Continuous Improvement Director, Global Operations

About Us
About Howmet Aerospace
Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE: HWM), headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a leading global provider of advanced engineered solutions for the aerospace and transportation industries. The Company’s sales for 2022 approximated $5.7 billion. The Company’s primary businesses focus on jet engine components, aerospace fastening systems, titanium structural parts and forged wheels. With nearly 1,150 granted and pending patents, the Company’s differentiated technologies promote more fuel efficiency for aircraft and commercial transportation. For more information, visit www.howmet.com , including content shared during the Company’s May 2022 Technology Day.
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Howmet is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
If you need assistance to complete your application due to a disability, please email [email protected]
Organization
Howmet is a global leader in forged wheels for commercial vehicles, which are sold under the brand name Alcoa® Wheels. We use differentiated technology to provide strength and weight savings, allowing customers to shed weight and lower fuel costs. Our wheels are five times stronger than steel and 47% lighter with patented alloy.
Responsibilities
Accountability Objectives
This position is accountable for the leadership of the Global Continuous Improvement (CI) team, strategy, implementation and follow-through of continuous improvement initiatives established to ensure we engrain a culture of continuous improvement and deliver improved performance year over year.
Howmet Aerospace Business System

• The standardized systems need to evolve and shift from Excel based systems to webpage with interactive user interface and ultimately with real-time monitoring systems linked directly to the process and equipment so that Live performance is monitored and just-in-time actions taken to enhance the factories and the various manufacturing processes.
• This position is accountable for the strategy, creation, standardization, and global deployment of new operating systems for monitoring operational performance and leading year-over-year improvements. Those systems include leading and lagging metrics resulting in improved operational stability, manufacturing performance, and resulting in productivity savings through the DI system.
• Coach and support leadership at all levels in meeting business improvement metrics through the application of ABS methods and techniques with special focus in problem solving methods, tools, and strategies. Facilitate, review and aid locations in developing annual improvement plans (goal deployment via Hoshin).
• Facilitate successful kaizen and rapid improvement process events with both internal and external consultants, customers and suppliers, with a major emphasis on locally focused improvement. Provide the support required to sustain the improvements established during the events.
• Facilitate consistent, uniform approaches for visual controls and productivity measurements to be utilized throughout the business with primary focus on Manufacturing operations.
• This position is accountable for facilitating the Process Line Certification process, and deploying it globally resulting in year-over-year operational improvements across all of our manufacturing locations and driving connections to the P&L to achieve record financial performance.
• Provide overall guidance and consultation focusing on the perfection of ABS techniques to identify opportunities, drive improving results, monitor performance, and sustain performance gains. Included in this is the integration of smart manufacturing to improve the operating systems of HWS.

Reliability and Predictive Equipment Health

• This position is also accountable to help shift the organizational culture from a reactive maintenance to a preventive and predictive strategy which enables us to prevent and predict failures early on, to increase equipment health, equipment reliability, and result in increased operational performance globally.
• This position is accountable for Reliability Excellence - devising a standardized maintenance strategy and a centralized CMMS for global deployment and with automated equipment performance monitoring.

Job Dimensions
The primary purpose of this position is to lead the global continuous improvement team and the key initiatives noted above. The incumbent will possess:

• Ability to diagnose plant level problems, develop leverage points, establish actions to eliminate or mitigate, and drive gap closure to targeted improvements. This includes the ability to utilize data and digital automation to improve the methods of driving improvement
• Strong data driven problem solving skills: able to develop and use structured approaches to identify root causes and recommend resolutions: can present results in meaningful terms
• Effective leadership skills to make changes in operational systems and processes, resulting in improved P&L performance at the locations
• Ability to facilitate team-based initiatives and to interact effectively with, and to gain cooperation from, individuals at all levels of the organization
• Experience with leading global programs and meeting financial targets within targeted timeframe
• A working knowledge of manufacturing processes and improvement strategies
• Ability to lead technical activities to meet timing and budgetary targets within Howmet Aerospace policy requirements
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for all levels of the organization
• Experience influencing leadership at multiple levels to support change management
• Ability to think strategically, demonstrated through the effective leadership of various teams within the CI umbrella

Qualifications
This position requires the following:
Basic Qualifications (Minimum)

• Thorough knowledge of lean manufacturing and rapid improvement techniques.
• Minimum 10 years of manufacturing experience; minimum 3 years in operational leadership role
• Experience leading change at a global level and dealing with various cultures and locations
• Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• BS in Engineering or Business related filed from an accredited institution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous Role as Plant Manager