Head of Manufacturing Engineering

Your role and your team: 

You will be part of the Manufacturing Division and report directly to Liliums Vice President Production. In that role you will work closely with our Operations, Service & Engineering teams, and collaborate intensively with our Program and Quality departments. 

As Head of Manufacturing Engineering, you will lead our Manufacturing Engineering Industrial-, Product-, Equipment Acquisition- and Special Processes teams, and our Manufacturing Systems Architect. In that role you will be owning the Manufacturing Engineering community lead securing standardization and overseeing cross functional Manufacturing Engineering teams from Operations and Supply Chain. The scope of work is applicable to all domestic factories, such as Propulsion System-, Energy System-, Aerostructure-, and Final Aircraft Assembly, as well as to the entire supply chain.   

This is an exceptional challenge, as you will shape the industrialization and all process standards of a becoming new industry. You will influence early design concepts to cope with initial prototyping manufacturing followed by a steep ramp-up taking full responsibility to enable our manufacturing & production testing solutions.  

This role will be attractive to you, if you love to work with high talented engineers, if you are result driven and a decision taker who is involving the team and stakeholders to deliver our program roadmap. For this senior leadership role, we are looking for a minimum of 8 years leadership experience in the automotive or aerospace industry, experienced in setting up a standard Operating model for Liliums future and well experienced in new product introduction from prove of concept to scale. 

Therefore, you will need to enforce business driven trade off decisions under time pressure and to provide creative solutions to unforeseen challenges with the team.

You will have done an excellent job, if our new process, new product introduction with new resources is secured in every phase of our industrial ramp-up. You will be the key enabler by influencing the design and securing manufacturing readiness for all Operations and our industrial Program in a very demanding environment. 

Take this opportunity to join one of the fastest, most well-funded and exciting companies in the world and join the exciting journey of the Lilium Jet early in its inception phase. Our production organization aims to set new standards with a best-in-class, reliable, digital production with human at the center.  

 Your Day to Day: 

• Hire, develop and lead Manufacturing Engineering teams 
• Establish and constantly improve process & technology solutions 
• Provide factory support to meet the design requirements and our business targets in accordance to the quality standards of EASA 21G and EN9100 
• Implement manufacturing & series testing solutions via standards, systems and instructions that will enable the plant to achieve their TCQ targets 
• Budget responsible for all related CAPEX and OPEX investments 
• Work closely with senior management team the local plant organizations and clearly communicate business targets to ensure the delivery to safety, time, cost and quality targets 
• Contribute and influence a “Design for Make” of the type certification aircraft standard, and prove rate capability 
• Define and build a prototyping & series production assembly line, securing the operations of the plant from commissioning to production ramp up 
• Establish and drive key processes within Lilium from material supply up to final assembly, this includes:  
• Capability acquisition of new technologies, systems and factories 
• Product introduction into the supply chain and domestic factories 
• Shop floor support & continuous improvement across the entire production network 
• Specification & provision of Lean/4.0/SCADA/robotic solutions for the Lilium plants 

Your profile: 

• Mechanical engineering degree in automotive or aerospace, with experience in (electric) power plants assembly and especially in the design to mkde and new product introduction phase (APQP knowledge appreciated) 
• Minimum of 8 years’ leadership experience in a similar responsible role, within Manufacturing Engineering and or plant leadership in a modern low and high-volume production environment of automotive or aircrafts is essential 
• Experienced in dynamic planning & execution during new product introduction & production ramp up 
• Proven Lean skills –to drive continuous improvements, ergonomics, HS&E and process capability 
• Active Production & technology network and experienced in developing technologies and systems to a capable production standard (SixSigma) 
• Modern technology & automation leader type (including robotic, 4.0, SCADA) putting human at the center 
• Excellent analysis and evaluation skills with a drive to challenge the status quo 
• Experienced working with Self Directing Teams in a cross functional metrics organization  
• Firm with ANDON methodology to mitigate production constraints immediately desired 
• Experienced leader of large number of indirect reports, and production staff with the ability to communicate at all levels 
• Capable of extended cross-functional leadership, including Engineering, Purchase, Quality, Manufacturing, and Facility management functions, required to deliver “end to end”. 

Specific Requirements 

• Software/IT skills: PowerPoint, Excel, ERP, MES 
• Excellent understanding of plant finances 
• Excellent project management skills to deploy the manufacturing road map 
• Design to make & new product introduction experience 

#LI-HE1