Director of Innovative Manufacturing

Director of Innovative Manufacturing

Join to apply for the Director of Innovative Manufacturing role at JLG Industries.

JLG began in 1969, when our founder, John L. Grove set out to resolve growing safety concerns in the construction industry. Since then we have been committed to understanding the challenges and delivering innovative solutions to the access market. We partner with customers to provide quality equipment, training opportunities, and trusted support within the access industry. We are a global company, and our products—including mobile elevating work platforms, telehandlers, utility vehicles and accessories—can be found all over the world.

Reporting to the Executive Vice President - Global Manufacturing Operations, this leadership role will support manufacturing innovation globally within Access. Through direct interactions with segment operations staff, this position will be instrumental in ensuring that Access sustains superior performance for our customers, shareholders, employees, and stakeholders, while contributing to our personal development and enjoyment.

• Manage the innovation efforts that identify strategies, business opportunities, and new technologies; then focus on developing new capabilities.
• Leader that focuses on ideation, problem solving, and benchmarking key technology trends.
• Demonstrate leadership to provide strategy, vision, and direction to global manufacturing team.
• Evaluate technologies from suppliers and R&D organizations.
• Drive strategic manufacturing innovation and lead Technology Creation Process (TCP).
• Stay on top of external industry developments and best practices.
• Support teams to develop manufacturing innovation roadmap that will introduce new technologies to global footprint.
• Analyze new advanced manufacturing trends and techniques, automation, robotics, and assembly tools seeking opportunities to transfer technologies from R&D to the manufacturing facilities.
• Support a team that works closely with the Manufacturing, DT, and Design Engineering.
• Support teams that design digital solutions for our manufacturing plants.
• Manage analytics teams to design applications and dashboards to capture product and process data, predict outcomes, and prescribe solutions in manufacturing. Grow AI and machine learning capabilities within the organization and utilize data analytics to improve process quality.
• Promote collaboration with Design Engineering and become embedded with product design to implement DFM principles; identify key metrics to measure DFM success.
• Develop innovation goals, design project charters, and update leadership on project status.
• Manage relationships with various third‑party suppliers and R&D institutes.
• Provide guidance and leadership on equipment specifications and standards.
• Assign projects, tasks, and support responsibilities to team members. Guide and coach team members to achievement of goals.
• High performance individual that manages Innovation group focused on automation, digital technologies, advanced analytics, and DFM.
• Develop innovation, footprint, and strategy team to develop automation with the future footprint of JLG.

• Bachelor's degree in science or engineering‑related field.
• 10+ years of related work experience.

• Certified Lean Expert/TPS based.
• 10 years of business/operations management or manufacturing experience with management responsibilities.
• Ability to accommodate 25% travel.
• Results‑oriented, strong analytical skills, and demonstrated process improvement success in managing large teams in a continuous improvement culture.
• Proven change agent and ability to lead teams through: making a case for change; stakeholder management; change communications; removing barriers; setting milestones and acknowledging progress; and reinforcing change through organizational systems.
• Willingness to work on the shop floor and lead by example; ability to influence decision making with or without authority; facilitate groups with diverse perspectives; and bring teams to agreement.
• Must have strong interpersonal and communication skills that build productive relationships…