Safety Management Systems (SMS) Manager

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity being respectful and accountable to one another and staying humble and driven while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.

We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future.

Woodward supports our members wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position. Salary will be determined by the applicants education experience knowledge skills and abilities as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Estimated annual base pay: $108000 (minimum) - $140000 (midpoint) - $173000 (maximum)

All Levels are eligible for the benefits below:

• All members included in annual cash bonus opportunity.

• 401(k) match (4.5%)

• Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)

• Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities for all members

• 12 paid holidays

• Industry leading medical dental and vision Insurance upon date of hire

• Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave

• Paid parental leave

• Adoption Assistance

• Employee Assistance Program including mental health benefits

• Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life

• Member referral bonus

• Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending

• Voluntary benefits including:

  • Home / Auto Insurance discounts

  • Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave

Summary:

The Safety Management System (SMS) Manager leads the implementation maintenance integration and continual improvement of the product Safety Management System for Fuel Systems & Controls (FS&C).

This role supports a proactive enterprise-wide approach to product safety through leadership engagement hazard identification risk-based decision making safety assurance and safety promotion.
The SMS Manager partners with Business Unit and site leaders Engineering Operations Quality Product Support and customer-facing teams to embed product safety principles across design development production fielded product support and service activities. The role promotes an open reporting environment supports effective safety governance and helps ensure that product safety controls are implemented monitored and validated.

Key Responsibilities:

SMS Governance and Policy Deployment

• Lead the deployment and sustainment of the product Safety Management System (SMS) in alignment with company SMS policy and applicable site-specific SMS manuals.

• Support Business Units and sites in implementing the four SMS elements: Safety Policy Safety Risk Management Safety Assurance and Safety Promotion.

• Develop and maintain SMS processes procedures tools governance routines and records.

• Coordinate periodic reviews of the SMS policy and supporting processes to ensure continued relevance and effectiveness.

Safety Program Management Team Support

• Support Safety Program Management Team (SPMT) governance meeting preparation safety concern reviews decision documentation and action tracking.

• Maintain the safety item worklist including approved containment actions permanent corrective actions closure requirements monitoring and validation of effectiveness.

• Coordinate cross-functional inputs required for timely informed and data-driven safety decisions.

• Support collaboration with the end product owner in determining whether a component-level concern represents a customer product safety issue.

Quality Management and Process Improvement

• Oversee and direct quality assurance teams to achieve established quality and safety objectives.

• Develop implement and enforce quality standards and procedures across operational processes.

• Identify analyze and resolve technical and operational quality issues to maintain operational excellence.

• Develop and implement strategies to improve quality control processes and promote continuous improvement.

• Conduct performance appraisals provide feedback and facilitate training and development for team members.

Proactive Hazard Identification and Reporting

• Establish and improve structured ongoing processes for identifying potential product safety hazards across the product life cycle.

• Promote a just and open reporting environment that encourages employees to report hazards and safety concerns without fear of retaliation.

• Integrate Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) learning teams and human factors principles where applicable.

• Reinforce STOP culture expectations and the prevention of defect pass-through.

Safety Risk Management

• Facilitate the consistent assessment prioritization and management of product performance risks using defined methodologies.

• Ensure internal risk assessments remain focused on the ability of components or systems to meet design intent and customer specifications.

• Coordinate customer approval or involvement before customer product-level system safety risk assessments are performed.

• Track risk controls intended to eliminate or mitigate identified risks to an acceptable level.

Safety Assurance and Continuous Improvement

• Establish monitoring and assurance activities to evaluate SMS conformance performance and control effectiveness.

• Use performance data audits lessons learned and relevant industry trends to identify opportunities for continual improvement.

• Coordinate validation of containment and permanent corrective action effectiveness through closure.

• Support compliance with applicable regulatory and product safety requirements.

Training Communication and Engagement

• Develop and coordinate role-based SMS training to ensure personnel have the knowledge and skills required to fulfill safety responsibilities.

• Create and execute communication plans that improve safety awareness alignment and active participation at all organizational levels.

• Provide coaching and practical guidance to leaders and functional teams regarding SMS responsibilities and expectations.

• Promote the sharing of lessons learned and effective safety practices across Business Units and sites.

Enterprise Integration and Leadership

• Integrate safety management principles into design development production quality support and service processes.

• Advise leadership on SMS performance emerging product safety risks resource needs and improvement priorities.

• Build strong cross-functional relationships and influence action across organizational boundaries.

• Champion a positive product safety culture focused on prevention accountability learning and continuous improvement.

• Monitor departmental operational and financial performance and allocate resources to support quality and safety objectives.

Key Skills and Qualifications

• Leadership team development and cross-functional collaboration.

• Safety Management System governance and product safety risk management.

• Quality assurance corrective action root cause analysis and continuous improvement.

• Strong problem-solving decision-making communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to use data audits and performance metrics to support informed decisions.

• Knowledge of operational planning business processes and financial performance.

• Technical expertise in quality safety or manufacturing operations.

Other Qualifications:

• Aken certification Certified Technician credential or bachelors degree

This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national lawful permanent resident (i.e. Green Card holder) or a protected person (e.g. asylee or refugee).

Woodward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race color religion sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity) national origin age disability protected veteran status or any other category protected under federal state or local laws.

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