Director, Facility Engineering & Operations

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities. GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.Job Summary We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Director, Facility Engineering & Operations to join our team at GKN Aerospace. The Director, Facility Engineering & Operations is a senior site leadership role providing strategic, operational and engineering leadership for facilities maintenance, repair, utilities, infrastructure, capital projects, and environmental compliance supporting vertically integrated acrylic manufacturing at the Garden Grove site. Requires an executive‑level ability for hands‑on leadership during critical equipment recovery, long‑range infrastructure strategy, and capital planning. Direct improvement projects to repair, overhaul or replace existing equipment and infrastructure systems (e.g. air, chilled water, steam). Directly supports Product Safety, On-Time Delivery, Environmental Stewardship, and Zero Harm by maintaining controlled environments, resilient utilities, and compliant infrastructure in alignment with AS9100, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, Cal/OSHA, and California environmental regulations. Provide leadership during high‑impact equipment or infrastructure events to restore critical assets and maintain operational capability; Formulate and deliver strategies for systemic capital improvements to the site’s infrastructure that are both cost effective and compliant to local, state, and federal environmental, health and safety regulations. Job Responsibilities Build and lead a highly engaged Facilities & Maintenance department team Lead union and non-union facilities teams. Create and sustain a culture aligned with our "Great Place to Grow" values by role-modeling behaviors, motivating, and recognizing team contributions. Be open and honest in performance appraisals, supporting and coaching individuals to close performance gaps. Execute Daily Management and Standardized Work through Leader Standard Work and Tiered communication flow. Lead facilities maintenance, repair, and reliability programs implementing systemic upgrades through CMMS software; monitor and report on key metrics (e.g., OEE) and drive performance improvements. Ensure uptime of HVAC, electrical distribution, compressed air, chilled water, and other process utilities and systems Investigate and resolve systemic maintenance issues, including root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions Apply industrial engineering principles to facility layout, flow, and capacity enablement Organize the creation and sustainment of Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) of critical equipment and lead the improved reliability of equipment performance Ensure compliance with SCAQMD/AQMD, CUPA, DTSC, Cal/OSHA, and local authorities Lead capital deployment lifecycle through 5-year strategic planning, project scoping, Capex approval, project execution and project closure Support AS9100, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, customer, and regulatory audits Manage customer and stakeholder relationships, including issue resolution, performance reviews, and audits. Job Qualifications Required Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in relevant engineering (industrial, process, chemical, etc.), or equivalent experience Direct experience in facilities & maintenance of ISO-5/ISO-7 cleanrooms and HVAC, CNC (e.g. Heian, Zimmerman, Fadal, etc.), chilled water, steam, compressed air and vacuum, chemical distribution, and plant electrical. Capital project leadership in regulated manufacturing 10 years of aerospace & defense manufacturing experience or other regulated manufacturing fields 10 years of management, supervisory, or leadership professional experience Must be U.S. Person in compliance with U.S. ITAR regulations Strong knowledge of aerospace quality standards (AS9100, AS9145, ISO9001) and customer/regulatory requirements. Strong knowledge of EH&S standards (ISO14001, ISO45001) and California environmental regulations Strong leadership, communication, and project management skills. Desired Qualifications: Reliability & Maintainability Implementation Certification (RMIC) Aerospace or aircraft parts manufacturing industry experience in the Joint Strike Fighter program, OEM customers (e.g. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Bombardier, Airbus, etc. Compensation Data Annual Salary: $162,203.00 - $202,753.00We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go? A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work. We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know. We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology. ​​