Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Jet Production Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Jet Production Manager oversees end-to-end production of commercial or business jet assemblies and systems, ensuring safe, compliant, efficient, and on-time delivery of aircraft and major subassemblies. This role combines manufacturing leadership, cross-functional coordination (engineering, quality, supply chain), labor and resource planning, process improvement (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen), and regulatory compliance (FAA, EASA, AS9100, NADCAP). The ideal candidate drives measurable improvements in throughput, first-pass yield, and cost per aircraft while maintaining rigorous safety and traceability standards.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Production Supervisor – Aircraft/Assemblies
Manufacturing Engineer – Aerospace
Assembly Line Manager / Shop Floor Lead

Advancement To:

Director of Manufacturing / Head of Production
VP Operations / Senior Operations Manager
Plant Manager – Aerospace

Lateral Moves:

Quality & Compliance Manager (AS9100/NADCAP)
Supply Chain / Materials Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement and own the end-to-end production plan for assigned jet models and subassemblies, aligning daily/weekly shop schedules with master production schedules and customer delivery commitments.
Lead and manage multi-disciplinary assembly lines, cell operations and production teams (supervisors, technicians, assemblers), including hiring, training, performance management and retention strategies to maintain a high-performing workforce.
Set and monitor production KPIs (throughput, on-time delivery, first-pass yield, cycle time, scrap rate), produce weekly/monthly dashboards, and drive corrective actions to achieve stretch targets.
Coordinate capacity planning and resource allocation (labor, tooling, equipment) to meet fluctuating demand while maintaining headcount and overtime budgets.
Ensure strict compliance with aviation regulatory requirements (FAA, EASA), company quality systems (AS9100, ISO 9001) and industry accreditations (NADCAP) through documented processes, audits and continuous improvement.
Oversee production quality control, nonconformance management and root cause analyses (8D, RCA), ensuring effective corrective/preventive actions and reduction of repeat defects.
Manage production Bills of Materials (BOM), routings and work instructions in ERP/MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, IFS), and ensure accuracy of build records, traceability and configuration control.
Liaise with engineering (A&P/Design), configuration management and manufacturing engineering to resolve product design-for-manufacture issues, implement updates, and expedite engineering changes (ECOs) into production safely and quickly.
Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives, Kaizen events and continuous improvement projects to reduce cycle time, lower costs, and improve ergonomics and safety on the shop floor.
Control and monitor production budgets, material consumption, scrap/cost variances and capital requests; develop and present monthly cost-to-complete and variance reports to senior leadership.
Develop and maintain safe work practices, lead safety stand-downs and ensure OSHA/industry safety regulations and internal policies are enforced across production areas.
Manage supplier and subcontractor production interfaces, ensuring supplier schedules, incoming inspection, and vendor corrective actions meet program requirements and delivery milestones.
Establish and maintain effective shift handover processes, production logs and communication channels across multiple shifts and sites to ensure continuity and knowledge transfer.
Implement training and certification programs for specialized processes (composites layup, riveting, engine installation, avionics integration) and approve technician skill matrices for critical operations.
Oversee tool, jig and equipment maintenance strategies (preventive and predictive maintenance) ensuring high equipment uptime and minimal production interruptions.
Champion product quality at the point of manufacture; perform production walkdowns, participate in final inspections, and sign off on release-to-service documentation where authorized.
Lead cross-functional production readiness reviews for new programs or major modifications, including ramp-up plans, capability assessments, and go/no-go gating criteria.
Manage change control and production risk assessment activities (FMEA, production risk registers) to mitigate potential program delays or nonconformances.
Coordinate discrete or lot-release processes, serialization, and traceability for critical parts and subassemblies, ensuring audit readiness and compliance with customer requirements.
Drive initiatives to improve inventory turns and reduce WIP through takt time optimization, line balancing and pull-based material flow (Kanban/JIT) implementations.
Facilitate effective communication with customers and program managers on production status, delivery forecasts, quality issues, and corrective action plans to maintain transparency and confidence.
Lead troubleshooting during production incidents, coordinate cross-functional incident response teams, and document lessons learned to prevent recurrence.
Support new product introduction (NPI) by developing production process flows, validation plans, first article inspection planning, and production qualification to meet program readiness timelines.
Enforce documentation discipline: approvals of travelers, assembly sign-offs, non-conformance reports (NCRs), concession requests, and release forms in accordance with regulatory and customer standards.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc production reporting requests and provide exploratory analysis to senior leadership and program managers.
Contribute to the organization's manufacturing strategy, roadmap for automation, and digitalization initiatives (MES, IoT for shop floor).
Collaborate with business units (engineering, quality, supply chain, customer service) to translate customer and design requirements into robust production requirements and actionable work packages.
Participate in continuous improvement events, cross-functional production readiness reviews, and program sprint planning for ramp-up activities.
Mentor and develop future production leaders through coaching, succession planning and formal training programs.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven experience with aerospace quality and regulatory systems: AS9100, FAA/EASA regulations, NADCAP processes.
Strong background in production planning and scheduling using ERP/MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, IFS, Microsoft Dynamics).
Expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma methodologies, Kaizen facilitation, and continuous improvement tools (5S, value stream mapping).
Proficiency with production metrics and data analysis: throughput, takt time, OEE, first-pass yield, SPC; comfortable with Excel (pivot tables), Power BI/Tableau.
Technical knowledge of aircraft structures and systems: composite assembly, metallic fabrication, riveting, systems integration, engine installs, avionics installations.
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, work instructions, and specifications.
Experience with tooling, jigs, and fixtures design/maintenance and production equipment commissioning.
Hands-on knowledge of root cause analysis tools (8D, Ishikawa, 5 Whys) and CAPA lifecycle management.
Familiarity with configuration management, product lifecycle management (PLM) and engineering change processes (ECO/ECR).
Supplier management and contract manufacturing coordination for outsourced assemblies and kitted parts.
Budgeting and cost control: production cost-to-complete, variance analysis, and CAPEX justification.
Experience implementing shop-floor digital systems: MES/WIP systems, barcode/serialization traceability, and IoT device integrations.
Knowledge of safety management systems (SMS), OSHA requirements and shop floor ergonomic principles.
Experience with NPI/production ramp-up, first article inspections (FAI), and production qualification processes.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership presence with demonstrated ability to motivate, coach and develop multi-shift teams and technical staff.
Excellent communication skills: able to present production status to executives, customers, and cross-functional teams with clarity and confidence.
Strategic thinker with practical problem-solving skills and decisiveness under production pressure and tight deadlines.
Collaborative and cross-functional: builds relationships across engineering, quality, supply chain, and customer teams.
High attention to detail and process discipline while maintaining a focus on results and continuous improvement.
Resilient and adaptable to changing priorities during program ramp-ups or quality events.
Conflict resolution and stakeholder management skills to navigate supplier/customer escalations and internal trade-offs.
Strong project management skills including planning, risk management, and milestone delivery.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MS in Manufacturing/Aerospace Engineering, MBA or similar) preferred for senior or multi-site roles.
Professional certifications such as Six Sigma Black/Green Belt, APICS/CPIM, or PMP are highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Aerospace Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Manufacturing / Industrial Engineering
Business Administration / Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

7–15+ years of progressive experience in aerospace or complex manufacturing environments, with at least 5 years in production leadership or management roles.

Preferred:

10+ years of direct aircraft or aerostructures production experience, demonstrated success managing assembly lines, production ramp-ups, supplier interfaces, and achieving AS9100/FAR/EASA compliance.
Prior experience with large jet programs, multi-disciplinary teams, and delivering to on-time/in-full (OTIF) targets under rigorous regulatory oversight.