Manufacturing Systems Engineering Leader - Plant 5 - Ti-Cast

Position Summary

We are seeking a Manufacturing Systems Engineering Leader to improve factory performance through the design and optimization of production flow, capacity utilization, inventory management, and operational stability. This role applies data-driven operational principles to reduce lead time, improve throughput, lower WIP inventory, and increase schedule reliability across manufacturing operations.

The ideal candidate understands that manufacturing performance emerges from system behavior — including variability, bottlenecks, queueing, and resource constraints — and uses analytical methods to improve overall factory performance rather than isolated local metrics.

Job Roles 

• Systems thinker--sees the business and its operation holistically; understands actions and reactions; considers multiple pathways of potential effect before decisions; thinks strategically about interventions with an eye toward scale
• Optimizer--constantly challenging the organization to work smarter; supports others to ensure they have what they need to do their work successfully
• Anticipation--looks ahead to minimize potential issues and maximize advantages; prepares others for what comes next
• Operational accelerator--drives continuous improvement; understands ramifications of automation and other advances; advocates for safety, ergonomics and scalable solutions
• Organization and structure--works within existing structures while striving to improve and standardize them; provides accurate information; galvanizes others toward common goals
• Influence--leverages knowledge, relationship, data and perspective to persuade, educate and navigate; gains buy in and adoption of ideas and practices at scale; interacts with a variety of stakeholders
• Data informed--focused on things that drive quantifiable business outcomes; evaluates based on quantitative feedback; knows and explains the “why” behind actions
• Prioritized reaction--handles the unexpected without losing sight of important objectives; reacts where greatest leverage points exist
• Relationship--connects individually and with teams across shifts and practices; builds rapport and commonality; creates a “win together” ethic; serves as liaison between shop floor and engineering; keeps the pulse of the floor; helps people feel heard

Key Responsibilities

Lead Manufacturing Engineering Team 

• Plan meetings, assign tasks, manage staffing, conduct performance reviews, and coach employees in manufacturing engineering discipline.
• Introduce new hires to EHS rules, company policies, and business initiatives to foster a safe, productive culture.
• Maintain adherence to all relevant regulations and internal standards

Flow & Throughput Optimization

• Analyze production flow and identify bottlenecks, congestion points, and excessive queueing 
• Improve throughput while balancing labor, equipment utilization, inventory, and lead time 
• Design production systems that minimize variability and improve flow stability 
• Optimize line balancing and workstation design 

Capacity & Variability Management

• Monitor utilization levels and identify where excessive loading creates instability 
• Develop buffering strategies for inventory, staffing, and machine capacity 
• Reduce operational variability caused by downtime, scheduling volatility, changeovers, quality losses, and material shortages 
• Support preventive maintenance and reliability initiatives 

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Partner with planning teams to improve schedule realism and execution 
• Reduce WIP and manufacturing lead times through pull systems, batch reduction, and improved sequencing 
• Evaluate tradeoffs between responsiveness, inventory, and capacity 

Data Analysis & Modeling

• Use operational data to model cycle times, queue behavior, throughput, and capacity 
• Develop KPIs focused on system performance: 
  • Throughput 
  • On-time delivery 
  • WIP