Production Supervisor

Description

 JOB SUMMARY

The Production Supervisor leads daily trailer assembly while actively transforming the way trailers are built. This hands-on shop-floor leader develops people, establishes repeatable standard work, improves the movement of trailers and materials, and removes barriers to safe, high-quality, on-time production. The role moves the operation from reactive expediting and departmental handoffs toward stable, visually managed flow, with clear ownership of safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and team development. The Supervisor partners with the Production Manager, other supervisors, Materials, Quality, Engineering, and Maintenance to sustain improvements.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead production and create reliable flow

• Translate the daily build schedule into clear team assignments and hourly/shift expectations; lead brief start-of-shift huddles and follow up on plan-versus-actual performance.

• Balance labor and work content across assembly stations to maintain trailer movement, reduce bottlenecks and work-in-process (WIP), and improve handoffs between operations.

• Verify that current work orders, components, fasteners, tools, fixtures, equipment and instructions are ready at the point of use; escalate material or equipment constraints before production stops.

• Maintain accurate production status, labor time, attendance, and work-order records; address performance and attendance issues consistently and promptly.

Drive lean transformation and continuous improvement

• Spend the majority of the shift on the shop floor, observing actual work with employees and identifying waste in motion, waiting, transportation, inventory, overprocessing, defects and rework.

• Create, teach, and audit standard work covering task sequence, safe methods, expected cycle time, quality checks, and station-to-station transfer requirements.

• Implement practical 5S, point-of-use material presentation, visual controls, FIFO and organized replenishment; make abnormal conditions easy to see and act upon.

• Lead small, frequent kaizen improvements using employee ideas, direct observation, data and root-cause problem solving; validate results and update work standards to hold the gains.

Own safety, quality and people development

• Ensure safe work practices, appropriate PPE, equipment safeguards and safe access when working in or around trailers; identify hazards and drive timely corrective action.

• Build quality into each operation through in-process checks, workmanship standards and immediate defect containment; prevent defects from moving to the next assembly step.

• Use structured problem solving (such as 5 Whys) with Quality and support teams to address recurring defects, downtime and process instability at the source.

• Coach team leads and employees in standardized work, job skills and problem identification; maintain a cross-training/skills matrix to support flexible staffing.

• Communicate production risks, improvement actions and resource needs clearly to the Production Manager and Plant Manager; coordinate across departments to remove constraints.

Requirements

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Success is measured against targets established with plant leadership, including safe-work performance and hazard closure; daily trailers completed versus plan; schedule adherence and process flow/WIP; first-pass quality and rework; labor hours per trailer; standard-work compliance; and employee training/cross-training progress. The Supervisor is expected to show documented, sustained improvement—not only short-term output gains.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Working understanding of lean principles (standard work, 5S, visual management, flow, waste elimination and root-cause problem solving), with the ability to apply them in a practical assembly environment.

• Ability to read production drawings, work instructions and measurements; familiarity with air/electric tools, lifting equipment and trailer assembly operations.

• Strong shop-floor leadership, clear communication, coaching, coordination and data-based problem-solving skills; proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word and production/work-order systems.

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

• High school diploma or equivalent; prior manufacturing/assembly-line and supervisory experience.

• Demonstrated experience improving a manufacturing process or leading employee-driven change strongly preferred; trailer or heavy-assembly manufacturing experience is an advantage.

PHYSICAL & WORK ENVIRONMENT

Predominantly shop-floor work requiring extended standing and walking throughout the assigned shift; may require bending, squatting, kneeling, pushing/pulling, using stairs or ladders, and entering or moving around trailers. Exposure to industrial noise, seasonal heat and changing production priorities. Essential functions may be performed with reasonable accommodation, as applicable.