Production Supervisor (Kiln Department)

The Del Conca Group is one of the most important industrial entities in the Italian ceramic tile industry and is composed of four manufacturing companies – Ceramica Faetano, Ceramica del Conca, Pastorelli, Del Conca USA Inc., a business corporation, Produco, and the Cino Mularoni Foundation, which primarily focuses on social and cultural initiatives.

Del Conca USA was established in Loudon, TN to combine local production and Italian design. Del Conca USA is a manufacturer of residential and commercial porcelain tile and outdoor pavers.

Position Summary: Supervises all aspects of the Kiln department in a 24-hour operation. The position is responsible for actively managing the performance of people and processes in a manufacturing setting. Key performance areas include safety, quality overall equipment effectiveness, and operator productivity. This role oversees the operation and maintenance of kilns, ensuring tiles are properly fired and meets quality standards. Manage a team, coordinate activities, and implement improvements to maximize kiln efficiency and production. This role often involves analyzing kiln operations, maintaining equipment, and ensuring compliance with safety and environmental regulations.  Communicates all issues with the Plant Manager, Supervisors and Team Leaders.

• Provide overall leadership and day-to-day management of the Kiln Department across all operating shifts.
• Ensure employees and supervisors follow all company safety policies, procedures, work instructions, JHAs, and Lockout/Tagout requirements.
• Establish clear performance expectations for supervisors, team leaders, and operators and hold employees accountable for results.
• Monitor kiln operations, firing conditions, temperatures, pressures, speeds, cycles, and other critical process parameters.
• Ensure kilns are operated within established production and quality specifications.
• Monitor production output, efficiency, downtime, scrap, defects, energy consumption, and other department KPIs.
• Coordinate with Quality personnel to identify and correct firing-related defects, including dimensional, color, flatness, surface, and structural issues.
• Work closely with Maintenance to prioritize preventive maintenance, repairs, equipment reliability, and planned downtime.
• Participate in troubleshooting kiln, dryer, conveyor, burner, fan, sensor, and related equipment problems.
• Ensure accurate completion of production records, quality checks, inspections, shift reports, and other required documentation.
• Review production performance and communicate significant problems, downtime, quality concerns, and corrective actions to Plant Management.
• Develop and train supervisors, team leaders, and operators to improve technical knowledge, leadership, troubleshooting, and operational consistency.
• Manage staffing, scheduling, attendance, overtime, training, performance management, and employee development within the department.
• Support investigations of safety incidents, quality problems, equipment failures, and production interruptions and implement corrective actions.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, improve kiln efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and improve overall equipment effectiveness.
• Maintain good housekeeping and 5S standards throughout the department.
• Participate in continuous improvement projects and other plant initiatives.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Plant Manager.

Leadership Responsibilities

Provides leadership and direction to Kiln Engineer, Technicians, Kiln Operators, and other assigned department employees. Responsibilities include employee development, coaching, performance management, training, scheduling, accountability, and ensuring consistent expectations across all shifts.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; technical degree, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Prior supervisory or management experience in a manufacturing environment required.
• Ceramic tile, ceramics, kiln, furnace, thermal-processing, or similar continuous-process manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of manufacturing safety, quality, production, maintenance, and continuous improvement principles.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to understand production data, process parameters, equipment performance, and manufacturing KPIs.
• Experience with WMS/ERP systems such as AS400 and SAP is preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and employee-development skills.
• Ability to work effectively across departments and with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to support a 24/7 manufacturing operation and respond to significant operational issues outside normal working hours when necessary.

Key Performance Expectations

Performance in this position will generally be measured through:

• Employee safety and compliance
• Kiln efficiency and reliability
• Production attainment
• Product quality and first-quality yield
• Scrap and waste reduction
• Equipment downtime (Gaps)
• Energy and operating efficiency
• Preventive maintenance coordination
• Employee training and development
• Department attendance and staffing
• Continuous improvement results
• Housekeeping and 5S performance

ADAAA Specifications

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee may lift and/or move up to 25 pounds as needed. With any lifting activity associates should seek assistance. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

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