Richard Wilson
Business Unit Leader
An established business unit leader with over ten years of experience driving operational successes within a number of production and logistics organizations. A highly driven continuous improvement advocate with a broad range of management experience in all key elements of the manufacturing industry. A progressive individual with over five years of double digit quality and cost improvements achieved within growing, downsizing and newly established business units.
Achievements
• Built the SpaceX sub assemblies organization responsible for the repeating production of 500 assembly sets per flight.
• Established a one hundred and five strong production org. split into 5 tactical teams and 3 support functions.
• Drove a 30 strong manufacturing and quality engineering org. to achieve 20% year on year quality improvement targets.
• Managed the new product introduction of 9 part families and 3 major assemblies for 5 jet engine manufacturers.
• Re built and re structured a compromised engineering and quality organization into 3 value adding teams.
• Developed all planning for 1/5th of Snecma’s North American LEAP suppliers from product development to rate production.
• Program managed the plant closure and transfer of a 33 part number, $10 million per year turbine blade book of business.
• Supervised a team of 25 associates assuring the on-time delivery of $1.5 million per month of F-15 and C-17 assemblies.
• Overhauled the material handling systems in a GKN Sinter Metals mixing plant reducing production lead times by over 25%.
• In-sourced a large volume machining process for GKN Sinter Metals that decreased production scrap rates by over 15%.
• Reduced the financial risk to GKN Aerospace via meticulous creation of one of its key sites £119 million full year budgets.
• Found the aerodynamic failure mechanism of Flight Refuelling’s variable speed drogue allowing a solution to be developed.
• Aided Rolls-Royce with a key design issue by certifying the MK951 gearbox for an increased power off-take application.
• Supported the certification of the A400M’s wings by creating the electrical resistance model for her carbon fibre wings. Education
Mar 2014 -
May 2014
Xavier University - Project Management Certification Three month, three module project management certification course with real life, team based course work requirements after each module. Course followed by PMI’s PMP certification submittal and the successful conclusion of the timed exam to achieve PMP certification credentials.
Jan 2012 -
Jun 2013
GKN MCIL Training Course - Mastering Continuous Improvement Leadership GKN’s 18 month, senior management, lean production training course. Production Excellence, Business Process Excellence & People Excellence (GKN’s Internal Black Belt Program). Jan 2007 -
Dec 2008
GKN ILDP Training Courses - Core Leadership Skills Lean Workshop, Finance For Aspiring Leaders, Project Management Basics, Communication And Presentation Workshops. Sep 2002 -
Sep 2007
The University Of Bath - Masters in Aerospace Engineering A duel accredited degree (IMechE and the RAS) with an effective balance of teachings in core engineering subjects whilst educating its students in finance, communication and interdisciplinary skills. Key study subjects included Aerodynamics, Thermodynamics, Aerospace Structures, Propulsion, Aerospace Materials, Solid Mechanics, Design, Manufacturing, CFD, FEA, Fluid Power and Electronics.
Aug 2004 -
Aug 2005
Rolls-Royce Training Courses - Undergraduate Training Modules Process Engineering, Six Sigma Implementation, Precise Presenting. Sep 1995 -
Sep 2002
St John Fisher Roman Catholic High School - College And Secondary School A-Level Results: Maths = A, Physics = A, Design & Technology = A, General Studies = B, AS Results: Chemistry = B GCSE Results: Science Double Award A*A*, Maths A*, Design & Technology A*, Geography A, Religious Education A, English Literature
= B, English Language = B, French = B
Experience
Jan 2015 -
present
Production Manager
Space Exploration Technologies
Led the creation of a subassemblies organization responsible for the repeating production of over five hundred unique assembly sets used on each of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets. Developed then implemented a facilities plan which saw the use of over three million dollars of capital investment to install a functioning business unit into an existing empty warehouse. Managed the creation of a structured six team organization turning a newly established set of twelve structures technicians in to a one hundred and five strong organization with three self-sufficient value stream managers, eight team leads and three indirect support functions. Drove the prioritization then execution of an army of process improvement initiatives to achieve 20%, 35% and 15% year on year (2015/16/17) productivity improvements (7350 hours per vehicle down to 5000 then to 4250). Implemented a fully operational Kanban based production process to support the calm day to day scheduling of work to twenty four fixed value streams. Instigated the establishment of inline testing teams across the Hawthorn campus and then developed the assets and the team to ensure truly parallel path build / test capabilities. Reduced workmanship issue ticket creation by over 25% per year in 2016 and 2017. Increased production output six fold in three years. Personal Info
Address
846 E Foothill Blvd,
Monrovia,
California,
91016,
USA.
