Supervisor, Production

Description

Join the Teknova Team and Help Shape the Future of Health

When you join the Teknova team, you’re helping to create the future of health. Our customers are working to discover novel therapies that will help people everywhere live longer, healthier lives. We make sure they have a reliable supply of the essential ingredients they need to succeed, and every member of our team plays an important role.

JOB OVERVIEW 

The Supervisor, Production is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day production operations with minimal direction. This includes leading, developing, and managing the performance of the assigned production team while ensuring safety, quality, delivery, and continuous improvement goals are met. 

Our Culture:

At Teknova, our culture is all about creative problem solving, and our default answer is “Yes.” We’re customer-obsessed and go all in for them and each other. We aren’t interested in the status quo—we want to discover what’s possible. We’re bold and built to change. We go above and beyond to develop novel products that help our customers get reliable results, engineer formats that fit their systems, and find ways to ship out their orders one day sooner. Every time we help our customers work more efficiently; we bring them a step closer to that big breakthrough.

Our Values:

We value the unique personality and background of everyone on our team—we want you to be you. By working together and sharing our skills, we find new and better solutions for our customers. The people on our team are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re here to support them.

Requirements

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Supervises, coaches, and develops assigned Production Technicians; sets clear performance expectations, provides regular feedback, and conducts one-on-one and team meetings to support associate growth and engagement.
• Participates in interviewing, hiring, and onboarding of production associates; drives cross-training and maintains a team skills matrix to build workforce flexibility and depth.
• Learns and deploys lean manufacturing principles and tools (e.g., 6S, standard work, visual management, kaizen, and waste elimination) to drive continuous improvement in safety, quality, and efficiency.
• Conducts Gemba Walks & maintains housekeeping and 6S standards in assigned production areas; escalates equipment and material issues and coordinates with Maintenance / Facilities, Quality, and Supply Chain to minimize downtime.
• Serves as a role model of company values; fosters a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Provides input and feedback to managers on production, processes, team members, etc. to address and promptly correct inefficiencies or performance concerns. 
• Recognizes and resolves problems; coordinates with engineering, facilities etc. to troubleshoot equipment, improvements in procedures and uses alternative/innovative methods if available.
• Promotes a safe work environment, enforces safety policies and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), conducts routine safety walks, and ensures timely reporting and investigation of accidents, incidents, and near misses.
• Ensures team compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), applicable ISO requirements, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and good documentation practices; supports deviation, non-conformance, and CAPA investigations, including root cause analysis.
• Monitors and reports on key performance indicators (safety, quality, delivery, cost, and labor utilization); leads daily tier / shift meetings and ensures effective shift-to-shift communication and handoffs.
• Communicates any technician planned and unplanned absences and adjusts the workload in a timely manner and coordinates team to ensure production needs are met. 
• Assigns tasks and monitors the work at frequent intervals.
• Addresses performance and conduct issues promptly and fairly in partnership with the Production Manager and Human Resources, including appropriate documentation and follow-up.
• Ensure appropriate training of Production Technicians is completed in a timely fashion for all work to be completed. 
• Maintains schedules and workflows of the team. 
• Coordinates with scheduling to meet all customer demands and production schedules. 
• Ensures timecards are accurate and correct in a timely fashion each pay period. 
• Completes employee reviews according to Performance Management process requirements. 
• Leads special production related projects as assigned. 
• Performs final batch record review before the product moves forward in production. 
• Performs production related duties that require specialized training. 
• Accurately records all completion data into the appropriate database, and / or appropriately completes all necessary paperwork. 
• Coordinates efforts of effective work activities that contribute to company needs. 

EDUCATION 

• High school level chemistry and / or applicable lab experience 

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / EXPERIENCE 

• Requires a minimum of 1 - 2 years of related experience. 
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles (e.g., 6S, standard work, kaizen, visual management, waste elimination) required, along with the ability and willingness to learn and deploy lean manufacturing practices within the production team.
• Prior lead or supervisory experience in a manufacturing, laboratory, or GMP environment preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to motivate, coach, and hold a team accountable.
• Background in Chemistry or related science preferred. 
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse population of teammates. 
• Effective oral/written communication skills. 
• Ability to perform mathematical calculations on basic dilutions and conversions. 
• Ability to handle multiple projects concurrently. 
• Ability to stand on feet for a total of 8-10 hours daily. 
• Must be able to carry, lift, push and pull up to 40 pounds. 

Benefits:

From performance bonuses that give every member of our team a chance to share in our success to health insurance and retirement savings programs to our generous PTO policy, we’re invested in our associates. Our benefits include: 

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
• 401(k) retirement plans with a 4% employer match
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Teknova wellness program
• Continuous learning opportunities
• Paid holidays, paid time off, and paid sick leave

From our scientists to our shipping department, the people who thrive here see beyond reporting lines—they are driven and open to learning something new. If you’re ready to make a difference and be part of a team that values creativity, collaboration, and customer obsession, we’d love to hear from you. Join us at Teknova and help shape the future of health.

Teknova is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other status or characteristic protected by law.