James Gifford

Experience

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  Southeastern Illinois Counseling Centers, Inc

  Oct 2008 - Nov 2010

  Prevention Specialist

  Regional provider of professional and quality behavioral health care, prevention and community services appropriate to all ages and to all socio-economic groups in Wayne County. Prevention SpecialistPartnered with the community to educate individuals on the use of illicit drugs.  Facilitated Coalition meetings Annually conducted the Illinois Youth Survey. Used the data collected through the survey and Coalition meetings to create action plans to make positive changes within the community. Counselled individuals one on one and in group settings who were affected by personal drug use or a family members use.  Served on the board of the Illinois Drug Education Alliance Partnered with SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) to educate high school students about the importance of making positive life choices. Show less

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  Vuteq USA, Inc.

  Jan 2011 - Jul 2014

  Production Supervisor

  VUTEQ, Princeton, IN 1/2011-PresentGlobal logistics, sub-assembly, and sequential pick service provider to the auto industry. At Vuteq, Indiana Team Members assemble the Instrument Panels, Overhead Systems, Glass, and picks more than 25 parts in a JIT system to Toyoto Motor Manufacturing of Indiana. Production Supervisor 2/2011 - PresentResponsible for the supervision of up to 135 team members performing assembly and logistics services in a just in time environment. Specifically oversaw the assembly of the overhead systems for our customer, who was a Tier I supplier to a large automotive manufacturer in the area. Led Kaizen team in designing new logistics dolly tongues. Facilitated physical inventory of over 3000 parts with over 310 team members participating in the activity. Investigated safety suggestions and team member incidents including near misses to identify hazard and develop countermeasure to remove the hazard. Investigated quality documents issued by our customer, identified root cause and developed countermeasures to correct non-conformity Process trained on over 50 processes to cover manpower shortages Approved hours worked for over 135 team members including requests for paid time off, overtime, missed punches, flex scheduling in preparation for new model launch. Coached and counselled team members on a variety of team member relations issues including attendance and punctuality, dignity and respect, harassment, and new team member inclusion Tracked and escalated training proficiencies for all new team members as well as seasoned team members, including but not limited to refresher training, new model launch training, process changes related to takt time changes Tracked company KPIs, prepared monthly report and presented to leadership at the monthly Production meeting. Developed and revised standardized work processes to meet customer demands for safety, quality, and efficiency. Show less

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  Champion Laboratories

  Aug 2014 - May 2019

  Operations Supervisor

  Responsible for the supervision of up to 80 team members performing assembly services in a lean manufacturing environment. Specifically oversaw the assembly of the 2.5 & 3.0 inch oil filter spin-on lines for a wide range of automotive manufactures and retail store chains.  Coached and counseled team members on a variety of team member relation issues including attendance and punctuality, dignity and respect, harassment, and new team member inclusion.  Process Trained in over 60 process to cover manpower shortages. Approved hours worked for over 80 team members, including request for paid time off, overtime, missed punches, and flex scheduling within the Kronos time system. Launched new line and new shift and facilitated training for new employees to work on new line and shift. Participated in quality review meetings to meet and exceed customer needs, including 8-D and PFEMA documentation. Show less

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  SRG Global

  May 2019 - May 2020

  Assembly Manager

  Develop and provide input on assembly requirements needed to determine the total labor and gross margin for a customer’s order. Interface with other departments to ensure customer order deadlines are met. Create detailed schedule time lines to ensure customer shipment dates and equipment specifications are met. Develop a process plan including people, resources, equipment, and floor space for each customer order. Plan flow of materials through department. Establish or adjust work procedures in order to meet production schedules. Develop and implement new and/or improved systems and procedures. Show less

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  Toyota Boshoku America

  Jan 2021 - Apr 2022

  Area Manager

  Local logistics, carpet, and sequential pick service provider to the auto industry. At TBIL, Team Members assemble the Door Panels, Seat Frames and Seats in a JIT system to Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Indiana for the Highlander Sports Utility Vehicles

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  Kerry

  Apr 2022 - now

  Plant Superintendent