Foamhead Manufacturing Supervisor

Description

Role Summary

The Foamhead Supervisor owns the Safety People Quality Delivery Cost and Cash (SPQDCC) performance of the Foamhead operation. This role leads Group Leaders or Team Leaders who guide front-line operators across first- and second-shift activities and ensures consistent execution of the ASD Lean Operating System. The Supervisor provides hands-on leadership for mechanical equipment and chemical-processing operations including process monitoring chemical handling and off-loading equipment troubleshooting material preparation pressing saw-house activities and production flow. The role drives daily management through visual controls Leader Standard Work shift communication labor and time reporting equipment and process discipline and structured problem-solving. Success requires visible shop-floor leadership strong mechanical aptitude practical chemical-process knowledge disciplined schedule execution and active development of front-line leaders and operators.

Core Responsibilities

1. Leadership and Daily Management

Lead daily Foamhead operations and execute against SPQDCC targets across assigned shifts.

Conduct shift start-up and end-of-shift meetings to review performance priorities process conditions equipment status constraints and actions.

Ensure effective shift handoffs that communicate production results mechanical downtime chemical-process concerns safety risks quality issues and open actions.

Maintain a visible shop-floor presence through Gemba walks real-time coaching equipment and process observation and reinforcement of standard work.

Translate strategic safety quality production maintenance and process priorities into daily execution.

2. People Leadership and Administration

Directly manage and develop Foamhead Group Leaders or Team Leaders and build operator capability across press Foamhead saw-house bar-preparation and chemical off-load activities.

Approve timekeeping including regular hours overtime vacation personal time and sick time.

Monitor attendance address issues promptly and maintain accurate labor reporting.

Conduct performance reviews coaching and progressive discipline when required.

Maintain and improve cross-training and skills-matrix coverage to strengthen first- and second-shift capability technical depth and operational continuity.

3. Safety Chemical Handling 5S and Compliance

Ensure compliance with safety procedures PPE standards lockout/tagout requirements chemical-handling procedures and established operating controls.

Conduct daily safety huddles and follow through on incidents near hits chemical exposures or releases equipment hazards and corrective actions.

Verify safe receipt off-loading storage transfer use and disposal of chemicals in partnership with EHS Materials and other support functions.

Partner with EHS and Maintenance to resolve mechanical chemical ergonomic and environmental hazards identified through Red Tag Logs inspections risk assessments and employee observations.

Lead and audit 5S activities to sustain a safe clean organized and contamination-controlled work environment.

4. Quality and Mechanical/Chemical Process Control

Ensure teams follow the Quality Control Plan standard operating procedures work instructions inspection requirements and established chemical recipes and process parameters.

Monitor and control critical Foamhead process conditions including chemical ratios temperatures pressures flow rates cure conditions equipment settings and other defined specifications.

Review quality metrics and process trends address deviations contain nonconforming product and support root-cause analysis and corrective action.

Coach Team Leaders and operators on mechanical setup chemical-process discipline material handling quality standards containment and process ownership.

Maintain accountability for open quality equipment and chemical-process issues through verified closure.

5. Planning Scheduling and Performance

Execute daily and weekly Foamhead production schedules in alignment with planning raw-material availability chemical supply equipment capacity and downstream production requirements.

Coordinate staffing cross-training and headcount to meet takt-time labor-map and shift-coverage requirements.

Monitor SPQDCC indicators and drive countermeasures when safety process stability quality output downtime scrap or productivity misses targets.

Ensure accurate reporting of mechanical downtime chemical-process interruptions scrap yield productivity material usage and other production information.

Coordinate periodic second-shift leadership coverage to support process monitoring troubleshooting employee needs and timely issue resolution.

6. Leader Standard Work and System Discipline

Execute the daily Leader Standard Work cadence including visual checks performance reviews mechanical equipment verification chemical-process checks and floor observation.

Ensure Team Leaders maintain board updates shift huddles audits 5S activities process checks and other Leader Standard Work routines.

Audit and update Team Boards to maintain visibility to indicators equipment and process losses countermeasures and standard-work adherence.

Use Gemba-based observation and coaching to reinforce disciplined execution safe chemical processing equipment care and improvement behaviors.

7. Continuous Improvement and Cross-Functional Problem-Solving

Facilitate or participate in PDCA 5-Why Kaizen and other structured problem-solving events focused on mechanical reliability chemical-process stability quality throughput and waste reduction.

Empower Team Leaders and operators to identify escalate and resolve equipment chemical-process material safety and quality issues quickly.

Collaborate with Engineering Maintenance Quality EHS Materials and chemical suppliers to eliminate recurring losses and improve equipment and process capability.

Drive ownership of standard work equipment centerlines process parameters preventive controls and accountability for sustaining improvements.

Leadership Expectations

Lead by example through visible engaged technically credible and consistent behavior.

Coach and develop Team Leaders and operators to strengthen the Foamhead leadership and technical-capability pipeline.

Maintain composure under pressure and focus teams on safe structured problem-solving rather than blame.

Encourage transparency accountability positive employee relations and teamwork across shifts and support functions.

Champion continuous improvement and model the ASD Lean Operating System.

Communicate expectations equipment condition chemical-process performance production status and risk clearly and promptly.

Qualifications

Associates or bachelors degree in Operations Industrial Technology Mechanical Technology Chemical Process Technology or a related field preferred; equivalent technical and manufacturing experience accepted.

Five or more years of manufacturing experience including at least two years in a leadership or supervisory role; experience in Foamhead polyurethane foam chemical processing continuous processing or related manufacturing operations preferred.

Demonstrated mechanical aptitude and the ability to lead troubleshooting of production equipment pumps piping valves presses saws material-delivery systems and related mechanical components.

Working knowledge of chemical-process control safe chemical handling and off-loading process parameters material interactions and response to chemical or process deviations.

Proven ability to lead hourly teams develop technical skills and manage timekeeping and attendance processes.

Strong understanding of safety requirements quality systems equipment reliability process control and Lean manufacturing principles.

Excellent communication conflict-resolution coaching and cross-functional problem-solving skills.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Kronos ADP or equivalent timekeeping systems and ERP production-tracking tools.

Willingness to work flexible shifts provide periodic second-shift coverage respond to mechanical or chemical-process issues and maintain regular shop-floor presence.

Required Experience:

Manager