Production Supervisor in Plainfield

Job Description

Production Supervisor – Elastomer Manufacturing

Position Summary

The Production Supervisor is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and performance of a designated production department within an aerospace and military elastomer manufacturing environment. This role oversees hourly production employees and ensures that safety, quality, delivery, and productivity objectives are met in compliance with AS9100 and customer requirements.

Reporting to the Plant Manager (or Operations Manager), the Production Supervisor plays a critical role in executing production plans, maintaining process discipline, and promoting a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement on the shop floor.

Key Responsibilities

Production & Department Leadership

• Supervise daily manufacturing operations within assigned department(s), ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant production.

• Execute production schedules to meet output, delivery, and labor efficiency targets.

• Monitor and manage staffing, attendance, job assignments, and shift coverage.

• Serve as the first level of escalation for production issues, delays, and personnel concerns.

Process & Performance Management

• Ensure department processes consistently meet engineering specifications and customer requirements, including shock and vibration performance standards.

• Track and manage key performance indicators (KPIs) such as yield, scrap, cycle time, and throughput.

• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and support implementation of corrective actions.

• Support new product introduction (NPI) activities and process validations at the department level.

Quality & Compliance (AS9100 / Aerospace & Defense)

• Enforce adherence to AS9100 quality systems, work instructions, and standard operating procedures.

• Perform in-process checks and ensure proper documentation and traceability.

• Support internal, customer, and third-party audits.

• Participate in corrective and preventive actions related to departmental nonconformances.

Safety & Risk Management

• Promote and maintain a strong safety-first culture within the department.

• Ensure compliance with OSHA and internal safety standards.

• Enforce safe handling and use of elastomers, adhesives, bonding agents, and chemicals.

• Identify and escalate equipment, process, and safety risks.

Equipment & Housekeeping

• Ensure production equipment is operated correctly and maintained in good working order.

• Coordinate with Maintenance on equipment issues and preventive maintenance activities.

• Maintain proper housekeeping, organization, and 5S standards within the department.

People Development

• Train, coach, and mentor production employees on job skills, quality expectations, and safety practices.

• Provide input on employee performance, development needs, and disciplinary actions.

• Support cross-training and workforce flexibility.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Scheduling to resolve production challenges.

• Communicate department status, issues, and improvement opportunities to plant leadership.

• Support customer-related production inquiries as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, or related field (or equivalent hands-on experience).

• 1–5 years in a supervisory or lead role.

• Experience working in a regulated manufacturing environment (aerospace, defense, medical, or similar).

• Working knowledge of AS9100 or ISO-based quality systems.

Qualifications

• Experience with elastomer manufacturing, rubber molding, or rubber-to-metal bonding.

• Familiarity with compression, transfer, or LSR molding processes.

• Exposure to Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, or Six Sigma concepts.

• Experience supporting aerospace or military customers.