Production Supervisor - Leadership Development Track

Wednesday–Saturday | Four 10-Hour Shifts

Help Build the Equipment That Helps Save Lives

When firefighters arrive at a burning home, industrial accident, wildfire, or disaster scene, every gallon of water matters.

We are one of the nation's leading manufacturers of lightweight poly water tanks used in fire apparatus across North America. Our products help fire departments carry more water, respond more effectively, and reach communities when every second counts.

The company was founded on a simple but powerful idea: traditional steel tanks are heavy, limiting the amount of water emergency vehicles can transport. By engineering durable, lightweight poly tanks, UPF helped transform the fire industry—allowing more water to reach the scene, extending operational capability, and helping first responders protect lives and property.

Today, we continue to lead the market while expanding into industrial, transportation, and custom-engineered solutions. As we grow, we're looking for leaders who want to grow with us.

Why This Role Matters

This isn't a "keep the line running" supervisor position. We're looking for a hands-on leader who wants to develop people, improve processes, solve problems, and help build a world-class manufacturing operation.

You'll work directly with production teams, line leaders, trainers, and plant leadership to drive safety, quality, efficiency, and employee development. You'll be empowered to identify opportunities, implement improvements, and help shape how the operation evolves.

For the right individual, this role can become a significant career opportunity as we continue to grow. Many of the skills developed in this position are foundational for future advancement into senior operations leadership, plant management, operations management, or broader executive leadership roles.

  What You'll Do

  Lead People

• Coach, mentor, and develop production employees and line leaders
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement
• Support employee training, onboarding, and skill development
• Conduct performance conversations, provide feedback, and recognize strong performance
• Help employees understand how their work contributes to company success and customer impact
• Partner with Human Resources to address performance concerns and support employee development plans
• Communicate company goals, priorities, and critical information across teams and shifts
• Lead hiring, onboarding, and training of new team members on standard work, safety protocols, and equipment operation.

  Drive Operational Excellence

• Monitor production flow and remove barriers that impact safety, quality, or productivity
• Lead daily floor presence through regular Gemba walks and employee engagement
• Coordinate staffing and resources to meet production goals
• Support production scheduling and execution to deliver on customer commitments
• Champion Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement initiatives
• Manage labor resources effectively to maintain workflow and operational efficiency

Improve Processes

• Identify opportunities to simplify work, eliminate waste, and improve efficiency
• Develop and maintain standardized work processes
• Implement visual management tools that improve communication and performance
• Partner with leadership and cross-functional teams to solve recurring operational challenges
• Help build systems that support scalable growth
• Support documentation, training, and process improvement initiatives that create consistency and repeatability across operations

Champion Quality and Safety

• Maintain a safe, organized, and high-performing work environment
• Ensure products consistently meet UPF quality standards
• Respond quickly to issues and support root-cause problem solving
• Promote a culture where employees proactively identify and resolve concerns
• Lead by example in all safety and quality expectations
• Conduct routine floor audits and observations to identify opportunities for improvement

Solve Problems

• Work directly with employees and line leaders to address daily production challenges
• Analyze operational issues and identify sustainable corrective actions
• Escalate and communicate critical issues when necessary
• Support long-term improvements that strengthen performance across the facility
• Balance resources and priorities to maintain production flow during changing conditions

What We're Looking For

• 2+ years of supervisory, team leadership, or people management experience in a manufacturing, production, operations, warehouse, distribution, or related environment
• Proven ability to motivate, coach, and develop employees while holding teams accountable to performance expectations
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills across all levels of an organization
• Comfortable leading from the floor and working alongside the team to solve problems and remove barriers
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize work, manage competing demands, and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving abilities and a desire to identify root causes rather than temporary fixes
• Ability to influence others and drive positive change through collaboration and leadership
• Desire to learn, improve processes, and contribute to operational excellence
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Six Sigma, or related operational excellence methodologies is a plus
• Experience leading production teams in a manufacturing environment is preferred
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Business, or a related field is preferred but not required

Who Thrives Here

The most successful leaders here are:

• Curious and eager to learn
• Comfortable taking ownership
• Passionate about developing people
• Energized by solving problems
• Interested in continuous improvement

· Excited about growing with a company rather than simply holding a position

We believe mistakes are acceptable — failing to improve is not. Successful supervisors champion an Andon culture, encourage team members to stop and fix problems immediately, and use data (SQCD) and daily Gemba walks to drive sustainable improvements.

Career Growth

We're a growing company, and we believe in developing leaders from within whenever possible.

Successful candidates in this role will gain hands-on experience in operations leadership, Lean Manufacturing, workforce development, process improvement, and strategic problem solving. As the company continues to grow, future opportunities may include advancement into positions such as:

• Plant Manager
• Operations Manager
• Director of Operations
• Other operational leadership roles

If you're looking for a role where you can build a long-term career and have a meaningful impact on the future of a growing organization, we'd love to meet you.

What We Offer

Work-Life Balance

• Four-Day Work Week
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave

Compensation & Rewards

• Competitive Compensation
• Gainsharing Program – Potential to Earn an Additional Paycheck Each Month
• 401(k) with Company Match

Health & Wellness

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Coverage

Growth & Development

• Lean Manufacturing Training
• Leadership Development Opportunities
• Tuition Assistance
• Student Loan Assistance Program
• Career Growth Within a Growing Organization