Program Manager

JOB SUMMARY:

The Program Manager coordinates the activities of the Production Design Team (PDT) which are primarily focused in two areas: new job start up (NJSU) and scrap and cost reduction for existing jobs. PDT activities also include tooling and sample coordination, quote / no quote decision making, and implementing quality and engineering changes.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB:

1. Interface with the Customer Order Coordinators to identify newly awarded jobs; enter new jobs in the New Job Start Up (NJSU) Log; track and report the progress of all NJSU projects to completion

2. Ensure that all information necessary for PDT review is in hand; if information is missing, work independently and/or through the Customer Liaisons to obtain it

3. When all necessary information is in hand, place the job on the PDT calendar; send out prep material and assignments to PDT members sufficiently in advance of the scheduled review

4. Lead the PDT’s pre-production review of each new job over one or more meetings; ensure that tooling and rigging design, foundry production design, and machining process design are evaluated, discussed, and debated in depth and in detail so that Donsco has the best possible chance of producing the part without scrap from the first run

5. Ensure that the PDT’s review of new jobs also results in a sampling plan, a preliminary job cost, and a set of preliminary manufacturing work instructions.

6. The PDT oversees all tooling design, development, and/or modification; in conjunction with the Pattern Shop Manager, the Coordinator assigns pattern work to Donsco’s shop or issues a PO to the selected outside tooling vendor

7. Maintain the NJSU Log and facilitate the tooling development process to ensure (with the Customer Liaison) that existing tooling arrives from the customer or another foundry in a timely manner and in the appropriate condition or to ensure the timely delivery, inspection, and rigging of new tooling from in-house or outside tooling vendors

8. Facilitate the Pattern Shop Manager’s work to ensure that all patterns are rigged properly and are ready for sampling or production on a timely basis

9. The PDT initiates and oversees the sampling process for new and existing parts; once the PDT decides to run a sample, the coordinator enters it in the Sample Log and coordinates its production as needed with the Production Scheduler

10. Maintain the Sample Log and facilitate the process to ensure that all samples are produced in a timely manner and according to the PDT-developed production design, that data are collected at each step in the sample production process, and that sampling data and results are reported back to the PDT in a timely manner

11. Schedule and facilitate a Sample Review meeting within the PDT to explore sample results and determine next steps; close out the NJSU process for those parts that are ready for production; continue the NJSU / Sampling process for those that must be re-sampled; repeat as needed until the NJSU process can be closed out

12. Work through the Customer Order Coordinators to ensure that Guardian is updated with results from the sampling process and updates to job costs, prices, work instructions, etc.

13. Interface with the Quality department as required to ensure that AP/QP submissions are ready on time and that layouts are performed to spec and on time.

14. Work the Misery Index and interface with the VP – Marketing and/or other PDT members to identify existing “problem jobs” that must be improved (i.e., margins are too low, scrap rates are too high, productivity is too low, etc.)

15. Ensure that all information necessary for PDT review is in hand; if information is missing, work independently and/or through the Customer Liaison to obtain it

16. When all necessary information is in hand, place the job on the PDT calendar; send out prep material and assignments to PDT members sufficiently in advance of the scheduled review

17. Lead the PDT’s review of each existing job over one or more meetings; if the PDT decides to modify tooling and/or produce samples, the job should be entered in the appropriate Log and its progress monitored and facilitated as above

18. Ensure that the VP – Marketing is aware of all PDT actions that impact cost.

19. Interface with the Customer Liaison to identify RFQs that require PDT review in order to decide whether to quote them or not (most RFQs will not need PDT review)

20. Ensure that all information necessary for PDT review is in hand; if information is missing, work independently and/or through the Customer Liaison to obtain it

21. When all necessary information is in hand, place the RFQ on the PDT calendar; send out prep material and assignments to PDT members sufficiently in advance of the scheduled review

22. Lead the PDT’s review of each RFQ to facilitate the quote / no quote decision.

23. Interface with various Donsco staff to identify all proposed changes

24. Ensure that all information necessary for PDT review is in hand; if information is missing, work independently and/or through the Customer Liaison to obtain it

25. When all necessary information is in hand, place the proposed engineering or quality change on the PDT calendar; send out prep material and assignments to PDT members sufficiently in advance of the scheduled review

26. Lead the PDT’s review of each proposed engineering change over one or more meetings; if the tooling must be modified and/or samples must be produced, the job should be entered in the appropriate Log and its progress monitored and facilitated as above

27. Interface with the VP – Marketing to ensure that engineering and quality changes are paid for by the customer or, at a minimum, that a conscious decision is made not to charge for the change.

ESSENTIAL JOB REQUIREMENTS (BACKGROUND/SKILL/TRAINING):

1. High school or equivalent as a minimum; technical degree (Associates or Bachelors) is highly preferred.

2. Five or more years of experience working in an iron foundry and/or machine shop in a technical or manufacturing position.

3. Basic understanding about foundry production, design, job costing, patternmaking, iron casting, tooling design and machining.

4. Strong blueprint reading skills; must be able to read and understand geometric tolerances

5. Must be able to use relevant information systems needed to perform the job; Strong knowledge of MS Office software, especially MS Excel

6. Strong project management skills; able to get things done through people and keep projects moving forward to completion.

7. Extremely well organized, outstanding time management skills and highly productive; able to get things done in a high quality, timely manner

8. Able to work well and communicate with all functional departments within the company, works within tight time constraints and deadlines and is committed to “getting the job done right” no matter how long it takes.

9. A solid team player who is highly dependable, team oriented, ethical, and trustworthy.

About Donsco Inc

Donsco, Inc. is North America’s leading single source provider of machined iron castings, and has been in continuous operation for more than 100 years