Kennedy Valve-Finishing Front Line Supervisor

About the role

The Finishing Supervisor is a frontline manufacturing leader responsible for the safe, efficient, and disciplined execution of production operations within a union manufacturing environment. This position provides direct leadership, accountability, and operational oversight for assigned production areas while ensuring adherence to production schedules, quality standards, labor expectations, and safety requirements.

Responsibilities

• Cook up 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 throughout the shift
• Maintain strong floor communication with Scheduling, Maintenance, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to support uninterrupted operational flow
• Drive accountability to standard work, operating procedures, production discipline, and escalation expectations
• Lead daily production execution for assigned finishing operations and ensure adherence to production 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 within assigned areas
• Monitor production flow and proactively identify, escalate, and resolve operational constraints impacting safety, quality, delivery, or productivity
• Lead daily startup meetings and structured floor communication processes to align Team Members to daily priorities, safety expectations, and operational goals
• Ensure timely escalation of equipment, staffing, quality, material, or process issues that threaten schedule execution
• 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
• Hold Team Members accountable to safety expectations, quality standards, and compliance requirements
• 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, communication, coaching, and follow-up to Team Members throughout the shift
• Hold Team Members accountable to work standards, safety expectations, operational discipline, and production performance requirements
• Administer attendance tracking, corrective action, documentation, and disciplinary procedures in accordance with 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, reinforce expectations, and improve team 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 and support functions 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

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 in using computer applications including 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, if applicable)
• Ability to work flexible shifts, including evenings or weekends, as needed