A transition production director in aerospace leads a shop floor under EN 9100: full traceability, First Article Inspection, ramp-up pace set by OEMs. They hold the cadence without ever sacrificing compliance, and start within days, not months.
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They run the shop floor day to day under EN 9100 constraints: scheduling, OEE, in-line quality, team leader management, all while guaranteeing that every part remains traceable from raw material to delivery. On series starts or new references, they oversee the First Article Inspection (FAI) — the full inspection of the first part produced against the drawing, a condition for launching the series. Their method: putting the basics back in place (short-interval control, problem-solving, standards), clearing bottlenecks one by one, never trading off quality documentation to save time.
Companies turn to a transition production director in aerospace because of tensions specific to the rhythm of major programs. Airbus is targeting a rate of 75 A320s per month by 2027, up from 50 per month in 2024 — rate increases of roughly 10 to 15% per year passed down through the entire supply chain. A shop sized for a lower rate that must absorb this ramp-up without breaking quality needs a pilot able to distinguish the cadence levers that can move fast — scheduling, cross-skilling, downtime reduction — from qualification work that cannot be accelerated. A sudden departure of the production director, in an organization where EN 9100 traceability relies on undocumented know-how, leaves a critical gap: a part delivered outside process can be rejected by the customer and trigger an audit that costs far more than the delay it was meant to avoid. According to GIFAS, the industry recovery is already paying off — 83% of SMEs and 74% of aerospace suppliers are now profitable — which increases pressure on hiring and frontline supervision in shops going through rapid ramp-up.
The typical profile combines 12 to 20 years of shop-floor or line management experience in airframe structures or aerospace subcontracting, with hands-on mastery of the EN 9100 standard: non-conformity management, program reviews, FAI controls. An engineering or industrial production background, complemented by proven experience managing team leaders under heavy cadence pressure. Their strength is holding two rarely compatible requirements at once: the speed demanded by the OEM and the documentation rigor that keeps the certification intact. Behaviorally, they combine uncompromising standards on traceability with the teaching skill needed to mobilize production teams under tight deadlines. Many have already led a ramp-up on an Airbus, Safran or Dassault program, giving them a fast read on the warning signs specific to this kind of ramp-up.
An executive who onboards a transition production director in aerospace must accept that quality compliance always comes before deadline: an aerospace site cannot trade off traceability to hit a cadence, even under heavy pressure from an OEM. They must give direct access to production data (OEE, non-conformities, machine capacity) and to the relationship with the customer's quality auditors from day one. In return, the executive receives a ramp-up plan prioritized by impact, with weekly tracking of cadence and compliance indicators, and frontline supervisors trained on FAI requirements so the gains hold after their departure. The assignment ends with a stabilized cadence, EN 9100 certification maintained, and an organization handed over to permanent management.
Illustration of the type of assignment led — example for educational purposes, not a reference to an actual client.
The context: a Tier 2 airframe subcontractor receives a significant ramp-up request from its main OEM, in line with the trajectory of major programs (+10 to 15% per year), while its current organization already shows signs of strain: rising non-conformities, delays on FAI controls for new references.
The stakes: absorb the ramp-up without degrading EN 9100 compliance, and avoid a delay that would ripple through the OEM's program.
The assignment: a transition production director is brought in to run the shop's ramp-up plan.
How it unfolded: the first two weeks are spent on a shop-floor diagnostic — bottleneck mapping, root-cause analysis of non-conformities, real machine capacity. The following months structure a prioritized action plan, reinstating short-interval control and training frontline supervisors on FAI requirements. The assignment typically lasts 5 to 8 months, the time needed for the new cadence to stabilize.
Expected outcome: a cadence held in line with program commitments, EN 9100 certification maintained, and supervisors autonomous on the continuation of the work.
A ramp-up demanded by an OEM; a quality drift with rising non-conformities heading toward a certification suspension risk; a sudden departure of the production director; a series start stalling with recurring FAI delays; organizational strain tied to mass hiring to absorb ramp-up. In every case, the mechanics stay the same: an expert calls you back within 2 business hours, you receive 3 targeted profiles within 72h, and the manager starts with a costed assignment letter, followed by the firm's founder through to handover.
Yes: it's an essential condition for running an aerospace shop without putting the certification at risk.
Yes: it's the core exercise of the role — distinguishing the cadence levers that can move fast from qualification work that cannot be accelerated.
Yes, on series starts and new references — a common skill among our aerospace profiles.
Callback within 2 business hours, 3 targeted profiles within 72h, start generally within one to two weeks — faster in a crisis management situation.
Cost is scoped from the first conversation based on criticality, duration and scope. It compares to the cost of a program delay or a certification suspension.
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Callback within 2 business hours · 3 targeted profiles within 72h · 100% industry