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Job Description

Summary

The Quality Operations Project Manager plays a significant role in ensuring that projects within the Operations organization are executed aggressively and efficiently to stop quality escapes immediately and implement controls to stop them from happening again. This position involves coordinating with various departments to create and maintain a clear line of communication between project teams and stakeholders, ensuring that expectations are managed and that any potential issues are addressed proactively through Kaizens and immediately driven to completion. Their expertise not only supports the smooth execution of improvement projects, but also contributes to the significant step improvements of processes and procedures, enhancing and improving the organization’s quality.

Position Responsibilities:

• Identify, through data pulls and engaging with individuals, quality improvements
• Prioritize these improvements to implement significant change activities and follow through completion by placing controls in place
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure all project components are executed according to plan, including procurement, manufacturing, and quality control
• Focus purely on improvement activities at the site. Working with other support departments such as Continuous Improvement, Quality Engineering, and Manufacturing engineering to clear roadblocks and drive change
• Analyze operational processes and recommend improvements to enhance productivity and reduce costs
• Facilitate communication between project stakeholders, including regular status reports and project reviews, to ensure alignment and address any concerns
• Implement risk management strategies to identify potential improvement obstacles and develop contingency plans
• Conduct post-project evaluations to assess outcomes, document lessons learned, and integrate findings into future improvement activities
• Manage direct reports to optimize implementation of improvements and Kaizen events
• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience):

• Bachelor degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Business Management, or a related field is required and/or 10 + years equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Aerospace and/or Defense experience preferred
• Proficient in using manufacturing software systems and tools, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and data analytics platforms.
• Project Management proficiency and related experience
• Knowledge of manufacturing principles, processes, and technologies
• Strong understanding of quality management systems and best practices, such as ISO 9001.
• Excellent Verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational and managerial skills
• Ability to set long-term goals and communicate them to others
• Ability to motivate and organize multiple efforts to accomplish goals

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies:

• Professional certifications, such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Manufacturing Professional (CMP) or Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), are a plus.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification
• Uses vision to think beyond the immediate situation, explore multiple potential paths, and adapt decision-making style based on the situational circumstances
• Demonstrates the ability to develop and maintain internal and external trusting, professional relationships
• Assesses the degree of risk and opportunity in plans or actions and takes appropriate action to mitigate them or makes plans to build on the opportunity
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company

Physical Demands:

• Ability to work in an office and manufacturing environment (Constant)
• Required to sit and stand for long periods (Frequent); talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

Special Requirements:

• U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or asylee/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required.
• Occasionally may be required to travel within the Continental U.S.

The salary range for this role is:

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits: AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.

Who We Are

Based in California, AeroVironment (AVAV) is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Founded in 1971 by celebrated physicist and engineer, Dr. Paul MacCready, we’ve been at the leading edge of technical innovation for more than 45 years. Be a part of the team that developed the world’s most widely used military drones and created the first submarine-launched reconnaissance drone, and has seven innovative vehicles that are part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection in Washington, DC.

Join us today in developing the next generation of small UAS and tactical missile systems that will deliver more actionable intelligence to our customers so they can proceed with certainty – and succeed.

What We Do

Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR