Manufacturing Area Leader

About the role

The Manufacturing Area Leader will have overall ownership of manufacturing lines and/or processes, being fully responsible for delivering all targets and OEE goals for that specific line. This role is crucial in ensuring efficient production processes, maintaining safety standards, and fostering continuous improvement within a manufacturing environment.

It requires strong leadership skills, attention to detail, and effective communication. Regular and punctual attendance is essential. The candidate must be able to read, write, and converse in English, and be willing to uphold BD Values. Additionally, the Line Leader ensures compliance with BD quality systems, policies, procedures, guidelines, and all local, state, federal, and BD safety regulations.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive achievement of key operational goals related to Safety, Quality, and Delivery performance on production lines.
• Provide daily coaching, mentoring, and development for line associates to strengthen capabilities and foster an Equipment Owner (EO) attitude.
• Lead and reinforce initiatives including Safety programs, Autonomous Maintenance (AM) defect tagging, 5S activities, Tier meetings, breakdown management, and top loss reduction.
• Analyze line losses, identify performance gaps, and establish priorities for the production trio/team.
• Align line priorities with overall manufacturing unit objectives and business goals.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to ensure both short-term performance targets and long-term operational goals are achieved.
• Support rapid resolution of production issues while demonstrating servant leadership and embodying BD Values.
• Proactively identify trends and address potential problems before they impact production performance.
• Lead Tier 1 production meetings and maintain alignment across the entire Line Centric Organization (LCO) team.
• Review production schedules and anticipate changes that may affect operations.
• Coordinate and lead daily Pit Stop meetings, updating production targets and goals on the Primary Visual Display (PVD).
• Ensure resources are effectively deployed to address quality concerns and production line issues as they arise.
• Spend approximately 65% of time on the manufacturing floor, actively overseeing operations and supporting line performance.
• Ensure root cause investigations are completed promptly and that effective corrective actions are implemented.
• Support electronic Device History Record (eDHR) processes and implementation efforts.
• Assist in developing and updating work instructions, operating standards, centerlines, and CILTs (Clean, Inspect, Lubricate, Tighten activities) to improve operational efficiency.
• Partner with the Preventive Maintenance (PM) team to evaluate and improve maintenance execution effectiveness.
• Communicate line performance results, risks, and advanced issues to the Manufacturing Unit Leader.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and operational excellence across the production line.

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma and 5 years' experience in a highly automated environment
• Professional Certification (i.e. Leadership Training, College Coursework)

Preferred Qualifications

• BA/BS and 3 years of manufacturing experience in a highly automated environment
• MA/MS and 1 year of manufacturing experience in a highly automated environment

Additional information

At BD, we prioritize on-site collaboration because we believe it fosters creativity, innovation, and effective problem-solving, which are essential in the fast-paced healthcare industry. For most roles, we require a minimum of 4 days of in-office presence per week to maintain our culture of excellence and ensure smooth operations, while also recognizing the importance of flexibility and work-life balance. Remote or field-based positions will have different workplace arrangements which will be indicated in the job posting.

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