Supervisor Manufacturing

About Kennametal

With over 85 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace and defense, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Learn more at kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Job Title: Manufacturing, Supervisor


Location: Roanoke Rapids, NC


Shift: 3rd shift 9:00 PM- 6:00 AM (5 nights per week, starting Sunday night)


Job Summary:

• Providing support to ensure efficient operation of the manufacturing floor.
• Responsible for confidential and time sensitive material
• Familiar with a variety of the field's concepts, practices, and procedures.
• Ability to effectively communicate via phone and email ensuring that all duties are completed accurately and delivered with high quality and in a timely manner.
• Rely on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
• Prepare an annual sales forecast, consistent with product group marketing goals and sales management guidance.
• Include estimates of sales costs, value of sales, anticipated delivery schedule, gross profit, and overall budget for each product.

Key Job Responsibilities:

Understand and acknowledge day to day responsibilities for environmental, health and safety. Routinely conduct safety audits and develop action plans. Periodically meet with or provide progress reports to the department manager / the EHS administrator or the Plant Manager, regarding fulfillment of EHS responsibilities. Conduct the required training per the EHS procedures for employees who are new in a position prior to starting job skills training.


Plan and direct the daily activities within the department, either directly or through group leaders. These activities include, but are not limited to:

• Manage order-processing flow to achieve established "on-time delivery" & "lead-time" goals".
• Identify maintenance issues and ensure that all breakdowns, scheduled, and preventive maintenance is completed on a timely basis. Close out completed work orders daily.
• Recommend staffing changes and/or overtime to ensure that total department throughput satisfies production requirements.
• Specify and/or requisition tools, fixtures, spare parts (new & repair), and raw materials where appropriate.
• Review, monitor and focus on increasing productivity, within assigned areas of responsibility, with year over year improvements.

Ensure ongoing compliance to all product quality requirements, and where possible, identify and address opportunities to improve quality and reduce scrap. Specific activities include:

• Participate in scrap meetings held immediately before, after, or during the shift.
• Ensure that appropriate work instructions are available to operators in assigned work centers. Supervisors are also responsible for ensuring that operators are properly trained and for conducting Control Plan audits.
• Participate in / lead continuous improvement projects to enable Production to meet established performance objectives.
• Prepare & submit monthly update reports to department manager.
• Participate in internal ISO audits. Address open Corrective Action Requests (CAR's) in a timely manner.

Conduct regular scheduled (quarterly minimum) communication meetings for assigned work centers. Agenda items should include:

• Review plant quality procedures
• Discuss areas of highest non-conformance (including scrap)
• Maintain equipment cleaning assignments/employee
• Review performance and efficiency per employee
• Assure written meeting actions
• Assign improvement activities and priorities
• Develop team building skills

Maintain records of employee time and attendance. Counsel employees as appropriate to address performance concerns or issues in accordance with the guidelines established in the Employee Guideline Handbook. Complete an annual performance appraisal for each employee and arrange for their training needs.


Preferred Areas of Education, Certifications, and Skills:

• High school graduate, 4- year secondary degree preferred with a minimum of 3 years manufacturing experience or
• 2 or more years of formal technical training beyond high school and 3-5 years of people supervision with proven ability in conflict resolution.
• Basic professional knowledge of environmental, health and safety issues.
• Must have working knowledge of lean manufacturing principals, robust problem-solving techniques, material requirements planning (MRP), time and attendance as well as computer software such as; Microsoft Office & companion programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook).

Kennametal Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer