13683 Waterbase Production Supervisor

Description

IFS INDUSTRIES a leading manufacturer of adhesives, coatings and polymers has an exciting opportunity for a hands-on, motivated leader for our Waterbase Production Supervisor role.

We offer a competitive salary and a great benefits package which includes, Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401K w/Company Match, Paid Vacation, and more!!!

Position Summary

The Waterbase Production Supervisor is responsible for the safe, efficient, and timely execution of waterbase manufacturing operations. The Supervisor provides direct leadership to production employees and is accountable for safety, quality, productivity, schedule attainment, housekeeping, training, and compliance with established manufacturing procedures.

This position works closely with the Waterbase Production Scheduler, Quality, Customer Service, Warehouse, Maintenance, and Operations leadership to ensure production requirements are executed according to schedule and customer commitments are achieved.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Production Leadership & Execution

• Direct and supervise daily waterbase production activities.
• Execute the established production schedule and communicate any conditions that may prevent schedule attainment.
• Assign employees to production tanks, packaging operations, and other work areas based on production priorities.
• Review batch tickets and production requirements with employees prior to manufacturing.
• Ensure batches are manufactured according to approved formulations, procedures, and specifications.
• Monitor production progress throughout the shift and adjust labor and resources as necessary.
• Ensure completed batch tickets are reviewed for accuracy and submitted for timely closing.
• Coordinate movement of completed batches through the QC approval and release process.
• Ensure finished products are packaged, labeled, and moved to the appropriate staging or warehouse locations.

Safety & Compliance

• Maintain a safe working environment and enforce all company safety policies and procedures.
• Conduct routine safety observations and immediately address unsafe conditions or behaviors.
• Ensure employees properly use required PPE.
• Participate in safety meetings, incident investigations, and corrective-action activities.
• Ensure production areas comply with environmental, regulatory, and company requirements.

Quality

• Ensure employees follow approved batch instructions and manufacturing procedures.
• Verify raw materials, quantities, processing steps, packaging, and labeling are correct.
• Work closely with Quality to resolve batch discrepancies, out-of-specification conditions, and product holds.
• Ensure materials and finished batches move through the QC process without unnecessary delay.
• Support corrective and preventive actions related to manufacturing or quality issues.

Housekeeping & Workplace Organization

We believe that Safety, Quality, and Housekeeping are prerequisites for, and the main drivers of, productivity. The Supervisor is responsible for improving and maintaining a clean, organized, and orderly production environment.

• Establish and enforce clear housekeeping standards throughout all production and packaging areas.
• Ensure work areas, equipment, floors, aisles, staging areas, and storage locations are kept clean and organized.
• Ensure spills, leaks, waste, and other housekeeping issues are addressed promptly and appropriately.
• Maintain clear and unobstructed access to emergency equipment, exits, walkways, workstations, and operating equipment.
• Ensure tools, hoses, containers, raw materials, packaging materials, and finished goods are properly stored when not in use.
• Conduct routine housekeeping inspections and address deficiencies immediately.
• Assign housekeeping responsibilities and ensure they are completed consistently during and at the end of each shift.
• Promote a culture in which every employee is responsible for improving and maintaining workplace organization.
• Identify recurring housekeeping issues and implement corrective actions to prevent them from returning.
• Use housekeeping standards to improve material flow, reduce waste, prevent errors, support safe work practices, and increase productivity.

People Leadership

• Provide daily direction, coaching, and leadership to waterbase production employees.
• Establish clear expectations for safety, quality, productivity, attendance, housekeeping, and workplace conduct.
• Train and develop employees on equipment, manufacturing processes, procedures, housekeeping standards, and safe work practices.
• Monitor employee performance and provide timely feedback.
• Assist with performance evaluations and disciplinary actions as appropriate.
• Develop cross-training and employee capability to provide adequate operational coverage.
• Promote accountability, teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement.

Schedule & Customer Support

• Work closely with the Waterbase Production Scheduler to execute production priorities.
• Participate in daily production and/or Customer Service communications as required.
• Provide accurate production status, expected completion times, delays, and recovery plans.
• Immediately communicate significant production issues that could affect customer commitments.
• Support expedited customer requirements when operationally feasible.

Materials & Inventory

• Verify required raw materials and packaging components are available before scheduled production begins.
• Communicate material shortages or discrepancies immediately.
• Coordinate with Warehouse and Scheduling personnel regarding required material movement and staging.
• Support cycle counting of raw materials, packaging materials, and finished goods.
• Investigate and help resolve inventory discrepancies related to production activities.

Equipment & Maintenance

• Monitor the operating condition of tanks, mixers, pumps, transfer equipment, filling equipment, and other production assets.
• Coordinate maintenance requirements and production priorities with Maintenance.
• Ensure equipment problems are reported promptly and appropriately documented.
• Support preventive maintenance activities and equipment availability.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, productivity, and manufacturing efficiency.

Production Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate production reporting and operating records.
• Monitor schedule attainment, productivity, downtime, rework, waste, housekeeping, and other key production measures.
• Identify recurring production constraints and recommend corrective actions.
• Participate in root-cause analysis and continuous-improvement activities.
• Support improvements in manufacturing methods, material flow, labor utilization, quality, housekeeping, and overall operational efficiency.
• Maintain appropriate production information and reporting on the shared drive and company systems.

 All applicants must successfully pass an interview, background check, and drug & alcohol screenings.

IFS INDUSTRIES is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Drug and Alcohol-Free Environment. 

Requirements

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or technical degree preferred.
• Previous manufacturing supervisory or leadership experience required.
• Chemical, adhesive, coatings, batch-processing, or similar manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supervising batch manufacturing operations preferred.
• Working knowledge of production scheduling, inventory control, quality systems, and manufacturing documentation.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a changing manufacturing environment.
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, housekeeping, accountability, and customer service.

Key Performance Expectations

Performance will be measured in part by:

• Safety performance.
• Production schedule attainment.
• Product quality and right-first-time performance.
• Batch-ticket accuracy and timely completion.
• QC turnaround and timely product release.
• Labor productivity and efficient resource utilization.
• Equipment uptime and reduction of avoidable downtime.
• Inventory accuracy.
• Improvement and maintenance of housekeeping and workplace organization.
• Reduction of spills, waste, clutter, and preventable housekeeping-related issues.