structural engineer

mechanic

assembler

sheet metal mechanic

engineer

Spirit AeroSystems

Not going to lie as to how I feel about my time that I have been with this company. Like any company it has its good and bad points. The good with the company: if you want to do nothing more with your life but work, this is the place for you. They will let you work yourself till you cant possibly function anymore. Overtime is highly pushed, more so on the weekends. The benefits are good, I only use the vision and dental for myself and family and its pretty low in cost. There are some decent people that work here. The bad, as I see them: if you enjoy spending as much time as possible with family then maybe this place would not be a good fit. OVERTIME is highly pushed and even more so on the weekends. There seems to be more emphasis focused on the weekend then on the actual production week. The managers push to get the product pushed out the door in a timely manor, focused more on quantity instead of quality. As a result it leads to a lot of mistakes being made and having to redo the order. most of the time I see the production managers just sitting at their desk until its time to prepare for shift change.  There are 3 shifts at this location, you start on 1st shift to learn what you need to know. Then your pushed to either 2nd or 3rd shift, your chances of ever being able to go to first is slim to none and you can put a larger bet on none. In the case of that along with at sometimes forced overtime, you will spend more time at work then at home. Again if you don't mind it that way then that is a positive for you. There is no consistent schedule, there are a lot of times when all of a sudden you go from working 8 hour shifts to 10 hour shifts with little to no notice. That can make it harder if you rely on a babysitter. The 10 hour shifts can last until production is back on par and there is no timeline given for that. I started my time here enjoying the work, but the culture of management and the lack of quality minded people, the time I have missed with my family (I have been here for a little less then 3 yrs and have been stuck on 3rd shift the entire time, having to sleep during the day and only seeing my family for a short time each day). Has made me decide to obtain employment elsewhere.   What this company needs to do is; 

Managers
1. Focus more on quality vice quantity, the amount of wasted product is hurting the company and making the customer question the product. Higher quality will keep the customer coming back for more business. 
2. Focus on the production week instead of the weekend. Most of the time nothing really gets completed on the weekend as most that show up are only riding the clock for the overtime pay. And then your right back into the production week no further along then you where the week prior
3. Listen to those who know how to do the job, they are your greatest asset as they are the ones doing all the work.

Not going to lie as to how I feel about my time that I have been with this company. Like any company it has its good and bad points. The good with the company: if you want to do nothing more with your life but work, this is the place for you. They will let you work yourself till you cant possibly function anymore. Overtime is highly pushed, more so on the weekends. The benefits are good, I only use the vision and dental for myself and family and its pretty low in cost. There are some decent people that work here. The bad, as I see them: if you enjoy spending as much time as possible with family then maybe this place would not be a good fit. OVERTIME is highly pushed and even more so on the weekends. There seems to be more emphasis focused on the weekend then on the actual production week. The managers push to get the product pushed out the door in a timely manor, focused more on quantity instead of quality. As a result it leads to a lot of mistakes being made and having to redo the order. most of the time I see the production managers just sitting at their desk until its time to prepare for shift change. There are 3 shifts at this location, you start on 1st shift to learn what you need to know. Then your pushed to either 2nd or 3rd shift, your chances of ever being able to go to first is slim to none and you can put a larger bet on none. In the case of that along with at sometimes forced overtime, you will spend more time at work then at home. Again if you don't mind it that way then that is a positive for you. There is no consistent schedule, there are a lot of times when all of a sudden you go from working 8 hour shifts to 10 hour shifts with little to no notice. That can make it harder if you rely on a babysitter. The 10 hour shifts can last until production is back on par and there is no timeline given for that. I started my time here enjoying the work, but the culture of management and the lack of quality minded people, the time I have missed with my family (I have been here for a little less then 3 yrs and have been stuck on 3rd shift the entire time, having to sleep during the day and only seeing my family for a short time each day). Has made me decide to obtain employment elsewhere. What this company needs to do is; Managers 1. Focus more on quality vice quantity, the amount of wasted product is hurting the company and making the customer question the product. Higher quality will keep the customer coming back for more business. 2. Focus on the production week instead of the weekend. Most of the time nothing really gets completed on the weekend as most that show up are only riding the clock for the overtime pay. And then your right back into the production week no further along then you where the week prior 3. Listen to those who know how to do the job, they are your greatest asset as they are the ones doing all the work.

