JOHN D. SIMPKINS
Fort Worth,TX
Summary
Consistent leadership success with over twenty-five years of experience in the aerospace industry and the United States Air Force including: Manufacturing Operations Leadership, Supply Chain Management, Production Control and Repair and Overhaul. Considered a knowledgeable leader and dedicated problem solver skilled in managing functional operations and projects related to supplies and logistics. Expertise in logistical analysis, inventory and supplier performance management.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Operations Program Manager
Raytheon
11.2022 - 02.2024
- Program focal for the operational execution of all contractual requirements for the delivery of airborne reconnaissance systems in support of the V-22 Tilt rotor, CH-53K Helicopter and Triton Unmanned Aerial Vehicle programs
- Managed a cross-functional team including Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Contracts, Quality and Finance to achieve profit goals and on time delivery for customers including Boeing, Northrup Grumman, and the Defense Logistics Agency
- Functioned as Voice of the Customer to set priorities for Operations while removing any roadblocks which may hinder success resulting in a 42-day reduction in cycle time for the V22 and CH53K product lines
- Diligently assessed stock levels, line of balances and outstanding purchase orders to forecast need dates from suppliers; negotiated risk mitigation plans with trouble suppliers.
- Cost Account Manager duties include hours per unit monitoring of the factory’s performance and composed quarterly Estimate at Complete estimations for Program financial planning and profit determination
Senior Manufacturing Ops Specialist – Repair and Overhaul Center
Bell Helicopter
10.2017 - 04.2022
- Production and Materials Control specialist for V-22 and H-1 transmission repair and overhaul to provide the highest quality products to the military customer while achieving record gearbox deliveries year over year
- Managed over $120MM in Government property and Bell inventory
- Managed risk and implemented mitigations to overcome manufacturing, quality or supply chain issues impacting schedule leading to an all-time high delivery of 120 V-22 Prop Rotor Gearboxes in 2020
- Influenced across boundaries to align Master Scheduling, Procurement, Vendors and Bell manufacturing centers ensuring the right products were available at the right times to drive execution to the build plan and meet aggressive program milestones while reducing repair turnaround time
- Project leader to stand up a new offload vendor to provide case liner machining to overcome a Bell capacity constraint; collaborated with Engineering, Contracts and Quality to submit a concise Statement of Work (SOW) packages for this effort leading to a successful vendor launch within six months
- Effectively communicates program status to all levels of Leadership, Program Office, DCMA and Customer.
Supervisor Gearbox Assembly
Bell Helicopter
09.2011 - 10.2017
- Manufacturing supervisor for all Military and Commercial helicopter drive system assembly, testing and final finishing of Transmissions, Gearboxes, Masts, Hubs, Drive Shafts, and related sub-assemblies for seventeen product lines and legacy spares programs
- Led a cross functional team of union bargained assemblers, test cell operators, inspectors, planners, and dispatchers to achieve 20% year over year increases in deliveries
- Project Leader for all implementation efforts related to the new Bell 525 and 505 helicopter drive systems production by holding accountable Engineering, Planning, Tooling, Maintenance and Logistics to successfully launch these new product lines
- Achieved 45% reduction in man hours for the assembly and testing of the Bell 505 transmissions and tail rotor gearboxes by implementing a progressive assembly line vs the previous cellular based system and modernized the qualification methods
- Reduced past due balance 80% by utilizing employee engagement, deploying visual management tools, and 5S implementations to reduce cycle times and take cost out of the assembly effort without compromising on quality or schedule
- Initiated standard work practices throughout the assembly process to remove variability and leverage best practices—set a spares delivery record for the production facility at $256MM in fiscal year 2015 while reducing plant overhead costs by 15%
- Accepts and passes no defects; directs Root Cause/Corrective Actions to the shop floor level to eliminate rework, scrap and prevent manufacturing escapes to the customer; increased average first pass yield of commercial product lines by 10% to 89%.
Manufacturing Operations Supervisor
L-3 Communications
03.2009 - 09.2011
- Supervised over forty union represented technicians to perform extensive electrical and structural modifications to 37 Hawker Beechcraft B-350 aircraft; converting them from a VIP configuration into MC-12 Project Liberty Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft for the United States Air Force in direct support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom
- Managed aircraft builds of over 18,000-man hours per aircraft to under run budget and deliver all aircraft on average of 30 days ahead of contracted delivery date with cost savings of approximately $10MM per aircraft
- Deployed as leader of a seven person Tiger Team to Afghanistan to retrofit satellite communication and data link upgrades; returned all aircraft to full mission capable status while also supporting flight line maintenance and sortie generation
- Led diverse teams including Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Logistics, FAA and DCMA representatives to drive process improvement, overcome design issues and troubleshoot system anomalies during initial ground, flight and certification testing
- Safely managed both flight line operations and manufacturing activities in a hangar environment
- Conducted daily FOD walks, choreographed aircraft movements and assigned maintenance crews to repair aircraft discrepancies as quickly as possible.
Skills
- Operational Excellence
- Team leadership and direction
- Detail Oriented
- Relationship Building
- Scope Management
- Process Improvement
- Logistics Operations
- Supply Chain Management
Education Training Certifications
Forty-three credits completed towards an Associate of Arts Degree at Tarrant County College
FAA Airframe Certificate 3420336, 16 Jun 2009
Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, Power Point and PowerPoint
Adept with Shop Floor Management programs: CAMS, SAP, and Kronos
Fluent in reading 2D blueprints or 3D CAD models: CATIA, ENOVIA and Product Data Management
Accomplished with Quality Management Systems/Standards AS9100 and ISO9001
Timeline
Operations Program Manager
Raytheon
11.2022 - 02.2024
Senior Manufacturing Ops Specialist – Repair and Overhaul Center
Bell Helicopter
10.2017 - 04.2022
Supervisor Gearbox Assembly
Bell Helicopter
09.2011 - 10.2017
Manufacturing Operations Supervisor
L-3 Communications
03.2009 - 09.2011