Kennedy Valve-Finishing Front Line Supervisor

Company Overview

Kennedy Valve, a member of the McWane family of companies, is a gray and ductile iron foundry and computerized machining and assembly company based in Elmira, New York. With over 125 years in the community, the company provides waterworks and fire‑protection products that save lives, resources, and property. The culture is built on core values of Safety, Environment, Leadership, Accountability, Excellence, Trust, Teamwork, and Communication.

Why Kennedy Valve?

Kennedy Valve offers great wages, stability, and a strong sense of team.

Pay

Highly competitive salary range: $73,238 – $90,471

Benefits

• Paid vacation
• 12 paid holidays and paid sick leave
• 401(k) with company match options
• Educational reimbursement after one year of service
• Employer‑paid life insurance with optional supplemental coverage
• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental plan options

Schedule

Flexible shifts required, including evenings, weekends, and early mornings as needed to support multiple shifts or production demands.

Summary – Job Description

The Finishing Supervisor is a frontline manufacturing leader responsible for safe, efficient, and disciplined execution of production operations within a union manufacturing environment. The role provides direct leadership, accountability, and operational oversight for assigned production areas, ensuring adherence to schedules, quality standards, labor expectations, and safety requirements. The supervisor maintains a strong daily presence on the production floor, drives schedule attainment, labor efficiency, escalation discipline, operational stability, and workforce accountability through active floor leadership, structured communication, and visible performance management.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate staffing assignments and labor balancing to support production requirements and operational efficiency.
• Ensure production boards, operational metrics, and shift performance information remain accurate and visibly maintained.
• Maintain strong floor communication with Scheduling, Maintenance, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams.
• Drive accountability to standard work, operating procedures, production discipline, and escalation expectations.
• Lead daily production execution for assigned finishing operations, adhering to schedules, priorities, and delivery requirements.
• Maintain active and visible leadership presence on the production floor throughout the shift.
• Drive schedule attainment, labor utilization, throughput, and operational stability.
• Monitor production flow and proactively identify, escalate, and resolve operational constraints.
• Lead daily startup meetings and structured floor communication processes.
• Ensure timely escalation of equipment, staffing, quality, material, or process issues.
• Develop and execute recovery plans when production falls behind schedule.
• Enforce all company safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead daily safety huddles, safety conversations, and area safety audits.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe production environment.
• Ensure all quality standards, inspection requirements, and process controls are consistently followed.
• Partner with Quality and Manufacturing Engineering to contain, investigate, and resolve defects, scrap, rework, or process‑related quality concerns.
• Review and address scrap, downtime, and operational losses daily to identify trends and corrective actions.
• Directly lead and manage unionized hourly Team Members within assigned operations.
• Establish clear daily expectations for safety, quality, productivity, and operational performance.
• Provide consistent floor leadership, coaching, and follow‑up throughout the shift.
• Administer attendance tracking, corrective action, documentation, and disciplinary procedures per company policy and labor agreements.
• Support workforce flexibility through cross‑training and skill development initiatives.
• Promote a culture of accountability, urgency, teamwork, continuous improvement, and operational discipline.
• Recognize performance gaps and take timely action to correct behaviors and improve execution.
• Support and participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, throughput, labor efficiency, and waste reduction.
• Identify recurring operational issues and partner with leadership to implement corrective actions.
• Utilize operational metrics and visual management systems to monitor performance and drive accountability.
• Participate in audits, inspections, and operational reviews as required.
• Maintain accurate production, downtime, staffing, and operational records.

Key Performance Indicators

• Safety & Compliance – incident prevention, adherence to safety procedures, housekeeping, audit readiness, operational discipline.
• Operational Execution – schedule attainment, delivery performance, labor efficiency, staffing effectiveness, downtime reduction, escalation responsiveness, operational stability.
• Quality & Continuous Improvement – scrap, rework, quality performance, process adherence, standard work execution, participation in corrective actions and improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; associate or bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, industrial technology, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years in a leadership or supervisory role, preferably in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of machining, mechanical assembly, and production workflows.
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing, 5S, and continuous improvement principles.
• Working knowledge of safety standards and OSHA regulations in an industrial setting.
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, blueprints, and work instructions.
• Proficient with MS Office and production tracking systems (ERP/MES).
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and manage hourly production Team Members.
• Effective problem‑solving and decision‑making skills in a fast‑paced environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience working in a union environment (preferred).
• Ability to work flexible shifts, including evenings or weekends, as needed.

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• Frequent standing, walking, and movement throughout the production floor for extended periods.
• Occasional bending, stooping, reaching, and climbing stairs or ladders.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move items up to 50 lb occasionally.
• Tolerance for noise, dust, grease, heat, and varying temperatures.
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety glasses, hearing protection, steel‑toed shoes, etc., as required.
• Visual acuity to read blueprints, reports, and computer screens and to inspect parts and materials.
• Ability to communicate clearly in a loud production environment.