Leader, Strategic Growth and CAPEX - Repair Solutions

Date: May 5, 2025

Location: El Cajon, CA, US

Company: GKN Aerospace Careers

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

 

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

The Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industry is poised for significant growth in the coming years. This expansion presents a unique opportunity to increase capacity and introduce new technologies and repair methods. As head for Strategic Groth & CAPEX, you will own the industrialization strategy including CAPEX for the site. Moreover, you are responsible for industrialization and capacity ramp-up to capture the growth opportunities as they arise. The role encompass following three responisbilities:
Industrialization and Capital Investments: Responsible for overseeing our ‘strategic growth’ initatives. This includes achieving Operational Excellence by industrializing new products so that the shop is able to deliver with reagrds to People, Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cash, and Cost (PSQDCC) when production starts. You are responsible for the site-wide capital investments, risks and priorities with specific focus on new product industrializations.
Fostering a Great Place To Work: You will foster a ‘Great Place To Work’ by developing an industry leading repair shop. This involves promoting a culture of continuous improvement, safe working practices, and open communication across functions. You will work closely together with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering and the rest of the site leadership team.
Develop and execute the ‘Strategic Growth’ roadmap: Responsible for developing and executeing the plan and implement the company's long-term vision and strategy across the site. The responsibility is to ensure production readiness and ramp-up is ready and mature to meet the our overall business goals.
 

Job Responsibilities

Safety
o    Exemplify a safety-first mindset and ensure that GKN Aerospace Health, Safety, and Environmental policies and standards are applied.
Culture and Performance Management
o    As part o the leadership team you create and sustain a culture aligned with the GKN Aerospace's “Great Place To Work” value drivers and Culture Principles.
o    Role-model behaviors, motivate, and recognize the contributions of individuals and teams.
o    Hold Team Members and Team Leaders accountable to embody GKN’s culture principles. Support and coach individuals to close performance gaps.
Operational Excellence
o    Ensure we have the infrastructure required to deliver PSQDCC targets to meet customer demand and stakeholder commitments when we start and ramp-up production.
o    Provide mentorship and foster a culture of innovation and accountability.
o    Support and drive the disciplined and rigorous deployment of Lean and ‘Brilliant Basics’ across assigned areas. You will support Kaizen implementations.
o    Actively involved in problem-solving and management systems using a ‘Go to Gemba’ approach to solve problems.

Site Strategy and Capital Investments
o    Contribute to the Site strategy (Strategy Deployment) process and ensure it’s execution across assigned areas.
o    Understand the ‘bigger picture’ and   collaborate with other leadership team members to ensure the best performance outcomes for the entire site.
o    Identify and develop suitable industrial structures based on market data and business opportunities.
o    Manage and oversee site-wide capital investment projects, ensuring they align with strategic priorities and deliver expected returns. You own the CAPEX portfolio and related KPIs.
o    Play an active part in developing and maintaining a comprehensive budgeting process, including capacity modelling and financial analysis.
o    Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including operations, finance, and business development, to ensure cohesive execution.
o    Communicate strategic plans and investment rationales effectively to internal and external audiences.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
o    Comply with all legal and regulatory requirements.
o    Ensure staff are aware of policies and their individual responsibilities and accountabilities, including: 
o    The company’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action policies.
o    Compliance and Ethics Policy on Contracting with the United States Government in all areas of responsibility involving direct and indirect contracting with the US Government.
 

Job Qualifications

Required Qualifications
•    Bachelor’s Degree or in lieu of Bachelor’s Degree.
•    8+ years experience in an operations and manufacturing environment including lean deployment.
•    5+ years supervisory/leadership/management experience.
•    Experience from operational restructuring such as work transfer, production ramp-up and new product industrialization, including financial accountability.
•    Relentless and results driven performer with a continuous improvement mind-set, as well as a demonstrated ability to motivate others and achieve results.
•    Must be a US Citizen due to program security clearance requirements and/or SSA requirements.
•    This role requires proficiency in English, both verbal and written, that is sufficient to understand and effectively follow written safety procedures, company policies, work instructions, operations manuals, and more in a manufacturing environment.
Preferred Qualifications
•    GKN experience.
•    Experience from aerospace manufacturing in general, and aftermarket/MRO in particular.
•    Proven experience in influencing, leading cross functional teams and driving change. 
•    Experience from working with external vendors and machine manufacturers is valuable.
•    Change agent with strong credibility and influence in the organization. 
•    Demonstrates personal leadership skills; high performance behaviors, self-initiative, excellent work ethic, exercises good judgment, influencing, negotiation and collaboration.
•    Workplace safety and team building.
 

Compensation Range

The compensation range for this position is between $130,000- $160,000.

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further.  And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

 

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

 

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN.  We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute.  It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’.  By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology. ​


Nearest Major Market: San Diego