Job description

Job Description The Lean Product and Process (LPPD) Engineering Manager is a functional leader responsible for developing and executing the Lean Product & Process Development strategy across the RF Antenna development value stream. Reporting to the AMC RF Antenna Value Stream Manager, this leader strengthens early‑phase product development, enabling knowledge flow, manufacturability, rapid learning cycles, and synchronized cross‑functional execution in support of the Tactical Solutions (TS) business. You will operate within a highly matrixed environment and shape both the technical and cultural evolution of our development system; ensuring clarity of purpose, disciplined learning, and the development of high‑performing teams. The Operations Strategic Capabilities Unit plays a fundamental role in enabling efficient business and program execution – from strategic capital investments, industrial operations and an efficient supply chain, to state-of-the-art manufacturing and test operations and top-notch facilities management. What You’ll Do: • Partner with development RF Antenna value stream leadership to define customer value and clarify purpose across engineering and operations. • Engage cross-functional teams to understand value‑creating activities and identify barriers to knowledge and hardware flow. • Build organizational awareness and alignment around the 13 LPPD principles, integrating them into daily work and development cadence. • Develop a sociotechnical strategy grounded in True North and implemented through PDCA cycles to achieve target conditions. • Use Hoshin Kanri to translate long-term strategy into executable tactics with alignment across the value stream. • Integrate LPPD practices into the broader management system by strengthening Daily Management routines, Hoshin alignment mechanisms, and structured problem‑solving behaviors across the RF Antenna development value stream. • Drive producible architecture early in the lifecycle, embedding DFM, DFT, DTUPC, and DFX disciplines as part of upstream learning cycles (“Left Shift”). • Provide leadership for Manufacturing Readiness Assessments (MRAs) and Production Readiness Reviews (PRRs), ensuring early risk identification and progressive readiness, not reactive inspection or rework. • Promote disciplined use of systems, hardware, test, and development engineering processes, reinforcing design guidelines and manufacturability criteria throughout concept and prototype cycles. • Identify organizational, process, and system gaps; design structures that maximize value creation and enable rapid learning. • Lead with a Lean coaching approach characterized by respect for people, go-and-see behavior, and problem-first thinking. • Increase development velocity through LPPD practices such as set-based learning, early manufacturability engagement, and iterative learning cycles. • Remove structural barriers limiting development flow and implement countermeasures that improve end-to-end knowledge and hardware movement. • Establish organizational clarity around customer value and success metrics, and ensure teams integrate this shared purpose into development plans, prototype builds, and decision-making. • Facilitate cross-functional alignment by connecting engineering, operations, supply chain, and program teams to shared objectives and a synchronized development cadence. • Build foundational lean thinking and LPPD literacy across teams with emerging exposure, enabling a shift from tool-based activity to systems-level problem solving. • Provide strategic and technical leadership in Development Manufacturing Engineering, including prototyping flow, design-for-manufacturability input, and transition-to-production readiness. • Lead effectively in a highly matrixed environment - at times - influencing without direct authority while aligning engineering, operations, supply chain, and program leadership. • Maintain a strong focus on safety, training, talent development, and building a high-performing organization. • Manage 2-3 matrixed managers and an overall organization of 12-15 engineers and technical professionals. • Own departmental indirect budgets to ensure stable, competitive, and predictable labor rates. • Ensure preferred part and supplier selections align to supply-chain strategy and early manufacturability constraints. • Support early awareness of manufacturability and cost drivers as part of learning cycles, ensuring decisions align with customer value, factory capability, and downstream flow. • Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule. • Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department, the Strategic Business Units, Strategic Capabilities Units and the Company. Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment. • Perform other duties as necessary. On-Site Work Environment: This position requires regular in-person engagement by working on-site five days each normally scheduled week in the primary work location. Travel and local commute between company campuses and other possible non-company locations may be required. Working Conditions: • Work is performed in an office, laboratory, production floor, or cleanroom, outdoors or remote research environment. • May occasionally work in production work centers where use of protective equipment and gear is required. • May access other facilities in various weather conditions. Short-Term Incentive: Subject to business performance and recommendations of management, this role may be eligible to participate in an incentive compensation plan. Required Education, Experience, & Skills • BS degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field is required plus 10 or more years related experience. • Each higher-level degree, i.e., Master’s Degree or Ph.D., may substitute for two years of experience. Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education. Degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education. • Demonstrated success developing strong customer relationships and shaping value based on deep understanding of customer needs. • A systems-based understanding of LPPD with emphasis on people, processes, and tools, in that order. • Experience applying the 13 LPPD principles in complex development environments. • Excellent problem-solving ability with a bias toward experimentation and dynamic learning cycles. • Ability to drive horizontal value flow across engineering, operations, and supporting organizations. • Exceptional ability to communicate purpose, align diverse groups, and connect teams to mission. • Deep conviction that Lean is a thinking system, not a toolkit. • Demonstrated experience leading organizations through technical and cultural transformation. • Experience in compliance-focused environments (AS9100, DoW/DoD, IPC standards). • Proven coaching capability and ability to develop people, increase diversity of thought, and resolve misalignment across teams. • Experience with ISO 9001 implementation and sustainment. • Proven cross-functional collaboration across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and program management. • Proven ability to influence across a matrixed organization, particularly where lean and LPPD principles are newly emerging. • Demonstrated ability to establish customer-value clarity and integrate measurable customer outcomes into development decisions. • Ability to educate and coach teams with varying levels of lean awareness, supporting sustainable cultural transformation. #LI-AD2 A DoW Interim Secret clearance will be required to start work and required to be maintained to continue work. Higher level clearance or access with Polygraph is not required to be eligible for this position. However, the applicant must be willing and eligible for submission, depending on program requirements, after an offer is accepted and must be able to maintain the applicable clearance/access. Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills • Current, active Secret clearance. • Desired experience in capital planning, ERP/PLM implementation, and development of manufacturing capabilities. Pay Information Full-Time Salary Range: $149603 - $254317 Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience. Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics. About BAE Systems, Inc. BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you’ll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Space & Mission Systems is a leading provider of national defense and civil space applications, advanced remote sensing, scientific and tactical systems for government and commercial customers. We continually pioneer ways to innovate spacecraft, mission payloads, optical systems, and other defense and civil capabilities. Powered by endlessly curious people with an unwavering mission focus, we continually discover ways to enable our customers to perform beyond expectation and protect what matters most. This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified. Multiple positions may be available on this opening.

