Head of Production Engineering

Advanced Navigation is the world’s most determined innovator in AI robotics and navigation technologies across land, air, sea and space applications. Founded on a culture of research and discovery, Advanced Navigation's mission is to be the catalyst of the autonomy revolution. Fields of expertise include artificial intelligence, underwater sonar, GNSS, radio frequency systems, inertial sensors, robotics, quantum sensors and photonics. Today, Advanced Navigation is a supplier to some of the world's largest companies, including Airbus, Boeing, Google, Tesla, NASA, Apple, and General Motors. Discover it for yourself: https://youtu.be/F7uAqs1gtuk

Overview of Position

Advanced Navigation designs and builds complex navigation electronics for Defence and commercial applications. The production team are assembling, programming and testing highly complex electronics, optics and composites in house. As a Head of Production Engineering you will lead the Team to maintain and deliver Production systems, including production equipment, process and training, quality management, returns management and Design for Manufacture.You will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer and partner closely with the Head of Production, Head of Purchasing & Logistics and relevant Heads of R&D. You will be based at our UTS TechLabs Botany facility, spending 1-2 days a week at our George Street Office and 1-2 weeks / quarter at our Balcatta facility in WA.

Role Responsibilities

• Manage a team of 7 Production Engineers, based at Botany and Balcatta facilities. Provide the Team with direction, coaching, development and support. Hold them accountable to deliver against Production Engineering quarterly goals and weekly targets.
• Take a Leadership role in Advanced Navigation’s quarterly planning process. Analyse company goals against status and design laser focused Production Engineering goals for the Team.
• Represent and uphold core Production Engineering principles with internal stakeholders. Educate the business through a range of formal and informal communications.
• Partner with the Head of Production to maintain the Production Line. Work with the team to analyse failed products, equipment or process to Quarantine for analysis and repair. Drive scale in our high performing product lines. Identify opportunities to increase throughput, design solutions, plan and implement.
• Work through the team to ensure Advanced Navigation’s Production equipment is optimised, maintained and available for use.
• Partner with the Head of Purchasing & Logistics to ensure Advanced Navigation is working effectively with quality, innovative suppliers. Drive supplier selection protocols within the business.
• Partner with the Support Team to ensure efficient Customer Returns Management. Work through the team to provide quality analysis and report findings.
• Partner with the Head of R&D evolve our Design for Manufacture practices. Through the team, provide a core contribution to Advanced Navigation’s product development and production system design, contributing design for manufacture, BOM management, stock management, supplier selection, equipment management, verification and test.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• 10+ years of working in Production & Production Engineering functions with solid track record of managing people
• 5+ years of experience working in high volume electronics manufacturing
• Capable of upskilling quickly to develop deep technical capabilities in a challenging technical domain
• Able to work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders across the business, including R&D Engineers, Production Technicians, and Head of Departments.
• FAI and Verification & Validation (V&V) experience as well as PCB electronics design, testing and troubleshooting
• Strong, efficient communicator, written and verbal
• Well developed, structured problem solving and debugging skills
• Be highly motivated with an energetic, responsive and decisive disposition;
• Strong knowledge of WHS practices;
• Proven high standard of attention to detail, time management and “follow-through”.
• Familiarity with IPC-A-610 and ISO 9001:2015
• Familiarity with an ERP tool, such as Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce or SAP.