Phone
************@*******.***
Date of birth
02-02-1984
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwilson84/
Key Skills
Subservient Leadership
Proven
Self Motivator
Relentless
Performance Metrics
Seasoned
Problem Solving
Meticulous
Project Management
Accomplished
Continuous Improvement
Matured
Interests
Friends And Family
Sausage Making
Bonsai Trees
Craft Beers
Jan 2014 -
Jan 2015
Purchasing Manager
SAFRAN Snecma
Program managed ten of Snecma’s North American suppliers responsible for delivery of product in support of the newly developed LEAP gas turbine engine. Responsible for tier one schedule creation and critical path analysis to ensure visibility of all key actions between internal working teams, supplier leadership and Snecma’s multi layered governance structure. Drove schedule adherence from the initiation of process development activity through to the completion of the industrialization plans required to support rate production. Supported all supplier selection audits to de-risk supplier selection activity on all un- awarded work scope.
Jun 2011 -
Jan 2014
Engineering & Quality Manager
GKN Aerospace Engine Products
Managed the re-structure and day to day activities of a 30 strong engineering & quality department within GKN Cincinnati’s 240,000 sq. ft. gas turbine engine component facility. Monthly and annual responsibility to be operations key support function during the production of its product from the facilities five unique value streams. Project managed all new product introduction activity inclusive of up stream bid proposal work, process development, project scheduling, project resourcing and progress tracking to customers and internal management. Responsible for capital investment selections and technology acquisition decisions to advance the sites precision manufacturing capabilities. Product familiarization and ownership included compressor/turbine blades and vanes, compressor blisks and sub structure, combustion and turbine cases and engine module assembly work.
Mar 2009 -
Jun 2011
Program Manager
GKN Aerospace Engine Products
Managed the in-load of thirty three jet engine components from a closing UK facility to GKN’s Cincinnati operations to add $10 million per year to its annual sales. In addition to acting as the point of contact for all affected customers my responsibilities included project scheduling, capacity and resource planning, internal and external programmatic reporting along with technical ownership of a percentage of the manufacturing and quality engineering requirements. The skill set shortfalls of the in-load facility resulted in long term diligent management of internal and external engineering resources, a number of special process suppliers, multiple machine suppliers and an array of uniquely complex customers. Sep 2007 -
Mar 2009
GKN International Leadership Development Program
Strategic, individually tailored, leadership acceleration program offering the opportunity to undertake three business critical projects within three countries, three businesses and three functions during a eighteen month period. GKN Aerospace North America - Production Supervisor Managed a team of twenty staff members across logistics, production, engineering and maintenance. Responsible for the on time delivery of $1.5 million worth of aerospace assemblies each month. Managed a range of continuous improvement projects reducing cost, increasing quality and improving flow visualization. Responsibilities also included allocation of skill sets to production tasks, management of training requirements and daily production scheduling. GKN Sinter Metals India - Manufacturing Engineer
In sourced a large volume machine process previously carried out by vendors. Project managed the capital investment of
£100,000 worth of supplementary mass-finishing equipment to accommodate additional and future capacity. Project managed a £145,000 improvement project for the sites metal powder mixing facility to solve concerns highlighted via customer audits. Implemented three twenty meter long material handling lanes for the sites 1000 kg bags of raw material. Installed a seventy square meter mezzanine floor to assure feasible segregation between powder storage and mixing activity. GKN Aerospace Europe - Financial Analyst
Carried out a business process excellence project reducing the office hours associated with populating the sites financial forecasting and budget model. Implemented sustainable changes to the model allowing for improved work sharing functionality. Acted as half of the two man team responsible for the creation of the Cowes 2008, 119 million pound sales, 14 million pound profit, budget. Reduced the financial risk related to a major new winglet program via diligent monthly reporting on monthly costs to the local production leadership.
Jan 2007 -
Jul 2007
Research and Development Engineer - Masters Dissertation Project Flight Refuelling Ltd
Modeled, designed, manufactured and utilized a bespoke £55,000 test rig to allow for the aerodynamic analysis of Flight Refuelling’s variable speed refuelling drogue. Empirically then experimentally derived the aerodynamic failure mechanism causing the full scale units to critically fail in operation. Compiled technical reports to communicate the findings of the budgeted test program to the products design team. Developed and presented a number of viable design alterations that aided Flight Refuelling design amendments that solved their business critical problem. Feb 2006 -
Oct 2006
Future Projects Engineer - Bachelors Research Project Rolls-Royce Plc
Studied future air frame power requirements of the next generation of unmanned aircraft. Developed and then presented on a wide range of engine alterations that could extract increased power levels from existing Rolls-Royce engines. Carried out business critical work into a specific re-design that required additional off-take power. Certified the Adour MK951’s gearboxes for increased power-off-take resolving a key design concern and in doing so removed a show stopper for a strategic future unmanned aircraft platform.
Aug 2004 -
Jun 2005
Design Engineer - Under Graduate Internship
Airbus UK
Assisted seven chief design engineers in the systems instillation department responsible for the design of all of the wing systems in Airbus’s A400M heavy lifter. Completed feasibility reports and presentations into possible weight saving opportunities for the A400M wing program. Created an empirically derived mathematical model to predict the electrical resistance of the carbon fiber wing panels and thus significantly aiding the aircraft's lightning protection certification project.