Requirements

Must-haves

Partner with development RF Antenna value stream leadership to define customer value and clarify purpose across engineering and operations.
Engage cross-functional teams to understand value‑creating activities and identify barriers to knowledge and hardware flow.
Build organizational awareness and alignment around the 13 LPPD principles, integrating them into daily work and development cadence.
Develop a sociotechnical strategy grounded in True North and implemented through PDCA cycles to achieve target conditions.
Use Hoshin Kanri to translate long-term strategy into executable tactics with alignment across the value stream.
Drive producible architecture early in the lifecycle, embedding DFM, DFT, DTUPC, and DFX disciplines as part of upstream learning cycles (“Left Shift”).
Provide leadership for Manufacturing Readiness Assessments (MRAs) and Production Readiness Reviews (PRRs), ensuring early risk identification and progressive readiness, not reactive inspection or rework.
Promote disciplined use of systems, hardware, test, and development engineering processes, reinforcing design guidelines and manufacturability criteria throughout concept and prototype cycles.
Identify organizational, process, and system gaps; design structures that maximize value creation and enable rapid learning.
Lead with a Lean coaching approach characterized by respect for people, go-and-see behavior, and problem-first thinking.
Increase development velocity through LPPD practices such as set-based learning, early manufacturability engagement, and iterative learning cycles.
Remove structural barriers limiting development flow and implement countermeasures that improve end-to-end knowledge and hardware movement.
Establish organizational clarity around customer value and success metrics, and ensure teams integrate this shared purpose into development plans, prototype builds, and decision-making.
Facilitate cross-functional alignment by connecting engineering, operations, supply chain, and program teams to shared objectives and a synchronized development cadence.
Build foundational lean thinking and LPPD literacy across teams with emerging exposure, enabling a shift from tool-based activity to systems-level problem solving.
Provide strategic and technical leadership in Development Manufacturing Engineering, including prototyping flow, design-for-manufacturability input, and transition-to-production readiness.
Lead effectively in a highly matrixed environment - at times - influencing without direct authority while aligning engineering, operations, supply chain, and program leadership.
Maintain a strong focus on safety, training, talent development, and building a high-performing organization.
Manage 2-3 matrixed managers and an overall organization of 12-15 engineers and technical professionals.
Own departmental indirect budgets to ensure stable, competitive, and predictable labor rates.
Support early awareness of manufacturability and cost drivers as part of learning cycles, ensuring decisions align with customer value, factory capability, and downstream flow.
Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.

Nice-to-haves

Ensure preferred part and supplier selections align to supply-chain strategy and early manufacturability constraints.
Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills • Current, active Secret clearance.

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Keywords to mirror

Platform: phenom
Effort: medium

Benefits

Benefits detected in the listing.

Dental

Vision

401(K)

Paid Time Off