Production Team Lead - 1st Shift

About the role

Mallard Manufacturing, a MacLean-Fogg Company, is hiring a Production Team Lead - 1st Shift in Sterling, IL. This on‑site role coordinates daily production activities, guides team members, supports equipment operation and troubleshooting, and helps maintain safe, efficient, quality‑driven operations.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily production activities within assigned work area to meet production, quality, and safety standards.
• Assign work, provide guidance to production employees, and adjust assignments as needed to maintain efficient workflow and balanced workloads.
• Perform moderately complex equipment setup, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting, and assist with production equipment operation as needed.
• Monitor machine performance, address routine technical or quality issues, and escalate more complex concerns to supervisors or management.
• Inspect materials, equipment, and finished products for compliance with quality standards and ensure production records, logs, and documentation are complete and accurate.
• Coordinate with maintenance, quality, materials, and other departments to resolve operational issues and maintain production flow.
• Support communication between shifts, help keep workstations properly stocked, and communicate production status, issues, and priorities.
• Support continuous improvement, guide team members on work instructions and processes, maintain 5S standards, and follow all Safety, Environmental, and Quality policies and procedures.

Requirements

• 4‑6 years of manufacturing or production experience.
• Demonstrated experience operating production equipment and supporting manufacturing operations.
• Ability to operate powered industrial equipment or obtain required certification.
• Comprehensive working knowledge of production equipment, processes, and workflow.
• Ability to address moderately complex operational issues and escalate more complex concerns appropriately.
• Problem‑solving and decision‑making skills, attention to detail, time‑management skills, and the ability to work effectively under production demands.
• No formal education requirement.
• Must pass a pre‑employment drug screen after a conditional offer.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This role involves standing and walking for extended periods; frequent bending, reaching, and handling materials; lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds; working in a manufacturing environment with noise, moving equipment, and varying temperatures; requiring manual dexterity to operate equipment and visual acuity to inspect parts and read gauges and documentation.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match and potential profit sharing
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Health Savings Account contributions for eligible plans
• Company‑paid life insurance and short‑term disability coverage
• Paid parental leave
• Employee Assistance Program and mental health resources
• Virtual healthcare resources
• Tuition reimbursement and development opportunities
• Additional wellness, financial, and employee programs

Pay

$21‑$24 per hour

Schedule

1st Shift, Monday‑Friday, 6:30 AM‑2:30 PM