Manufacturing Engineering Director

The Manufacturing Engineering Director plans and executes best practices and methods drawn from Manufacturing Engineering, Lean Manufacturing, and Automation knowledge and experience that will dramatically increase throughput, engage our workforce in change, reduce waste, and improve quality within Gibson’s operating footprint. Over time, the Director will work to consolidate best practices across multiple sites, born from an initial engagement at Site 1 to execute and prove out productivity and quality improvement gains by leading the local teams in fast paced projects in Continuous Improvement, Process Engineering, and Quality Engineering solutions, all while respecting the iconic musical instrument attributes that make Gibson legendary, as well as the craftspeople who make them.

This position will help transform Gibson’s manufacturing capability through a broad palette of engineered solutions while maintaining the hand-crafted feel that customers revere. The successful candidate must be motivated by the opportunity to start with a broad mandate and shape their role and team over time in partnership with Gibson’s most senior operations leaders.

Essential Functions:

1. Works closely with facility leadership to determine opportunities in a strong data-driven manner and leveraging problem-solving best practices to identify and prioritize projects, structure activities, and leads/oversees the facility’s resources in the successful and timely activity in partnership with facility leaders.
2. Together with Operational leaders, develops strategies that enable step-change performance of Gibson operations and tracks expectations to deliver results.
3. As a passionate believer and practitioner of Continuous Improvement methodologies, leads and trains facility resources in reducing waste in all of its forms.
4. Stays on the leading edge of automation and technical solutions that can be applied within our environment. Applies technology pragmatically with a clear understanding of the integration requirements and challenges, and the need for effective change management.
5. Builds highly capable teams of engineers to execute advancements in waste reduction, capacity expansion, flow acceleration, and quality improvement.
6. Collaborates with other functions seamlessly to leverage the entire organization for maximum benefit.
7. Leads overall project pipeline to achieve ongoing cost reduction, delivery, and quality improvement goals.
8. With facility teams, guides the development of manufacturing technology roadmaps for each Gibson facility.

Other Duties:

• Employee can be asked to perform other duties that are reasonable within the area of expertise.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• On-display business acumen to effectively interact with executives, contractors, and suppliers.
• Implementing and sustaining processes where none may exist.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering is required. Advanced degree is preferred.
• 15+ years of engineering leadership experience in a highly technical manufacturing environment making consumer goods where performance and aesthetics are critical.
• Must have experience with the following:

• Manufacturing processes and production flow.
• Deep belief and use of Lean Manufacturing techniques as a way of working.
• Project management of Capex > $10M and duration > 6 months.
• Automation.

Preferred experience with Greenfield Capex.

• Demonstrated experience establishing and scaling new functions/capabilities.
• Success leading central functions in a multi-site environment, with a track record of driving change at a site level through partnership and influence.
• Demonstrated experience successfully leading and coaching teams through significant change.
• Preferred plant leadership experience earlier in career (e.g. plant manager, production manager, supervisor).
• Influential collaborator to drive and support initiatives/projects with positive Change Management methods and approaches.
• Guitar experience preferred.

Internal:

• Manufacturing locations.
• Office locations.
• Showroom.
• International locations.

External:

• Sales office locations.
• Supplier manufacturing locations.

Travel Requirements:

• Travel required between internal locations.

Physical Demands:

• Basic physical stances and actions (sitting, standing, walking).

We celebrate diversity and Gibson Brands, Inc is an Equal Opportunity employer.