Head of Lineside Prep

Airbus Aerosystems Kinston is looking for a Head of Lineside Support and Work Prep to join our team based in Kinston, NC.

The management and leadership of the Manufacturing Engineering Lineside Shop Support team, ensuring that the team perform their role in an efficient and effective manner, supporting the manufacturing teams throughout the plant.

Ensure that the Manufacturing Engineering team provides the correct tooling and equipment as and when required by the manufacturing teams to meet production plans.

Identify improvement opportunities to the existing plant, equipment and tooling and assist with the development and implementation of these opportunities.

The role will be recognised as a lead in promoting an environment where Kinston plant is recognised as a leading manufacturer of aircraft parts.

The successful candidate will gain significant exposure to a range of plant strategic topics (Eg. ramp-up and future site strategy) and will have the opportunity to interact with senior internal and external stakeholders, as well as gaining operations experience in an industrial environment.

• Strategic Management (25%)
  • Accountable for planning future needs of the ME LSS & Work Prep team to ensure operational requirements are fully met.
  • Utilise a robust Risk Management process, enabling the team to identify risks and opportunities within the organisation. So that informed decisions mitigating such risks and enabling such opportunities to benefit the Kinston plant.
  • Monitor and control financial budgets, ensuring value for money and effectively control expenditure.
  • Be a 'champion for safety', driving a 'safety first' culture throughout the ME team and within the wider Kinston Plant community.
  • Assist in the continuous improvement strategy, ensuring the ME team are involved in delivering improvement to productivity and quality across the plant.
• Manufacturing Support and Supply (25%)
  • Maintain and improve lineside support to the Manufacturing teams, providing the correct tooling and equipment required to meet production plans.
  • Ensure plant assets and tooling are deployed, with the latest up to date technology, to maintain and increase production levels throughout the manufacturing operations.
  • Planning resource capacity to meet manufacturing requirements and tool and equipment maintenance schedules.
  • Identify improvement opportunities to existing plant, equipment and tooling and assist with the development and implementation of these opportunities.
  • Promoting such new technologies & philosophies developed for use in the plant to the wider Airbus organisation
  • Ensure that the Airbus Industrial System engineering philosophy is followed and executed within the Kinston facility.
• Team Management (40%)
  • Lead and manage The ME LSS & Work Prep team, ensuring industrial performance is maintained and improved through team working and motivation in daily activities.
  • Ensure the quality of work throughout the team is maintained, monitored and improved where possible.
  • Maintain a Quality Management System which ensures compliance, providing standardised ways of working.
  • Organise regular team governance reviews, driving a culture of recognition, accountability, and continuous improvement.
  • Planning resource training requirements to ensure team members maintain the up to date knowledge to implement the key working practices required in supporting Kinston plant.
• Additional Responsibilities (10%)
  • Promote a customer-focused mindset and act as a change leader within the Manufacturing Engineering organization.
  • Work in conjunction with the wider ME team, technical shop support and planning team, to ensure manufacturability and smooth industrialization.
  • Oversee structural and systems installation activities, ensuring compliance with engineering requirements.
  • Interpret, verify, and validate engineering drawings and documentation.
  • Respond to and resolve technical queries from various departments and stakeholders.
  • Synthesize complex technical scenarios and present clear, concise updates to multiple levels of management.
  • Develop and define manufacturing and assembly strategies for aircraft components.
  • Specify and validate tools and equipment required to ensure geometric tolerances and process efficiency.
  • Collaborate closely with all site functions (engineering, materials logistics, quality, and production teams) to implement strategy changes effectively.
  • Other duties as assigned by the management.

• Bachelors degree from an ABET engineering program
• Minimum of 15 years relevant engineering experience within a Manufacturing Engineering environment.
• Strong background in Manufacturing or Industrial / Manufacturing Engineering with a knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles.
• Strong understanding of metallic & composite manufacturing techniques & treatment processes.
• Working knowledge and application of Business management systems (BMS) and Quality management systems (QMS).
• Self-driven with a ‘can-do’ attitude.
• Strong team working and relationship…