Permanent - Process Engineering Manager - Ekurhuleni (East Rand) - South Africa

Key Performance Areas

• Ensure that the product realisation phases of all product introductions are successfully achieved, complying with all customer specific milestones, reporting requirements and within productivity and costing targets. Lead the cross-functional team in all required activities. Successfully lead customer communication and engagements on-site or otherwise throughout these phases of the project, as well as successfully supporting Commercial and PD throughout the RFQ and product design phases
• Ensure that the manufacturing related aspects of the product costings of new products are accurately estimated during the RFQ phase and in line with planned productivity and labour targets
• Ensure that all new production process requirements are identified and successfully lead the implementation of all plant requirements, manufacturing equipment and process development activities involved in achieving steady production at targeted costs and timing
• Ensure that existing production processes are continuously reviewed for possible improvement and direct departmental activities accordingly to achieve this in line with operational targets and strategic objectives
• Identify when new manufacturing equipment is required and provide technical guidance to ensure that it is appropriately specified to ensure that target quality, cost, and productivity targets are achieved, within the allowable Capex budget and target timelines
• Effectively manage the capacity planning of all production facilities to ensure that continuous supply is always possible, taking appropriate countermeasures to increase capacity when required by changes in customer demand and escalating to the executive when significant investment and/or changes are required with enough time to respond appropriately. This includes complying with all customer reporting requirements throughout all project phases as well as on all customer portals where mandated by the customer
• Ensure that the Process Engineering department is effectively coordinated and that engineering workload is planned optimally to ensure adequate support to production challenges, and drive interventions for stable processes alongside process development and project management activities
• Ensure that Process engineers are effectively developed to enhance their abilities and increase their value to the company
• Ensure that all production trials are effectively planned and coordinated throughout all phases of product introduction projects
• Ensure that the Process Engineering departmental budget is effectively managed to remain in line with annual budget and forecast targets
• Ensure that effective support and when required direction is provided to Quality and Production for internal corrective actions reports, customer complaints and warrantees
• Ensure monthly reporting requirements are completed accurately and on time
• Ensure that structured manufacturing improvement initiatives, be they customer-driven or from external service providers, are effectively coordinated and implemented internally, balancing the customer’s requirements with the company’s interests

Key Requirements

• Must have a Bachelor Degree in Engineering Technology (BTech (Eng)) or Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc(Eng))/ Bachelors of Engineering (BEng): NQF Level 7 minimum.
• Must have an appropriate Qualification in management
• Minimum 5 - 8 years engineering management experience in automotive or similar industry.
• Ability to manage and lead a team of junior to senior engineers
• Ability to develop young engineers
• Ability to lead and coordinate cross-functional teams
• Ability to define and manage manufacturing processes efficiently and effectively - Value stream mapping, lean manufacturing, kaizen etc.
• Ability to plan, manage and direct both short and long term continuous improvement and other process projects efficiently and effectively.
• Knowledge and understanding of statistical manufacturing tools such as process capability
• Demonstrated competencies in the areas of analysis & problem solving – root cause analyses tools e.g. 5 why’s, fishbone diagram etc.
• Ability to manage time effectively and prioritise the tasks of the department.
• Team player with good communication skills.
• Advanced knowledge of MS Office, CAD /Solid Works beneficial.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Technical knowledge of heat treatment, shotpeening and painting in a manufacturing environment
• Experience in leading the product realisation phases of PPAP and APQP processes and all associated project management
• Ability to lead the technical specification of manufacturing equipment Capex
• Knowledge of production capacity planning and arranging appropriate countermeasures where required
• Knowledge of automotive and manufacturing standards such as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, Q1
• Ability to lead and support investigations and countermeasures into customer complaints and warrantees
• Ability to liaise with customers and lead customer-driven optimisation activities within the company
• Ability to develop and specify production-related costing models on new and prospective products
• Ability to develop new manufacturing processes on new and prospective products
• Ability to plan and manage the departmental budget
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously as well as balancing production support requirements

Core Competencies

• Planning and Organizing
• Information Collection and Monitoring
• Problem Analysis and Problem Solving
• Communication Skills
• Honest, Reliable and Integrity.

• Leadership
• Management
• Project Management

• Strong command of the English language (written and spoken)
• Team Player
• Ability to Multi-task

• Analytical Thinker.
• Negotiation skills.
• Self - Motivated.
• Initiative and innovative
• Professional approach
• Time Management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Financial Management
• Product Costing
• Capacity Planning
• Technical knowledge
• Operations management knowledge
• Ability to work under pressure