurring equipment, process and reliability issues and implement permanent corrective actions.

* Provide technical support to Production Supervisors and operators during complex manufacturing issues, ensuring production is restored safely and with appropriate controls. Assist with the daily allocation of labour, machines and other manufacturing resources to support production priorities and minimise constraints.

People:

* Support the training and upskilling of employees by identifying technical development needs, contributing to training plans and providing input to the skills and training matrix. Assist supervisors in ensuring the right skills and competence are available across key processes and equipment.

* Provide day-to-day technical coaching, mentoring and leadership to operators, helping to improve process understanding, problem solving, standards of performance and adherence to standard work.

* Assist Production Supervisors and the Shift Managers with day-to-day people management, including performance discussions, investigations, competence, attendance or conduct matters, recruitment and employee development. Provide factual and technical input to support management decisions.

* Support allocation of employees to machines, processes and production priorities based on competence, workload, machine availability, safety, quality and delivery requirements. Formal line-management accountability and formal HR processes remain with the Production Supervisors and Shift Managers.

Knowledge and Experience:

* Strong practical experience of CNC machining and manufacturing process improvement, preferably within aerospace, automotive or another high-value manufacturing environment

* Strong problem-solving, root cause investigation and decision-making skills

* Good practical understanding of tooling, fixtures, component set-up and machining methods

* Ability to use manufacturing data such as OEE, downtime, cycle time and scrap/rework to drive improvement

* Ability to communicate and influence effectively across Production, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance and suppliers

* Experience of leading or supporting manufacturing improvement projects and verifying the benefits delivere

Specific Attributes:

* Strong technical leadership and coaching skills, with the ability to support day-to-day people management without formal line-management accountability

* Practical knowledge of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement; experience of Kaizen, 5S/6S, SMED or TPM would be advantageous

* Practical structured problem-solving experience using methods such as 5 Why, Ishikawa, 8D or equivalent

* Knowledge of PFMEA, control plans, SPC and process capability would be advantageous

* CNC programming, probing, tooling optimisation or manufacturing engineering knowledge would be advantageous but is not essential

* An engineering or manufacturing qualification is desirable; equivalent practical experience will be considered

* Competent in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Word and email

* Self-motivated and practical, with the ability to manage priorities, lead projects, support resource allocation and respond effectively to manufacturing pressures

Measurable performance indicators/objectives of role:

* Maintenance of a safe working environment and safe implementation of process and equipment improvements

* Reduction in defects, scrap and rework

* Improvement in OEE, machine utilisation and productive machining time

* Reduction in cycle time, setup/changeover time and recurring downtime

* Productivity and verified cost reduction improvements

* Improvement in process capability, stability and repeatability

* Timely completion and sustained effectiveness of corrective actions and improvement projects

* Contribution to scheduled attainment (D1) and customer delivery through effective technical support and resource allocation

* Development of operator technical competence and effective support for day-to-day people management and resource allocation

* An annual appraisal will be held to ensure the employee and their Line Manager is happy with their performance, progress and development. Further reviews may also be held to discuss any ongoing training needs of the employee.

NOTE: Due to the nature of this role and the security requirements linked to projects with the UK Ministry of Defence, applicants must be eligible for UK Security Clearance