Project Manager (El Cajon)

Position SummaryWe are seeking an experienced, hands-on Project Manager to join our aerospace forging operation during a critical period of commercial growth. This role is accountable for leading production ramp-up and rate-readiness initiatives—aligning people, equipment/tooling, processes, suppliers, and quality systems to achieve safe, compliant, and on-time delivery performance. The ideal candidate is comfortable working across the shop floor and leadership team, drives structured execution (scope/schedule/cost/risk), and thrives in a fast-paced, highly regulated manufacturing environment.Principal Duties and ResponsibilitiesLead end-to-end ramp-up and rate-readiness plans for major aerospace commercial programs, coordinating execution across operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, maintenance, and finance.Develop and maintain integrated master schedules and resource plans that include long-lead raw material, outside processing, tooling, equipment capacity, staffing/training, and first-article/qualification milestones.Own the project risk/opportunity register; identify constraints (capacity, labor, tooling, yield, inspection throughput, supplier performance) and drive mitigation plans with clear owners, due dates, and escalation paths.Establish and report ramp-up KPIs (schedule attainment, on-time delivery, throughput/cycle time, capacity utilization, yield/scrap/rework, and WIP/lead time), providing data-driven recommendations to leadership.Facilitate daily/weekly operating cadences (tier meetings), readiness gate reviews, and cross-functional problem-solving sessions; publish clear agendas, decisions, and action-item closure.Manage project budgets and capital/tooling plans; track actuals vs. plan, forecast to completion, and support purchase justification, vendor coordination, installation, and commissioning activities.Partner with Supply Chain to ensure supplier readiness and long-lead procurement (billet/ingot, die steel, heat treat, NDT, machining), including capacity/risk assessments and recovery plans.Coordinate manufacturing readiness deliverables (process flow, work instructions/routers, inspection plans, gage strategy, control plans as applicable) in alignment with customer requirements and the site quality system (e.g., AS9100/NADCAP where applicable).Drive disciplined change control throughout ramp-up (engineering changes, tooling changes, routing revisions, inspection changes), ensuring impacts to cost, schedule, capacity, and customer commitments are assessed and communicated.Experience and Education RequiredBachelor's degree in engineering (Manufacturing/Mechanical/Industrial/Metallurgical)3+ years of project/program management experience in manufacturing, including at least 1 year in aerospace/defense or another regulated environment; ramp-up, capacity expansion, or production start-up experience strongly preferred.Experience with project scheduling tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent) and comfort working with manufacturing systems/data (ERP/MRP, capacity models, Excel/BI dashboards) preferred.Strong understanding of manufacturing operations and planning (S&OP/MPS/MRP), with exposure to forging/heat treat/NDT/machining and first-article/qualification workflows a plus.PMP certification (or active pursuit) preferred; Lean/Six Sigma and/or APQP/PPAP familiarity is a plus.Exceptional communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills; able to influence across functions and levels using clear priorities and data.Ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities in a high-tempo environment; working knowledge of aerospace quality requirements (e.g., AS9100) and special process controls (e.g., NADCAP) is beneficial.HBD Industries is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.HBD NOTICE OF COLLECTION - CALIFORNIA – December 2022Please click on this link to view the notice.