Lead Industrial Operations Engineer - Front Loading New Product Introduction

Job Title: Lead, Manufacturing Engineer
Job Code: 45698
Job Location: Londonderry, NH
Job Schedule: 9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days – totaling 80 hours worked – and have every other Friday off

Job Description:

We believe manufacturing is important not only for what it makes, but for what it makes possible for the future. The L3Harris Integrated Vision Solutions (IVS) sector manufacturing engineering team is responsible for providing our manufacturing operations with the vision, technology, and expertise they need through the entire production process.  

L3Harris IVS is seeking an Industrial Operations Engineer - Front Loading NPI to serve as the critical bridge between Product Development and Manufacturing Operations throughout the entire NPI stage-gate process, from pre-award phase through production hand-off. This role will lead the implementation of Front Loading methodologies to ensure manufacturability, quality, and cost targets are achieved while maintaining schedule commitments across all NPI stage-gates.

The Industrial Operations Engineer (IOE) will work cross-functionally with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Program Management, Business Development, and Manufacturing Engineering teams to drive early operational readiness assessments, establish production processes, and enable smooth product transitions from bid phase through production hand-off.

Essential Functions: 

Pre-Award Phase

• Attend technical baseline reviews and understand the scope for the Front Loading Framework
• Understand current operational capabilities, and those required to win the bid successfully using the capability model
• Support red team reviews and ensure cost estimates reflect operations scope and deliverables
• Identify facilities, equipment, safety and staffing requirements from capability model. Work with Operations and Program Management to document plans
• Work with identified functional PoCs on the program (Engineering, Program Management, Business Development, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain) to plan and initiate Front Loading activities for the program
• Identify operations-specific technology and process improvement special projects required to meet cost, schedule and margin in the bid
• Conduct Front Loading tailoring assessment to determine amount of hours required to deploy Front Loading and incorporate into the Program Transition Window (PTW)
• Develop detailed Design to Cost targets and agree targets with Program Management Team

Award to Production Start Phase

• Organize and facilitate Challenges, Risks and Opportunities (CRO) Workshops to identify activities to address poor yields, common failure modes, supply chain risks/opportunities, high cost, and long touch/lead times
• Finalize manufacturing, test and production plans. Lead operational aspects of gate reviews
• Produce Project Charters for each activity that describes effort needed and benefits to the program. Present to Program Leadership Team
• Contribute manufacturing input into any Make/Buy decisions using the capability model
• Ensure that progress monitoring and tracking of the Frontloading Toolset applications is conducted in the monthly Program reviews
• Review program material delivery schedule and escalate areas of concern to program management. Monitor schedule throughout effort for material delivery impacts
• Work with operations functional leadership to ensure key toolset roles are defined and filled
• Work with manufacturing to ensure a robust 3P event is conducted to design the floor layout and construct Standard Work combination Sheets
• Oversee facility setup, production layouts and specific equipment installations/configurations
• Conduct Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) reviews, providing feedback to engineering teams on manufacturability
• Lead cross-functional NPI teams through stage-gate reviews and readiness assessments
• Develop manufacturing cost models and support cost reduction activities

Production to Delivery Phase

• Ensure Front Loading assessments are completed at all required gates
• Oversee Product Launch in line with Launch Targets
• Conduct final end item data package review, perform lessons-learned brief and log all required command media and program document updates

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 9 years prior related experience. Graduate Degree with a minimum of 7 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 13 years of prior related experience
• Experience leading product transitions from bid/proposal phase through production hand-off
• Experience with Front Loading methodologies and NPI stage-gate based product transition
• Experience facilitating cross-functional workshops (CRO, 3P events, Design to Cost sessions)
• Experience with setting up manufacturing processes including assembly, test, and integration
• Experience developing Project Charters and presenting business cases to leadership
  

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Experience in aerospace and defense manufacturing environment with bid/proposal support
• Ability to develop and execute capability models and operational readiness assessments
• Six Sigma Green Belt certification or higher
• Understanding of Lean Manufacturing (3P, Standard Work, Value Stream Mapping)
• Knowledge of Design to Cost methodologies
• Experience with capability modeling and operational readiness assessments
• Experience with ERP and PLM systems
• Experience with PFMEA, Control Plans, and APQP methodologies
• Experience with facility layout design and equipment installation planning
• PMP certification is a plus but not a requirement
• Ability to influence without direct authority across multiple functional organizations
• Strong facilitation skills for cross-functional workshops and gate reviews
• Understanding of DFx (Manufacturing, Assembly, Test, Automation) principles
• Strong project management skills with ability to manage multiple concurrent programs across the NPI lifecycle phases
  

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