Lead Production Supervisor - Cold End

• Accountable to ensure safety and environmental leadership is always present on shift. Provides training, conducts audits, and implements associated corrective measures to ensure a safe working environment for all employees. Trains, develops and follows up with the Cold End shift supervisors such that all safe working practices and policies are followed and enforced. Follows up on all incidents to ensure initial investigations were properly completed on shift and gathers additional evidence if necessary to develop standards and create an environment where incidents are not repeated.


• Provide direction and leadership to the Cold End shift supervision to ensure the completion of the production schedule while achieving optimum performance from the production line. Ensure the shift teams are monitoring the proper KPIs in real time to anticipate and react to conditions which would lead to lower-than-expected performance.


• Carries out administrative duties to ensure that the correct manning levels to meet production requirements are maintained on all shifts and UKG records are maintained.


• Work closely with the other departments within the plant to ensure the production goals of all departments are met, including manning movement within the Hot End / Coatings team and optimization of maintenance.


• Provides support to the Process Improvers in all areas of process improvement and performance enhancement, including the continuous improvement meetings and planning meetings.


• Support and develop the shift supervision to use SOPs and structured methods to trouble shoot problems, change product mix to control and optimize the operation, and minimize Cold End losses.


• Provide feedback to the Process Improvers to ensure SOPs reflect actual process needs and result in the most efficient work methods to achieve desired goals with a focus to eliminate waste and ineffective actions.


• Ensure the shift teams are trained on the use of the various diagnostic tools and basic Cold End systems so issues pertaining to quality and loss of product can be addressed timely.


• Champion the workforce to sustain and improve the standards of housekeeping, orderliness, and cleanliness through the establishment of routine, structured 5S activities, check sheets and rounds. Coordinate efforts to implement “Quick Kaizen” ideas generated by the various shifts.


• Ensure shift supervision is uniformly enforcing plant safety and work rules, following up immediately anytime a deviation is not addressed appropriately.


• Collaborate with the process engineers to develop consistent and effective training plans, ensuring all shift operators and supervisors are proficient at the various jobs and can properly determine effective process adjustments to maintain production line performance.


• Constantly evaluate the training plans, work routines and procedures to foster a culture of continual improvement.


• Cover shift supervisory vacancies as they may arise from time to time due to vacations, illness, etc.


• Ensure all actions undertaken comply with the collective bargaining agreement and maintain effective relationships with the employees’ designated Union Representatives. Provide proper training and guidance to the shift supervision to follow the requirements of the CBA.


• Adherence to NSG/Pilkington Standards of Business Conduct and its Values and Principles


• The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.


• Other duties as assigned by the manager.

Scope/Dimensions:

• Incumbent is responsible to ensure proper execution of the systems developed by the Process Improvers. This person has the freedom to organize the shift labor as necessary to achieve the performance goals for the site and must regularly audit the area, looking for gaps in actual results compared to the plan and identifying actions to correct.

Top 3 Competencies Needed for Success in the Role:

• Passion for Excellence: takes personal responsibility and ownership for achieving results & objectives.


• Safety & Quality Focus: develops safety as a team value – recognizes and reinforces safe leadership behaviors and challenges unsafe behaviors.


• Empowers and Develops: empowers work teams to take ownership in achieving business objectives and delegates work to the appropriate level.

Qualifications Required:

• Minimum 3 years’ experience successfully supervising people in a manufacturing environment, or relatable experience.


• Bachelor’s degree in business or technically related field or equivalent work experience.


• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and organize objectives and targets to meet deadlines.

Qualifications Desired:

• Advanced Problem-Solving Skills (Six Sigma)


• 3 years' experience in float glass manufacturing

Other Requirements:

• While performing the duties of this position, the associate frequently works around moving machines, chemicals, and high temperature in an industrial environment.


• The associate occasionally must travel by commercial means or private transport.


• The role involves prolonged periods of standing and walking, often exceeding 8 hours per day.


• Candidates must be able to climb stairs, crouch, kneel, and maintain balance in various working environments.


• The position also requires the ability to lift and carry objects weighing up to 10 pounds, occasionally over 20 pounds.