Job Title: Operations Manager
FLSA  Status:   Exempt
Date: June 30, 2009
Reports To: VP Operations

Provides Direction To:  Cell Lead persons; Cell team members; Cell Support Maintenance Technicians; Manufacturing Engineers, Supply Chain Buyers and Material Handling teams within Value Stream

ABOUT BARKSDALE
Barksdale Control Products is a subsidiary of Crane Co. and reports to the corporation through the Controls Group segment of businesses.  Barksdale is a world-wide producer of a broad range of engineered control products for demanding and critical applications.  Our products include air suspension and directional control valves, pressure, temperature, level, and solid-state switches, transducers, transmitters, flow controls and instrumentation for industrial niche markets. Barksdale has product leadership within the Oil & Gas, Transportation, Factory Automation, Construction & Mining and Marine markets. Barksdale products are sold world-wide through a direct sales force and a network of channel partners.

JOB SUMMARY:
Provide the leadership, coaching and project management skills required to improve productivity at our Los Angeles facility through the implementation of continuous improvement programs.  Based on lean thinking through the Crane Business System (CBS), activities are aimed at value stream linkage, quality and productivity improvements, new product implementations and value engineering projects.

The primary objective is to strengthen business processes in our back-end operations and leverage operational resources to provide profitable sales growth without creating bureaucratic systems or waste. 

Drawing from the internal Operational Excellence (OpEx) team this position is meant not just to assure daily production is built on time to standard work but concurrently provide the direction and leadership to highlight improvement opportunities and then implement them.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be a outgoing person that likes to work with people not just data

• Exhibits a passion for continuous improvement; challenge status quo

• Strong analytical skills and common sense with emphasis on a scientific method of problem solving

• Strong understanding of assembly and production methods

• Direct experience in Kaizen both as a team member and team leader

• Knowledge of Kanban and other forms of material replenishment

• Working knowledge of business systems and excellent PC skills

• 5-10 years minimum experience working in a manufacturing environment, 3 years minimum experience in a supervisory or management role with proven project management and implementation record 

• Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, Engineering or Operations Management 

DIRECT AND INDIRECT RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with direct reports to coordinate an overall strategy of continuous improvement with emphasis on process improvement; we seek no less than 10% improvement per year

• Own the future direction of your Value Streams with Value Stream Maps (VSM) that facilitate our strategic initiatives

• Provide team development and cross-training primarily through kaizen participation, to maintain a culture of continuous improvement; we emphasis visual controls and cell ownership

• Facilitate and own all VS based Standard Work Kaizen’s and provide the input of managing future events through the Kaizen roadmap with the OpEx team

• Facilitate the daily Ready-Meeting in your Value streams and the afternoon Management walkthrough.  This powerful tool takes the highest pareto of non-performance causation and brings it front and center to the management team for action

• Promote all Safety and 5s policies and procedures; run a clean and safe ship

EXPECTATIONS 

STRATEGIC LEVEL

• Act in a leadership role toward productivity improvements that tie the continuous improvement program to the financial statements of the company

• Recommend to the team future kaizens, training and interpersonal skills that will make to make cells owners proficient in Lean, Continuous Improvement and Process Control

• Own the Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost (SQDC) metrics of the OpEx for each value stream under your control

• Continuously evaluate the overall effectiveness of the team’s efforts

TACTICAL LEVEL

• Work directly with supervisor and/or cell team leads to improve single piece flow

• Ensure that Standard Work, Standard Relationships and Standard Pathways are implemented throughout the value stream always

• Master the use of the Performance and KPI boards to show team’s overall progress, market team efforts and if necessary, ask for help

• Work all Action Plans (AP) within the root cause of SQDC as well as kaizen newspaper items (actions not yet complete during the kaizen)

TEAM LEVEL

• Be there for your team every day; not as a defender but rather a coach; leader and driver of results

• Assure that you are a team player and always be professional, promote honesty and enforce accountability with the highest degree of integrity

• Support teamwork and practice Crane values

BENEFITS
Our benefits include dental insurance, medical insurance, and a vision-care plan and Barksdale, Inc. proudly supports Affirmative Action. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Submit Resume to:
Barksdale, Inc.
Attention: Human Resources Department
Contact Number:  (323) 583-6270
E-mail:  cjvalentine@barksdale.com
Fax: (323) 587-2320
EEO M/F