Production Supervisor - 1st Shift

Primary Function:

Our Middleville, MI location is currently seeking a 1st Shift Production Supervisor. This role leads a team of 30-50 UAW-represented employees in a fast-paced, high-volume manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate is a visible, hands-on leader who can build trust, foster positive employee relations, and create a culture of safety, quality, accountability, and respect. Success in this role requires strong communication skills, sound judgment, composure under pressure, and the ability to partner effectively with union employees and leadership to drive operational excellence and workforce engagement.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop a team of 30-50 hourly employees through coaching, mentoring, recognition, and consistent communication.


• Build credibility and positive working relationships with employees by fostering a respectful and accountable work environment.


• Partner effectively with union leadership and employees while administering the Collective Bargaining Agreement fairly and consistently.


• Address employee concerns proactively and professionally while promoting constructive employee relations and workforce engagement.


• Maintain a strong floor presence and lead with visibility, responsiveness, and professionalism.


• Champion a culture where safety is the highest priority and employees are empowered to identify and address potential risks.


• Drive quality, productivity, and operational performance through effective team leadership and problem-solving.


• Support implementation of new products, engineering changes, and operational improvements.


• Monitor production schedules and work order progress to ensure customer, quality, and delivery expectations are met.


• Maintain accurate attendance, staffing, and performance documentation.


• Respond calmly and effectively to changing priorities, staffing challenges, and production issues.


• Champion continuous improvement opportunities to reduce downtime, improve quality, reduce scrap, and achieve labor efficiency targets through collaborative and effective problem-solving methodologies

Job Requirements:

• 3+ years of supervisory or leadership experience in a manufacturing environment


• Demonstrated success leading teams with a focus on safety, quality, and performance through employee engagement, communication, and accountability


• Strong communication, interpersonal, conflict resolution, and relationship-building skills


• Proven ability to foster positive employee relations and navigate challenging workplace situations with professionalism and composure


• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and organizational skills. Lean / Six Sigma experience preferred


• Ability to balance safety, quality, productivity, and employee engagement objectives


• Must be comfortable wearing a respirator in designated work areas


• Previous leadership experience in a unionized manufacturing environment preferred


• Experience supervising employees in a high-volume manufacturing or assembly, fabrication environment preferred


• Associate or bachelor's degree, or an equivalent combination of education and leadership experience preferred

About the Company:

Throughout a history dating back to 1881, Bradford White Corporation has been manufacturing some of the most high-performing, technologically advanced, and energy-saving products to the world market. While many manufacturers continue to move production out of the country, we continue to invest in America.

We are proud to have millions of products installed for millions of satisfied customers all over the world. Our essential products continue to support the health, safety, sanitation, and infrastructure of communities and for 2022 we’ve been recognized as an Energy Star Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award Winner for the third straight year.

For the Bradford White family of companies, customer satisfaction is our greatest reward, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver products that are Built to be the Best®. Today, we employ more than 1900 employees with headquarters in suburban Philadelphia and manufacturing operations in Middleville and Niles, Michigan and Rochester, New Hampshire