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Piston Automotive

Automotive manufacturing and engineering solutions

Corporate Maintenance & Continuous Improvement Director

Equipment MaintenanceConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeSouthfield, MI, USANo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

  • A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Business, or a related technical discipline is required.
  • At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, maintenance, engineering, operations, or continuous improvement, including multi-site responsibility, is required.
  • Demonstrated success leading maintenance reliability, asset management, operational excellence, Lean transformation, or SCI execution in a manufacturing environment is required.
  • Working knowledge of Lean methodologies, including Kaizen, value stream mapping, 5S, standardized work, root cause analysis, and structured problem solving, is required.
  • Ability to translate enterprise strategy into plant-level execution plans, governance routines, metrics, and measurable financial or operational outcomes is required.
  • Experience using operational metrics, financial data, and project tracking to support decision-making and performance improvement is required.
  • Experience applying maintenance excellence, equipment reliability, preventive and predictive maintenance, and asset-performance practices is required.
  • Experience with Microsoft Office products and data-driven performance management tools is required.
  • Ability to travel regularly to Piston Automotive facilities, up to approximately 50% based on business needs, is required.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and execute Piston Automotive's maintenance excellence and continuous-improvement strategy in alignment with business objectives, operational priorities, and corporate expectations.
  • Translate Piston Group Lean/SCI strategy, PPS standards, annual priorities, and governance expectations into practical Piston Automotive deployment plans, maturity roadmaps, and scorecards.
  • Partner with the Piston Group Director of Lean/SCI, Piston Automotive Operations leadership, Engineering, Quality, and Plant Leadership to align strategy with tactics and avoid duplication of enterprise-level Lean ownership.
  • Establish governance routines for maintenance reliability, SCI execution, project prioritization, progress reviews, and results reporting across Piston Automotive facilities.
  • Drive organizational change by fostering accountability, collaboration, standardization, operational discipline, and a sustainable culture of continuous improvement.
  • Establish standardized maintenance systems, reliability expectations, asset-management practices, and performance measures across facilities.
  • Lead deployment and sustainment of preventive and predictive maintenance practices, equipment-reliability initiatives, spare-parts discipline, downtime-reduction methods, and standardized maintenance work processes.
  • Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Plant Maintenance teams to improve equipment uptime, launch readiness, process capability, maintainability, and lifecycle asset performance.
  • Support capital planning, maintenance budgeting, equipment readiness, and operational risk reduction through data-driven maintenance strategies and cross-functional leadership.
  • Lead deployment of Lean and SCI practices, including Kaizen events, value stream mapping, 5S, standardized work, problem-solving workshops, and waste-elimination activities.
  • Own SCI cost-savings goal deployment, project identification, execution tracking, benefit validation, read-across, and results reporting in alignment with corporate and business financial objectives.
  • Use operational metrics, customer scorecards, BOS/MBR inputs, and plant KPIs to identify trends, prioritize improvement opportunities, and drive sustainable business results.
  • Ensure improvement initiatives enhance safety, quality, delivery, productivity, customer satisfaction, cost performance, and overall equipment effectiveness.
  • Develop and sustain practical standards, procedures, dashboards, and visual-management routines that make performance gaps visible and drive disciplined follow-up.
  • Provide leadership, coaching, and development to maintenance, engineering, and continuous-improvement leaders.
  • Build internal capability through standardized training, mentoring, train-the-trainer approaches, knowledge sharing, and succession planning.
  • Coach leaders and teams in applying Lean thinking, maintenance best practices, root cause analysis, and structured problem solving in daily operations.
  • Promote cross-plant collaboration, benchmarking, best-practice sharing, and read-across of successful maintenance and SCI solutions.
  • Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, IT, Finance, Human Resources, Program Management, and Plant Leadership to support strategic initiatives and operational objectives.
  • Partner with executive and plant leadership to establish long-term operational priorities, performance objectives, and improvement strategies that support profitability, growth, launch execution, and customer performance.
  • Support new-equipment, technology, and manufacturing-process launches by ensuring maintenance readiness, operational standards, training, and sustainment plans are in place.
  • Participate in management reviews related to operational performance, maintenance effectiveness, quality systems, and continuous-improvement progress.
  • Ensure compliance with corporate policies, regulatory requirements, safety expectations, and applicable industry standards related to maintenance, equipment, and operational excellence.
  • Champion a proactive safety culture through risk identification, standardized work practices, layered accountability, and continuous improvement in workplace safety.
  • Establish governance processes that ensure consistent execution, accountability, escalation, and measurable performance across facilities.
  • Periodically review the suitability and effectiveness of maintenance and continuous-improvement systems with appropriate leadership and functional stakeholders.
  • Directly and/or functionally lead assigned Maintenance Excellence and Continuous Improvement resources, providing coaching, direction, priorities, and performance expectations for site and central resources supporting maintenance reliability and SCI execution.

Desired Qualifications

  • An MBA or advanced degree is preferred.
  • Lean certification, Lean Sensei certification, Six Sigma Black Belt, CMQ/OE, CQE, or an equivalent qualification is preferred.
  • A background in Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Manufacturing Engineering, or Program Launch is preferred.
  • Experience developing Lean/SCI roadmaps, maturity assessments, continuous-improvement training systems, and cross-site best-practice deployment is preferred.

About the Company

Piston Automotive

Automotive manufacturing and engineering solutions

Piston Group operates as a private investment platform that builds, owns, and grows world-class manufacturing and design companies. Its automotive arm, Piston Automotive, designs and fabricates automotive components at its manufacturing facilities, using engineering and lean, highly skilled production processes to deliver engineered parts and systems. Products move from design and tooling through precision manufacturing and assembly to meet customer specs, with a focus on reliability, quality, and value creation. What sets Piston Group apart is its model: it combines long-term investor backing (since 1996) with hands-on management of multiple manufacturing brands (including Irvin Products and Detroit Thermal Systems) and a culture of employee empowerment to improve operations and drive customer value. The company’s goal is to create lasting value by building and scaling manufacturing and design businesses that solve real customer needs and improve performance for its partners.

Company size
201-500
Company stage
Not listed
Total funding
Not listed
Headquarters
Redford Charter Township, Michigan
Founded
1995

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