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OEM Manufacturing Director

BAE Systems · Fort Wayne, IN

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Level
Director+
Team
Manufacturing
Base pay
$153k–$261k
Degree
Required
Experience asked
20+ years
Industry
Aerospace & defense
Posted
5 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A director-level manufacturing role at BAE Systems (aerospace & defense) in Fort Wayne, IN.

They ask for
20+ years · degree required
Tools it names
Lean, Six Sigma
Base pay
$153k–$261k
Day to day
some off-shift / weekend coverage

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026

Manufacturing Engineer roles in Indiana: typical posted base $98k–$146k. This one lists $153k–$261k.

Median of the low and high ends of 8 live postings that list pay, out of 48 manufacturing engineer openings in Indiana, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

Indiana plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 47 other live manufacturing postings in Indiana.

Base pay
About 78% above similar roles

Typical $97k–$135k, from 7 postings that list pay.

Experience asked
More than usual (20+ vs 5+)

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • ✓ Lean 52%
  • New product launch 40%
  • Tooling 38%
  • Team leadership 35%
  • Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 35%
  • Root cause 33%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 20+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Off-shift / weekend coverage

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

  1. 1

    Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at BAE Systems

    We found 9 people at this company and state: 9 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓

  2. 2

    Send a short, curious note

    One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.

    Write to Jacob → (free)
  3. 3

    Turn a reply into a short call

    Questions worth asking about this team:

    • What does a normal week look like on your team?
    • Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
    • How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
    • How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
    • How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
  4. 4

    Apply with someone vouching for you

    If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.

  5. 5

    Bring proof to the interview

    One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: BAE Systems in Fort Wayne

7 other open roles at this site · 9 people we found in manufacturing roles at BAE Systems.

All 8 roles at BAE Systems →
Full description from BAE SystemsAs posted on their careers site.Show

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

  • ✓Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, Operations Management, or related field; equivalent experience considered OR 20 years manufacturing experience with no degree
  • ✓Minimum 10 years’ experience in production/manufacturing
  • ✓Minimum 6 years’ experience leading production/manufacturing teams including managing people leaders
  • ✓Proficiency with manufacturing management concepts
  • ✓Proficiency applying Lean Manufacturing principles and visual management tools

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

  • ✓Proficiency with Oracle ERP
  • ✓Formal Lean or Six Sigma training/certification
  • ✓Minimum 10 years’ experience leading people leaders of production/manufacturing teams

Pay Information

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 a defense, aerospace, and security company headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with more than 40,000 employees worldwide. We serve, supply, and protect those who protect us. As one of the most geographically diverse international defense companies, we deliver a full range of products and services spanning air, land, maritime, space, and cyber, including advanced electronics, intelligence solutions, and dedicated customer support.

Our culture is performance-driven and values-led, built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. Purpose isn't a tagline here. It's what drives us. We're developing breakthrough technologies that defend national security and make a lasting impact on our communities and our planet. When you join BAE Systems, you're not just building a career. You're contributing to a mission that truly matters.

Show full description ↓

Job Description As the Fort Wayne OEM Director of Manufacturing, you will be a key leadership contributor to the success of the Fort Wayne Manufacturing Hub. Reporting to the Hub Director of Manufacturing, you will provide inspirational leadership in a rapidly growing business and have responsibility for all original equipment manufacturing at the site. This role demands a strategic, results-oriented leader with a proven track record of building and scaling rapidly growing organizations. Because of the need for consistent, in-person collaboration and/or the requirement to perform all work onsite due to the nature of this particular role, it will be performed full-time on site. This means work will be conducted on location at a BAE Systems facility 100% of the time.

Strategic Product Stream Leadership

  • •Own the strategic direction, execution, and performance of the Circuit Card Assembly and Unit Integration factories
  • •Serve as the primary point of contact between production and program management

Program Execution

  • •Oversee execution of manufacturing in alignment with program schedules
  • •Ensure all contractual obligations (cost, schedule, performance) are met or exceeded

Performance Improvement

  • •Drive continuous improvement using Lean, Six Sigma Principles
  • •Implement metrics to monitor production performance
  • •Initiate corrective actions to resolve production variances, quality escapes, and manufacturing cost variances

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