Manager Test Engineering

Charles Huron Kaman was a 26-year-old engineer in 1945 when he founded Kaman Aircraft Company in the garage of his mother’s West Hartford, Connecticut home with $2,000 invested by two friends. He started the company to demonstrate a new rotor concept he devised to make helicopters stabler and easier to fly. Over the next half-century, Mr. Kaman built the company into a worldwide leader in the aviation industry. Kaman Aircraft, now Kaman Corporation, has become a billion-dollar company.

Under the administrative direction of the Director of Manufacturing and Test Engineering, is responsible for the management and leadership of test engineering and testing operations in accordance with military specifications and procedures. Provide technical support to the manufacturing cells.

* Oversee the development, improvement and control of testing, test equipment, design and development of testing stations and test processes and review the resolution of operational, manufacturing and facility problems to ensure minimum costs, prevent operational delays and achieve future growth targets. * Propose improvements/expansions, as necessary. * Support new product development activities to assure manufacturability and testing issues are resolved prior to implementation. * Interface effectively with government and commercial agencies/customers, auditors, members of the business community and corporate executive management in oral and written communication formats. * Develop and execute short-term and long-range plans and programs in coordination with supporting budget requirements and financial estimates to improve work standards, testing processes and work flow. * Manage employees assigned. Prioritize workloads in accordance with company and customer needs, budget, and cost. * Develop training plans and monitor accomplishment to ensure the development of employee skills. * Evaluate employee performance and provide appropriate feedback. * Establish and maintain effective communication with internal/external customers to facilitate problem identification and resolution. * Participate in and support the communication of company philosophy and information to employees. * Support performance improvement initiatives and streamline processes. * Ensure that test engineering is an integral component of product design ,test and use proper equipment deployment. * Establish and maintain Design failure Mode & Effects Analysis(DFMEA) and Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis(PFMEA) for all programs/lines. * Perform special projects as assigned. Strong electrical (40%), mechanical (20%) and software (40%) background (Labview a plus). * Has designed test equipment or precision manufacturing equipment (knowing Solidworks or Autocad a plus). * Strong people skills in a change management roll. Has mentored and continued talent development. * Deploy technical solutions, develop capability to coordinate and leverage talent and best practices in Manufacturing and Test Engineering. * Determine and deploy test and manufacturing engineering best practices. * Use SPC tools that are linked to quality requirements that build plans for test engineering. * Ability to obtain/maintain security clearance.

* Broad knowledge of a general technical field such as manufacturing, mechanical or industrial engineering involving the use of a broad theoretical knowledge equivalent to a complete 4-year college education. * Fluent oral and written communication skills needed and the effective and efficient use of a personal computer. * Must be able to read blueprints, technical drawings, bills of material, assembly instructions utilized to build units, assemblies and/or machine parts. * Bachelor’s degree in a related technical field required. * 10 years directly related experience including demonstrated knowledge and experience with a broad range of environmental test equipment, test planning, execution and reporting. * Test planning, test equipment design (mechanical and electrical), execution and reporting.