Team Leader, Nights

About the role

Special-Lite is hiring a Team Leader on nights at our Decatur location. This position provides leadership, instruction, and guidance to employees within their assigned department and is accountable for safety, quality, customer satisfaction, and daily production output.

Responsibilities

Leadership

• Coaches and provides feedback to employees.
• Conducts One-on-One reviews with all hourly employees in the department.
• Handles write-ups and progressive disciplinary conversations as required per company policy.
• Executes career conversations with employees; internal skill progressions.
• Develops annual performance reviews with the Production Manager for all reporting hourly employees.
• Maintains positive employee relations within the department, ensuring practices are fair and consistent.
• Leads and models a positive employee culture.
• Runs weekly Whiteboard meetings.
• Maintains a neat, orderly, and organized work area at all times.
• Partners with the Human Resources department to fill vacancies.
• Conducts interviews and provides hire recommendations to the Production Manager.
• Assists the Production Manager to create an onboarding plan for new hires in the department and additional position training.
• Monitors and approves vacation requests, making labor adjustments to cover production needs.

Production

• Accountable for production output, quality, and on-time delivery throughout the department.
• Schedules overtime to meet production needs and supports the team during mandatory hours required.
• Updates Late Orders tracker online.
• Reviews Customer Complaints in the system and helps customer service resolve issues; shares with the production team for lessons learned and continuous improvement efforts.
• Conducts audits for QCP, Expedited, Warranty, and New Hire work.
• Prepares and submits Rework Request Forms for material missing or that needs replacement.
• Calculates daily roll over and turn into scheduling.
• Ensures that the necessary products and materials are in the department to build a quality product and meet production deadlines.
• Calls attention to and weighs in on material decisions involving color, fit, or other assembly concerns.
• Monitors inventory levels of department-located stock material like clips, reinforcements, tooling, 6” fillers, etc.
• Ensures safety procedures are followed and recommends improvements.
• Assigns and allocates work based upon the strengths and abilities of the employees within the department.
• Assigns and reassigns labor to increase efficiency within the team.
• Produces daily production schedules and ensures folders are distributed.
• Examines blueprints or engineering drawings to determine material requirements and task sequences; collaborates with Detailing on questions and/or blueprint discrepancies.
• Cleans, lubricates, and troubleshoots equipment failures as needed.
• Monitors, reports on, and assists in developing countermeasures regarding our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Updates physical and electronic PCC Charts for Safety, Production, Reworks, and Not As Ordered (customer complaints).
• Actively engages in continuous improvement efforts in the department through collaborative efforts.
• Leads or participates in meetings regarding reworks, Not As Ordered, and other continuous improvement projects.
• Helps integrate new products and product changes into production (ECO, SISS, etc.).

• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED is required.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a manufacturing environment or completion of a recognized apprenticeship program is required.
• Excellent attention to detail in all aspects of assigned work.
• Experience working with, and the ability to read measuring devices such as a ruler and measuring tape is required – must be able to read down to 1/32”.
• Basic maintenance knowledge and skills to inspect, diagnose, and repair equipment.
• Ability to be certified in forklift operation and man-lift operation.
• Understanding of Manufacturing procedures and practices.
• Excellent communication skills in written and verbal forms.
• Ability to read, comprehend, and carry out instructions in written, oral, and diagram form.
• Excellent decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to develop and nurture strong, productive relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Applications.
• Demonstrates a sense of urgency, prioritizes well, shows energy, responds to opportunities, instills urgency in others, and meets deadlines.

Physical Requirements

• Frequently subject to hazards including a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, moving vehicles, electric current, and exposure to heat and chemicals.
• Occasionally subject to conditions including one or more of the following that affect the respiratory system or the skin: fumes, odors, dust, mists, or poor ventilation.
• Occasionally exposed to cold, hot, wet, and/or humid shop conditions.

Special-Lite will make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

• Safety glasses and steel-toed shoes are always required on the production floor.
• Hearing protection is required in designated areas.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Coverage
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Performance and Holiday Bonuses
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Tuition Reimbursement/Educational Assistance and Professional Development Support
• Parental Leave
• Paid Vacation, Sick Time, and Holidays

About Special-Lite

We manufacture custom door, frame, and interior solutions for new construction and retrofit projects across educational, commercial, institutional, industrial, and municipal applications—combining hands-on craftsmanship with advanced technology to deliver exceptional quality, performance, and reliability. Built to last in high usage and challenging environments, our high-quality and made-to-order solutions are unique in the industry. The products we build welcome, protect, and enhance spaces across the U.S. and beyond. For more than 55 years, we have been driven to grow through relationships as strong as our products. We are committed to the success of our employees, our customers, and our communities. We stand behind our products with passion and excellent customer service.