I came to Spirit originally as a Summer Intern.  I had the advantage of not only being placed within the aerospace industry, with a paid internship no less, but being placed on the brand new 787 program working on the cutting edge of commercial aircraft.  The following year, I was one of few of my graduating class to find a job in aerospace when the job market wasn't favorable thanks to Spirit.  

During my 5 years of experience with the company, which has had it's ups and downs through changing management,  I can say that Spirit has been a constant place of engagement with interesting everyday work as well as various career development and training opportunities. I was also allowed to move within different sub groups within my stress group to work on projects ranging from production support, new structure design, even materials testing.  During that time, I have also been allowed to work with many interesting and knowledgeable people in an environment that welcomes new ideas and asking questions as much as running a business. Spirit has also provided the best job security I've seen .  When other companies in the Wichita area were letting workers go, Spirit was ready to hire.

The only negative I will give in regards to Spirit is that it doesn't offer much in the way of competitive benefits or salary rates compared to other companies.  As such, I saw a surprising number of my fellow engineers leaving my group and the company for better outside opportunities.  However, I attribute this to Spirit still being a relatively new company (just recently celebrating it's 10 year anniversary), and working on establishing itself as the premiere aerostructures supplier.  Coming straight out of college though, with the fact that Spirit was ready to hire me, and has offered me a lot of varied experience in my time there, it should be on the top of the list of companies for graduating engineering students.

I have been here just over 5 years now, There are some shortcomings that I didn't expect when I first came here. they are not the most competitive with wages but definitely pay better then some places around. The big capture for Spirit is all the Benefits. I left my previous job and took a hefty pay cut for the insurance and after 5 years I am finally making about what I made before I came here but with way better benefits. we will see what the next contract brings or loses because if I lose my healthcare I am gone unless I get a huge pay increase. I have been cross trained in many jobs out here as well as I have been promoted many times and laterally transferred to different jobs to the point I am at the highest paid job IAM Hourly at Spirit. I still have a few years before I top out though unless something changes. I also now have fully vested in a pension so I can take that with me if I go or make it better if I stay and retire from here. definitely one of the better places to work out here overall in Wichita depending on your work area. I have been harassed and nothing happened to the people who harassed me that I turned into Ethics 3 times. I almost lost my job when someone lied and said stuff about me that I never did (they just wanted me gone) and got no support from the Union about any of this (another reason why I left it) overall its best to do your job and go home the people can be snakes out here and much of the management too. some managers and people are genuinely good though and hopefully you get a good experience if you are here or try to come out here. but I notice much of it depends on the area where you end up. Training can be lacking all over and many people are here to collect a paycheck and don't care about their quality or sometimes even working. Don't let it all get to you because at the end of the day you get to go home and you have a decent wage and great benefits. Just remember 8 and out

Spirit AeroSystems is no longer interested in rewarding hard working productive employees in the work force. The current Performance Management process for evaluating employees is now considered a "living breathing document," and can be changed at any time by management. Human Resources has required that each group within the company show that 10% of employees be considered and documented as "unacceptable," whether it is true or not. A compa ratio is also used to provided documentation for the company to say that an employee making above the medium pay for their pay grade will not be given an annual raise for that calendar year. The PM process has five levels and to receive annual raises and the annual bonus based on company performance requires each employee to maintain a "Meets Expectation," which is considered minimal requirements. Most employees I have worked with in the shop and in the office, in my ten years there at two different times, have demonstrated well above the "meets expectation" requirements. The new management team at Spirit is more focused on meeting shareholder expectations, improved cash flow and demand more work from fewer people, than to improve employee relations. Therefore, I cannot recommend Spirit Aerosystems as even a good place to work, at least in my experience the past year and a half. They have laid off hundreds without warning the past two plus years.

Favoritism and nepotism are extremely rampant.  There are too many management members left over from when it was Boeing so the good ole boy network is alive and well at Spirit.  If you're not part of the good ole boy network then don't count on ever advancing up in the company.  Any suggestions or concerns voiced to management are ignored and you'll hear the famous phrase of "I'll look in to that" and you never hear anything back.  Right now the company is so desperate to find new hires that they are hiring ex- convicts.  I know that to be a fact because one guy in our area served 3 years in prison for selling drugs and a friend of mine who works at Spirit works with a guy who used to be in federal prison.  HR at Spirit is useless as well.  My coworkers complained about the ex-con in my area for harassing a woman in our area and NOTHING was done about it.  He also got in the face of one of my coworkers challenging him to a fight which management was told about and once again nothing was done about it.  I have worked at 2 other aircraft companies in Wichita and Spirit is by far the worst place I've been.  I'm currently applying elsewhere so I can get away from this insane work culture.  I might also mention the union is useless and weak.  If you go to the union with an issue they act like they don't want to be bothered with you.  For $60+ a month you'd think they'd be eager to help.

