The posting
It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!
We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.
The Plant Shift Supervisor is responsible for leading and coordinating all production activities during an assigned shift in a high-volume, 24/7 paper bag manufacturing facility. This role provides direct leadership over hourly production employees across multiple manufacturing lines, ensuring the safe, efficient, and cost-effective production of quality products that meet customer requirements.
The Plant Shift Supervisor drives operational performance by managing staffing, monitoring production results, resolving operational challenges, and fostering a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement. This hands-on leadership role partners closely with Quality, Maintenance, Planning, Warehousing, and Logistics teams to achieve production goals while maintaining high standards of employee engagement, product quality, and operational excellence.
Location: 500 Industrial Blvd, Sugar Land, TX. 77478
Shift: Night (11:00 PM – 7:00 AM)
About us: Advance Paperbag is a family and minority-owned paper packaging manufacturer and part of the API Group family of companies. Backed by API Group’s 40 years of packaging industry experience, Advance Paperbag began operations in 2025 and offers paper bag solutions for grocery, retail, foodservice, and other applications. Advance Paperbag combines packaging expertise, quality, and innovation with options designed to support customers’ sustainability goals.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide direct leadership and supervision for up to seven production lines and approximately 50 hourly production employees per shift, including Machine Operators, Packers, and other production personnel.
- Foster a safety-first culture by ensuring compliance with all company safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
- Monitor production performance, equipment efficiency, and labor utilization to meet daily production, quality, and efficiency targets.
- Collaborate with Quality personnel to ensure products consistently meet customer specifications, including dimensions, print quality, folding accuracy, and finishing requirements.
- Troubleshoot and resolve production issues involving equipment, materials, staffing, quality, and workflow disruptions.
- Coordinate staffing assignments, line coverage, breaks, and workforce deployment to support changing production priorities and optimize productivity.
- Review production schedules and communicate priorities to ensure timely completion of customer orders.
- Maintain accurate production records, downtime reporting, shift documentation, and labor tracking information.
- Partner with Maintenance to identify equipment concerns, prioritize repairs, and minimize production downtime.
- Track material consumption and communicate inventory requirements to ensure uninterrupted production operations.
- Lead shift start-up meetings, shift change communications, and employee engagement activities.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on waste reduction, productivity enhancement, quality improvements, and cost savings.
- Identify opportunities for process improvements, equipment upgrades, workflow enhancements, and operational efficiencies.
- Train, coach, mentor, and develop employees on operating procedures, quality standards, safety requirements, and company expectations.
- Conduct employee performance evaluations and provide ongoing feedback, coaching, and corrective action when appropriate.
- Ensure effective shift transitions through clear communication and thorough documentation of ongoing operational issues.
- Promote housekeeping and 5S standards throughout the production environment.
- Participate in daily production, planning, maintenance, quality, and operations meetings.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support plant objectives.
Required Skills and Competencies
- Strong leadership, team-building, and employee development skills.
- Ability to effectively supervise large hourly workforces in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict-resolution abilities.
- Working knowledge of manufacturing processes, machine operations, and troubleshooting techniques.
- Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to analyze production metrics and utilize data to drive performance improvements.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and changing priorities.
- Proficiency in production reporting systems, Microsoft Excel, and manufacturing software applications.
- Understanding of quality systems, root cause analysis, and corrective action processes.
- Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S, or other continuous improvement methodologies preferred.
- Commitment to maintaining high standards of safety, quality, productivity, and employee engagement.
Education and Experience
- High School Diploma or GED required.
- Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field preferred.
- Minimum of 5 years of manufacturing leadership experience in a production environment.
- Experience supervising large teams of 20 or more employees required.
- Experience managing multiple production lines in a high-volume manufacturing operation preferred.
- Experience in paper converting, packaging, printing, corrugated, flexible packaging, or related manufacturing industries preferred.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, production reporting systems, and ERP/manufacturing software.
Leadership Expectations
- Lead by example and promote a culture of safety, accountability, respect, and continuous improvement.
- Develop and engage employees to build a high-performing team environment.
- Drive operational excellence through effective communication, execution, and problem-solving.
- Champion company values while supporting business objectives and customer satisfaction goals.
Physical Demands & Environmental Conditions
- Standing and Walking: Must be able to stand and walk for extended periods (up to 8 hours per shift) on concrete floors in a production environment.
- Lifting and Carrying: Regularly required to lift and carry materials and packaging supplies weighing up to 50 lbs.
- Bending, Stooping, and Kneeling: Frequent bending, stooping, and kneeling to set up printing equipment, load materials, and perform maintenance tasks. Occasional reaching overhead or below waist level to access supplies and equipment.
- Manual Dexterity: Must have fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination to operate printing machinery, adjust settings, and manage small components with precision.
- Visual and Auditory Acuity: Ability to read print specifications and computer screens. Must be able to hear equipment alerts and verbal instructions in a moderately noisy environment.
- Environmental Exposure: May be exposed to ink fumes, cleaning chemicals, heat, humidity, and moderate-to-high noise levels typical of injection molding and printing operations.
- Mobility and Coordination: Must be able to safely navigate production areas and storage zones with good balance and coordination.
Employment Requirements
- All new hires must comply with the following:
- Attendance: Must be able to maintain regular and reliable attendance and work all scheduled shifts.
- Work Authorization- Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. The Company does not sponsor employment visas for this position now or in the future.
- E-Verify: The Company participates in E-Verify and will verify the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees as required by law.
- Screening: Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of all pre-employment screenings permitted by applicable law, which may include a background check and drug screening.
- Safety & Compliance: Must adhere to all Company safety policies, OSHA regulations, and standard operating procedures. Consistent and proper use of required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is mandatory.
- Safety & Communication: Must be able to understand and respond to workplace safety instructions, hazard communications, emergency notifications, and operating procedures necessary to safely perform the essential functions of the position.
- Tobacco-Free Workplace: The Company maintains a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus. Compliance with this policy is required for all employees and visitors.
