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.