⦁	Obtain required information from prints, charts, sketches, work instructions, documents, verbal and electronic information.
⦁	 Use shop mathematics and precision measuring and or test instruments to complete work assignments and functional test assemblies and components.
⦁	 Utilize tooling in the assembly of components into sub-assemblies or end items.
⦁	Verify work performed is per work instructions and meets process and/or engineering specification. Identify discrepancies found per applicable procedure.
⦁	Ensure equipment and tool certification occurs per procedure.
⦁	Perform routine minor machine maintenance as part of their daily work duties (e.g., where applicable, replacing machine filters, changing standard light bulbs on machines and equipment, maintaining lubrication/coolant levels, etc. as related to basic Total Preventative Maintenance duties).
⦁	Routinely move product within the immediate manufacturing work area, including across isle, using shop assigned equipment as required, and complete transactions necessary to move product to the next operation. On an exception basis, move product to the next operation within a building.
⦁	Perform work within allotted schedules.
⦁	Support the continuous flow of product within the manufacturing process by training and assisting employees at all classification levels.

Performs a variety of tasks ranging from repetitive to non-repetitive production assembly operations on
electronic and/or mechanical assemblies and subassemblies such as modules, boards, panels, drawers,
frames, and cables. Works from diagrams and drawings, makes initial layouts, and uses hand and/or power
tools, jigs, and saws. Makes continuity checks on work in process and completed. May conduct quality
inspections on processing line in accordance with quality specifications. May disassemble, modify, rework,
reassemble, and test experimental or prototype assemblies and subassemblies according to specifications
and under simulated conditions.
1. Work with blueprints, changes, specifications, work orders, etc. to assemble and install to quality
requirements parts and assemblies.
2. Complete required data gathering transactions to facilitate assembly progression.
3. Setup and perform all manual and automated assembly operations, and portable machine functions required
to accomplish assignments.
4. Perform any and all required pickup, rework, fabrication, change incorporation, functional testing or check
during or after final assembly and/or assembly progression.
5. Move and/or obtain correct parts, materials, tools, assemblies, etc.
6. Use precision measuring instruments required to accomplish work assignments.
7. Report and/or

A typical day at work for me involves attending a standup meeting, in which management engages team members, from the whole production line, people of different roles, by informing and updating statuses and motivating them to do more.  Being a composite technician, I get to build one or two parts a day that are parts of assemblies for Boeing 747 wings and fuselage.  Most of the parts are pre-preg fiber glass material with pre-preg honeycomb material.  I learn how to operate many different Virtek programs and assemle unique panels with distinctive characteristics that give me such a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction to be involved in the building.  My co-workers are fun.  Together we share new ideas of ways to improve processes.  The managers of all levels are open and willing to listen and put into effect changes to create more lean production.  The hardest part of the job is once in a while the humidity gives us bonders an extra challenge manipulating our material when it becomes a tad-bit tacky-like, but I think it just keeps it interesting.  My favorite part of the job is the pride and self-respect that it gives me to be in this industry, working on airplane parts.

During a normal work day, you meet with employees and give them the run down on the production goals of the shop.  You monitor their progress on an hourly basis, track attendance, and enter the shop's metrics from the previous day.  As a new manager, there is really no training, but other managers are always willing to help if you ask and they have time to do so.  I usually learned something new everyday, and was developing nicely.  Unfortunately, as a new manager, you are usually the one they blame for the shortfalls.  All the structures employees there are "slaves" to the good money they make, because they can't go make that type of money elsewhere.  As a result, there is no loyalty when it comes to your employees and fellow managers.  They will throw you under the bus to make themselves look good.  It's probably the nastiest case of corporate politics that I have ever been tied up in.  This is probably the most difficult part of the job is knowing who you can trust.  I really did enjoy getting to know all of the people out there.  I really though that I could change the culture out there and bring happiness and enjoyment to individuals during the work day.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Structural engineer 11 salaries reported	$84,922 per year
Mechanic 4 salaries reported	$24.91 per hour
Assembler 3 salaries reported	$24.25 per hour
Sheet metal mechanic 5 salaries reported	$24.47 per hour
Engineer 4 salaries reported	$109,850 per year

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