Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

The Lean Deployment Leader is a Lean Thinker with expertise in Lean Transformation. They will play a central role in developing their assigned area of the site in its deployment of the Lean Excellence Model. They will lead, coach and influence the Leadership in their assigned area, particularly Group Leaders and Team Leaders, ensuring rigour and fidelity to the Lean Excellence Model.

Job Responsibilities

• Role modelling a culture that is aligned to the GKN Aerospace “Great Place to Work” value drivers and Culture Principles.
• Exemplifying a safety-first mindset and ensuring that the GKN Aerospace Health, Safety and Environmental policies and standards are applied across GKNA and that all locations are a model of a world-class healthy and safe working environment.
• Driving the disciplined and rigorous deployment of the Lean Operating Model (LOM) across within their Performance Center.
• Creating and executing against the Site Lean Deployment plan.
• Coaching their performance center’s in their deployment of the Lean Excellence Model.
• Ensuring the correct allocation of resources to make the Lean deployment a success, and making problems immediately visible, allowing problem solving to take place.
• Delivering significant improvement in People, Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cash and Cost (PSQDCC) targets, meeting their site’s customer and stakeholder commitments, driven by significant improvements in Lean Maturity.
• Developing deep Lean Expertise across their site, ensuring that they become self-sufficient in running the Lean Operating Model.

Job Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree plus 3+ years’ of lean deployment/leadership experience in a manufacturing/ industrial setting - OR - Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline required.
• 3+ years of MS Excel experience, including pivot tables and formulas, required.
• Must be able to perform work subject to ITAR/EAR regulations and/or program requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Aerospace industry experience preferred. 
• Six Sigma Green Belt is preferred
• Strong experience utilizing and implementing daily management
• An understanding of Lean Thinking and Lean Leadership.
• The demonstrated ability to influence all levels of the organization.
• Ability to lead, coach and mentor highly skilled and experienced team members.
• A track record of Leadership and direction through effective communications, building effective teams.
• A passion for the using Lean tools and techniques.
• GKN experience preferred.

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology. ​
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