Value Stream Leader - Recorders

Full Time Reg Management

• Grand Rapids, MI, US
• At Acron, our ambition is to relentlessly reimagine and reshape the value chains by which we deliver results to our customers, suppliers, and internal/external stakeholder communities in pursuit of innovations that create safer skies.

Acron employees strive to achieve world-class results through our values: always putting our customers first, taking ownership of our results, moving fast, and speaking candidly. We currently seek a

• Value Stream Leader
• who thrives in complex cross-functional environments and is highly skilled in managing product conversion functions in a manufacturing environment, Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, and Team Building processes to achieve our vision.

This position is part of the Acron Avionics Business Unit and will be in Grand Rapids, MI. This role requires the selected candidate to work on-site during the first and some second shift hours. The ideal candidate is a high-energy transformational leader with demonstrated and progressive experience in Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies, adept in using, teaching, and reinforcing SAP-based ERP tools, an influential leader of cross-functional support functions needed to execute upon the master production schedule (MPS), and a team builder driven to reinforce cultures of excellence. Acron's requirement is for candidates who can lead and drive problem-solving disciplines and operational excellence across the end-to-end value stream and be accountable for delivering to the MPS. The

• Value Stream Leader
• will have direct leadership responsibilities for product conversion functions, including assemblers, technicians, production planners, procurement agents, product and customer quality engineers, and manufacturing engineers.

The Value Stream Leader will collaborate with a variety of operational shared service disciplines, including Sales Operations, Master Scheduling, Strategic Sourcing, Facilities, Logistics, and Quality System Specialists. Lastly, the Value Stream Leader role will collaborate with Product Line Leadership teams, including Finance, Sales, Engineering, and HR. Our vision for the role is that the VSL is accountable for the safety, quality, delivery, financials, people, and inventory fundamentals required to achieve customer performance, ensuring compliant, predictable execution while continuously improving value stream flow and resilience.

• Key Responsibilities:

• + •End-to-End Value Stream Ownership•+ •Own safety, quality, delivery, financials, people, and inventory (SQDFPI) outcomes for assigned product line•+ •Execute upon MPS to fulfill customer demand and contractual requirements through stable and continuously improving operational plans•+ •Ensure predictable flow across all stages of procurement, production, test, and delivery•+ •Act as the primary operational interface to customers, regulators, and internal leadership for the assigned product line•+ •Assembly & Test Operations Leadership•+ •Direct daily execution of assembly & test operations through structured tier meetings•+ •Ensure establishment and sustainment of standardized work, takt control, and visual management•+ •Lead capacity planning, staffing, and skill alignment to demand•+ •Develop working leads in assembly and test into front-line leads•+ •Maintain skill and fluency ratings on all employees for development and performance management•+ •Production Planning & Control•+ •Own the execution of the Master Production Schedule to include pre-screening before jobs are released and monitoring on time starts and completions•+ •Align labor, material, tooling, and test capacity across the value stream•+ •Enforce freeze windows and change discipline•+ •Lead recovery plans for missed commitments or disruptions•+ •Maintain and improve upon the master data in SAP•+ •Procurement•+ •Accountable for supplier delivery, quality, and responsiveness within the product line•+ •Lead material shortage resolution and supplier escalation•+ •Partner with supply chain leadership on supplier development, dual-sourcing, long-term agreement development, and risk mitigation•+ •Balance inventory reduction with schedule protection within our SIOP processes•+ •Maintain and improve supplier master data in SAP•+ •Manufacturing Engineering•+ •Ensure manufacturing processes are capable, repeatable, and certifiable•+ •Ensure availability, maintenance, and continuous improvement of standard work for all operational functions in the assigned product line•+ •Ensure quality is built into operations and that problem-solving of errors is done daily•+ •Lead change control and MRB compliance•+ •Quality - Product and Customer•+ •Own built-in quality performance and defect prevention•+ •Lead root cause and corrective action discipline•+ •Ensure audit readiness and compliance with regulatory and internal standards•+ •Empower "stop-the-line" authority for quality or safety at risk•+ •Own response to customer-reported issues and escapes•+ •Lead containment, investigation, and permanent corrective action•+ •Operating Rhythm & Governance•+ •Establish and lead:•+ •Daily SQDFPI tier meetings•+ •Weekly value stream performance reviews•+ •Monthly rate, cost, and risk reviews•+ •Drive fact-based problem solving using visual management and KPI trees•+ •Ensure disciplined escalation and closure of issues•+ •Build a Continuous Improvement and Lean Manufacturing Culture•+ •Demonstrate, coach, and drive accountability of Lean manufacturing principles, including:•+ •Value stream mapping•+ •Flow and pull systems•+ •Standardized work•+ •Visual management•+ •Built-in quality•+ •Lead structured daily problem solving using:•+ •

PDCA / DMAIC

• + •A3 thinking•+ •Root cause analysis (5 Whys, cause-and-effect)•+ •Apply CI methods to both process stability and rate scalability•+ •People & Culture Leadership•+ •Lead, coach, and develop cross-functional teams within the value stream•+ •Develop, maintain, and continuously reinforce goals and objectives tailored to each role•+ •Responsible for cascading weekly communications from HQ and Avionics to all employees in the value stream•+ •Build a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement•+ •Reinforce safety-first and compliance-first behaviors•+ •Develop future value stream and operations leaders•

Qualifications:

• _

Required:

_

• + Bachelor's degree in Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field + 10+ years of progressive aerospace manufacturing or operations leadership + Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional value streams or programs + Proven lean manufacturing and continuous improvement leadership + Experience with developing and leading KPI trees used to measure the effectiveness and attainment of established master schedules.

+ Working knowledge of ERP/MRP in SAP, or equivalent + Strong analytical skills (Excel/Power BI or similar), scenario planning, and constraint-based thinking. Demonstrated experience in what-if modeling and machine and labor capacity modeling. + Strong understanding of aerospace certification, quality, and compliance requirements + Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, persuasion, and negotiation.

• _Preferred_
• _:_ + APICS/ASCM certifications (CPIM/CSCP) or equivalent planning credentials.

+ Lean/Continuous Improvement training (Toyota Production System, kaizen, Tiered daily management). + Customer-driven mindset: plans built around meeting customer needs while balancing established financial targets.