Continuous Improvement Operations Leader
Resume:
JEROME THOMPSON
MANUFACTURING & MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS LEADER
Noblesville, IN
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linkedin.com/in/Jerome-thompson/
Manufacturing operations leader and US Army Veteran with 20+ years of experience in optimizing production and maintenance at multimillion-dollar plants of 700+ staff while ensuring on-schedule, on-budget product delivery and quality compliance.
Strategic & Technical Leadership: Excel in leading data-driven strategic planning and technical analysis of the product lifecycle to identify areas for improvement and execute innovative solutions that improve productivity by 45%+ on budgets of $550M+.
Continuous Improvement Focus: Demonstrated success in continuously improving teams, systems, and processes through operational streamlining, new technology implementation, team enablement and training, and compliance management efforts.
CORE COMPETENCIES
5’s Initiatives
Strategic Planning & Execution
Organizational Development
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
Product Lifecycle Management
Inventory Management
Kanban Methodology
Six Sigma Methodologies
Value Stream Mapping
Kaizen/5Why1H Method
KPI/Metric Development
Budgeting & Forecasting
Toyota Production System (TPS)
Quality Assurance/Management
ISO/IATF 16949 Audits
Lean Process Improvement
Continuous Improvement
Change Management
Teambuilding & Training
Mentoring & Coaching
Performance Management
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Drove process/headcount streamlining and team enablement/training initiatives across maintenance operations at BWI Group, resulting in $150K+ in annual cost savings and 6 consecutive months of under-budget maintenance costs.
Devised and executed a total productive maintenance (TPM) program at American Axle that generated a 25% improvement in overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and established American Axle as the #1 foundry in the US.
Planned and implemented a site wide TPM program for Cardinal Metal Finishing that increased machine uptime by 300 hours by reducing unplanned failures on facility equipment.
Designed and developed a strainer in-house for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) that drove a significant reduction in production downtime and delivered operational efficiencies, leading to $325K in cost savings.
Spearheaded Lean process improvements that drove 45% growth in production efficiency across all machinery at FCA in Kokomo, IN, with a nightly build rate of 1.85K units.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
BWI Group, Greenfield, IN
Senior Facilities & Maintenance Manager 2020 to 2022
Provided technical and operational leadership for both the planning and day-to-day management of facilities and maintenance functions, covering grounds and security, inventory and vendor management, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Led daily facilities/maintenance planning and the seamless execution of facilities functions such as badge management, work order entry, material inventory management, and issue escalation in line with facilities policies and procedures.
Optimized maintenance operations and reduced headcount and maintenance costs by implementing a comprehensive set of team building, training, and leadership development initiatives.
oDelivered safety training for all maintenance technicians and ensured compliance with safety standards by inspecting teams on the use of appropriate safety equipment and safety guards/devices across all installations.
oFacilitated discussions between senior BWI leadership and Ivy Tech Community College in Anderson, IN to establish a partnership for providing training to maintenance technicians.
oCoached and empowered team members to take up leadership positions, resulting in the elimination of 2nd and 3rd shift maintenance supervisors and the running of 3 shifts with only 15 technicians (against a usual requirement of 24).
Maintained operational efficiency and compliance with quality and regulatory standards across all maintenance activities to successfully pass the IATF-16949 Audit for Maintenance.
INDEX Corporation, Noblesville, IN
Facility Manager 2019 to 2020
Managed day-to-day technical and operational activities relating to repair, maintenance, and safety of the building and its equipment while driving continuous improvement in safety programs/protocols.
Developed and implemented comprehensive safety programs, trained personnel on machine safety procedures (including lock-out tag-out and fork truck training), and held monthly safety meetings to review compliance with safety standards.
Approved and coordinated requisitions for repairs and maintenance in addition to performing repairs on machines that had been damaged during shipping from Germany.
Cardinal Metal Finishing, Kokomo, IN
Operations Maintenance Manager 2018 to 2019
Oversaw installations and maintenance of robots, CNC machines, and conveyor systems across the facility, in addition to driving efficiencies in maintenance operations through the execution of a TPM program and close monitoring of OEE metrics.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Kokomo, IN
Assistant Plant Manager (Night Shift) 1996 to 2018
Strategized, executed, and optimized nightly operations at a 3.5M sq ft facility while managing a $550M operating budget and a 26-member team comprising 6 business unit leaders, 10 production supervisors, and 10 maintenance supervisors, and 700 employees, and 250 Skilled Tradesmen.
Managed a workforce comprising 500+ direct reports, 270+ indirect reports, and 4 union officials while maintaining on-time delivery, compliance with quality standards, and positive labor relations.
Coordinated manufacturing operations for 40TES, 62TE, 8 Speed, and 9 Speed Transmissions across all production departments, sub-assembly, and 2 final assemblies while holding full P&L responsibility.
Planned and executed multiple process improvement initiatives to maximize productivity and drive cost reductions, including developing an in-house strainer.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Management • Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL
TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Specialist • American Society for Quality (ASQ)
Exemplar Global Certification • Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)
IATF-1649 Auditor • Cardinal Metal Finishing, LLC
Dale Carnegie Training • Dale Carnegie Detroit and Southeastern Michigan
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Member • Veterans of Foreign Wars (2006 to Present)
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