The posting
Job Overview:
The 2nd Shift Front-End Production Supervisor is responsible for leading and directing daily manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity objectives. This position provides frontline leadership for production employees, ensuring efficient execution of manufacturing schedules while fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, employee engagement, and operational excellence.
The successful candidate will demonstrate strong leadership capabilities, sound decision-making skills, and a commitment to driving performance through Lean Manufacturing principles and disciplined operational execution.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Manufacturing Operations Leadership
- Lead daily production activities to ensure attainment of production schedules, customer requirements, and operational performance targets.
- Monitor and manage key performance indicators (KPIs), including productivity, scrap, labor efficiency, downtime, throughput, and on-time delivery.
- Balance production lines and determine staffing requirements to support changing production demands.
- Coordinate activities across Production, Planning, Engineering, Maintenance, and Quality functions to maintain operational efficiency.
- Identify and escalate operational risks that may impact safety, quality, delivery, or productivity metrics.
People Leadership & Talent Development
- Provide leadership, coaching, and development for production operators and team leads.
- Establish clear performance expectations and hold employees accountable for achieving operational goals.
- Conduct shift meetings, performance discussions, and employee development activities.
- Manage workforce planning, staffing levels, attendance, scheduling, and shift coverage.
- Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performance work environment focused on teamwork, engagement, and continuous learning.
Safety, Environmental & Regulatory Compliance
- Champion a culture of safety and ensure adherence to all company safety policies and procedures.
- Maintain compliance with OSHA regulations and applicable environmental, health, and safety requirements.
- Lead incident investigations, corrective actions, and safety improvement initiatives.
- Conduct routine safety observations, audits, and risk assessments.
- Drive continuous improvement toward a zero-incident workplace.
Quality & Customer Satisfaction
- Ensure compliance with established quality systems, standard operating procedures, and product specifications.
- Partner with Quality and Engineering teams to investigate and resolve product and process nonconformances.
- Support root cause analysis and implementation of corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
- Promote a culture of quality ownership throughout the production team.
Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence
- Lead and support Lean Manufacturing initiatives, including 5S, Standard Work, Kaizen, and waste reduction activities.
- Identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality, safety, and manufacturing efficiency.
- Support implementation of best practices and standardized operating procedures.
- Participate in cost reduction, capacity expansion, and process improvement projects.
- Utilize data and performance metrics to drive continuous improvement and informed decision-making.
Performance Reporting & Administration
- Prepare and maintain production, labor, and operational performance reports.
- Analyze production trends and communicate performance results to leadership.
- Maintain accurate employee, production, and operational records.
- Ensure timely communication of operational issues, staffing concerns, and production challenges.
Qualifications & Skills:
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Management, or a related discipline preferred.
- An Associate Degree, technical certification, or equivalent combination of education and relevant manufacturing experience may be considered.
Experience
- Minimum of 3 years of manufacturing experience in a production environment in a supervisory, team lead, or frontline leadership role.
- Demonstrated experience applying Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment preferred.
Technical Knowledge & Skills
- Knowledge of production planning, workforce utilization, and manufacturing operations.
- Understanding of industrial engineering fundamentals and line balancing principles.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, and manufacturing reporting tools.
- Familiarity with quality improvement methodologies and problem-solving tools, including 5 Why Analysis, Fishbone Diagrams, SPC, and Root Cause Analysis.
- Ability to interpret production data and make data-driven operational decisions.
Leadership Competencies
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Strong leadership presence and the ability to motivate and develop teams.
- Effective communication, coaching, and conflict resolution skills.
- Sound judgment and decision-making in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- A results-oriented mindset with a focus on accountability and execution.
- Strong organizational and problem-solving capabilities.
- High levels of integrity, ownership, and personal accountability.
- Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Physical Requirements & Work Environment
- Ability to work in a manufacturing environment with regular exposure to production equipment and varying temperatures.
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods throughout the shift.
- Occasional lifting, bending, reaching, and movement throughout the production floor.
- Use of required personal protective equipment (PPE) in designated manufacturing areas.
