Production Lead

At Winchester Interconnect, we always do the right thing, the right way. We foster a dynamic, inclusive environment that thrives on collaboration and continuous growth, hiring exceptional people, celebrating wins, empowering employee growth, and providing opportunities to thrive. Winchester is where potential transforms into purpose, and every team member plays a vital role in shaping our shared success.

About the Role

As our Production Lead, you will be a "hands-on" leader on the manufacturing floor, responsible for guiding a team of assemblers to meet critical production schedules. Your primary role is to coordinate the daily workflow, assign tasks based on skill, and serve as the frontline technical expert for your team. This role blends leadership, mentorship, and technical expertise, including on-the-job training, ensuring adherence to our 'zero-defect' AS9100 quality standards, and driving our "GSD" (Get Stuff Done) culture. You will be the key liaison between assemblers, the Production Supervisor, Quality Control, and Engineering. This position reports to the Production Manager.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of assemblers, fostering a culture of safety, quality, and accountability.
• Partner with the Production Supervisor to create and execute the daily production plan, ensuring on-time delivery goals are met.
• Assign and coordinate the daily workflow for your team, prioritizing tasks based on the production schedule and employee skill sets.
• Serve as the frontline technical expert and problem-solver for assemblers, answering questions on drawings, procedures, and techniques.
• Mentor, train, and certify assemblers on new processes and workmanship standards, and support the cross-training of all team members.
• Ensure and enforce real-time compliance with all company policies, safety procedures, AS9100 quality standards, and ITAR regulations.
• Champion and enforce Foreign Object Debris (FOD) prevention and 5S (cleanliness) standards in your work area.
• Act as the primary liaison between your team and other departments, communicating and resolving issues with Quality, Engineering, and Materials.
• Lead daily team huddles (stand-up meetings) to review goals, safety, and quality, and to identify and escalate any roadblocks to the Supervisor.
• Drive continuous improvement (Lean) by identifying and helping implement process enhancements to improve efficiency and reduce waste.
• May perform complex, start-to-finish assembly on NPI or critical "hot" jobs as needed.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent; AS degree is a plus.
• Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident) due to ITAR regulations.
• 5-7+ years of progressive experience in complex cable harness assembly within an aerospace, defense, or high-reliability (e.g., medical) environment.
• 1-2+ years of proven experience in a leadership role (e.g., Senior Assembler, trainer, or cell lead) with demonstrated mentorship skills.
• J-STD-001 and IPC/WHMA-A-620 certifications are required.
• Expert-level ability to read and interpret complex engineering drawings, schematics, and work instructions.
• Expert-level skills in all core assembly processes: soldering, crimping, wire termination, harness building, and (preferably) potting/molding.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with a proven ability to train and motivate team members.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills; ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., Syspro) and Microsoft Office/Google Workspace.

Systems You’ll Use

• Google Workspace
• ADP / Syspro / QMS

Pay

The pay range for this position is $27.00 - $34.00 per hour. Exact salary will be contingent upon your experience, education, skills, and other relevant factors. This position is eligible for a $2.00 per hour shift differential for working on the 2nd shift.

Benefits

The company offers a competitive variety of benefits, including a referral bonus and a sign-on bonus.