Associate Director, Manufacturing

Responsibilities

Operational Leadership: Oversee the ramp-up and ongoing operations of battery cell manufacturing, transitioning from prototype to high-volume serial production while maintaining safety, quality, and efficiency standards; Team Development: Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team, including managers, supervisors, technicians, and operators, fostering a culture of operational excellence and accountability; Performance Metrics: Develop and implement manufacturing KPIs to track safety, people, costs, performance, efficiency, and sustainability, ensuring alignment with plant-wide strategic objectives; Technology Integration: Support the deployment of active management tools (e.g., SCADA) to enhance operational control, real-time decision-making, and quality assurance; Operational Excellence: Establish a cadence for weekly, monthly, and quarterly reviews, driving continuous improvement through operational excellence initiatives and achieving Annual Operating Plan (AOP) milestones; Budget Management: Develop and maintain the operational budget, achieving conversion cost targets through cost-saving measures, kaizen events, and lean manufacturing principles; Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with departments such as product development, planning, finance, manufacturing engineering, safety (EHS), and operations engineering to ensure seamless integration of manufacturing processes; Process Optimization: Utilize technical expertise to drive process and product improvements, addressing quality concerns, enhancing manufacturability, and improving customer satisfaction; Cost Reduction: Apply lean manufacturing principles to reduce scrap, optimize resource utilization, and achieve significant year-over-year cost reductions (e.g., 20% operational expense reduction, 80% reduction in scrap per vehicle); Strategic Planning: Collaborate with executive leadership to develop the plant/department AOP, aligning with strategic plans and cascading continuous improvement projects throughout the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering; 10+ years of experience in construction management, with at least 5 years of experience on large, complex projects; Strong project management skills, including the ability to develop and implement project plans, track progress, and manage budgets; Excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills; Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Nice to have

MBA; Experience working with brownfield or greenfield sites; Knowledge of Automotive Regulations, EV Batteries or Energy or Complex Site Construction

Benefits

Eligibility for 20% bonus; benefits