Technical Supervisor

Technical Supervisor

At West, we're a dedicated team that is connected by a purpose to improve patient lives that has been at the center of our company for more than a century. Our story began when Herman O. West solved the problem of supplying penicillin in mass quantities to the US Government during World War 2. Through our work to deliver thousands of life-saving and life-enhancing injectable medicines to millions of patients daily, West's indelible mark on the healthcare industry has just begun. A name started our story. How will yours help write our future? There's no better place to join an inclusive community of professionals with opportunities for lifelong learning, growth and development. Supported by benefit programs, we empower the physical, mental, emotional and financial health of our team members and their families. We believe in giving back to help those in need in the communities where we live and work. And are equally committed to creating a healthier environment and planet through our sustainability efforts.

Job Summary: In this role, you will directly lead, coach and develop the Press Technician team to drive world-class technical execution across molding, trimming and vision inspection processes. This position reports through Process Engineering and partners closely with Operations, Quality, Maintenance and Process Engineering to improve yield, reduce scrap, improve quality and increase equipment utilization. The Technical Supervisor is responsible for building a structured Press Technician training and qualification program, reinforcing quality at the source, ensuring rapid response to process issues and driving disciplined escalation when processes are not in control.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Directly supervise, coach and develop Press Technicians across assigned shifts.
• Build and sustain a structured Press Technician training program focused on mold handling, line clearance, troubleshooting, quality at the source, yield improvement and equipment utilization.
• Ensure Press Technicians are trained and qualified to uninstall molds, install molds, line clear presses, clean molds and perform mold vacuum testing.
• Ensure Press Technicians are trained and qualified to remove trim dies, install trim dies, line clear trimming equipment and troubleshoot trimming-related issues.
• Ensure Press Technicians are trained and qualified to line clear vision machines and support first-level vision-related troubleshooting.
• Establish clear expectations for rapid response to press, mold, trim and vision issues impacting yield, quality, scrap or utilization.
• Ensure Press Technicians follow standard troubleshooting steps and escalation criteria before escalating to Process Technicians, Process Engineering, Maintenance or Quality.
• Lead daily technical follow-up on repeat scrap, yield loss, quality defects, downtime and equipment utilization losses.
• Use structured problem-solving methods such as Lean, Six Sigma, 8D, Kepner-Tregoe, 5 Why or similar methods to develop technician capability and eliminate repeat issues.
• Ensure Press Technicians can identify symptoms, gather facts, determine probable causes, take approved corrective action and escalate with clear information.
• Develop and maintain Press Technician standard work, troubleshooting checklists, escalation criteria, line clearance expectations, training materials and qualification records.
• Partner with Operations to align technical support with production priorities while maintaining ownership of Press Technician performance, training and technical standards.
• Perform other duties as assigned based on business needs.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Partner with Process Engineering to ensure Press Technician work aligns with approved process standards, validated parameters and troubleshooting expectations.
• Partner with Quality when issues may impact product quality, line clearance, documentation, disposition or compliance.
• Partner with Maintenance when issues require equipment repair, reliability support or troubleshooting beyond Press Technician scope.
• Verify Press Technician qualification through hands-on demonstration of capability, not classroom training alone.
• Monitor Press Technician performance, attendance, training progress, technical capability and adherence to safety, quality, GMP and documentation requirements.
• Promote a culture of urgency, ownership, technical discipline, teamwork, continuous improvement and shared business results.

Education: Bachelor's degree required; Engineering degree strongly preferred. Equivalent Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Technical Operations or a related field may be considered.

Work Experience: Minimum 5 years experience in a similar position within the manufacturing industry required and experience in Project management preferred.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of molding press operations, mold installation, mold removal, mold cleaning, vacuum testing, line clearance and process troubleshooting.
• Working knowledge of trimming equipment, trim die installation/removal, trimming defects and trimming process troubleshooting.
• Working knowledge of vision inspection line clearance and first-level troubleshooting.
• Understanding of how Press Technician performance impacts yield, scrap, quality, downtime and equipment utilization.
• Ability to build a world-class technical training and qualification program for Press Technicians.
• Strong capability in structured problem solving, root cause analysis and data-based decision making.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, 8D, Kepner-Tregoe, 5 Why or similar systematic problem-solving methodology preferred.
• Ability to distinguish between process, equipment, tooling, material, operator, maintenance and quality-related issues.
• Ability to coach technicians through technical issues without creating dependency or bypassing escalation standards.
• Ability to partner effectively with Operations, Process Engineering, Quality and Maintenance.
• Strong leadership, communication, accountability, follow-up and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to set clear expectations, hold standards and develop technical talent.
• Demonstrates urgency, ownership, sound judgment and disciplined execution.

License and Certifications: Manufacturing/Six Sigma Green Belt Certification within 1 Year required.

Travel Requirements: 20%: Up to 52 business days per year.

Physical Requirements: Light-Exerting up to 20lbs/9kg of force frequently, and/or negligible amount of force frequently constantly to move objects.

Additional Requirements:

• Self-motivated, results- and solution-oriented personality
• Very good organizational and project management skills
• Highly analytical and structured way of working
• Ability to successfully collaborate with teams across different countries and organizational levels
• Fluent in English
• Proficient in Microsoft based programs
• Ability to assert technical solutions and standards in an international environment
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate well with people across different countries
• Able to routinely use standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines
• Position operates in a professional office environment
• May stand or sit for extended periods of time
• Must be able to communicate effectively with written and oral skills, make quick decisions, interpret data, read and write, speak in front of groups, express and exchange ideas, understand direction and adhere to procedures
• Organizational skills will enable planning, prioritization and achievement of goals especially of importance for the successful execution of related activities
• Read and interpret data, information and documents
• Must maintain the ability to work well with others in a variety of situations
• Must be able to multi-task, work under time constraints, problem solve, and prioritize
• Ability to make independent and sound judgments
• Observe and interpret situations, analyze and solve problems

West is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. If you have a special need that requires accommodation in order to apply to West, please send an email to View email address on click.appcast.io. Where permitted by law, an offer of employment with West Pharmaceutical Services, or any of its subsidiary or affiliate companies, is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of background screening.