What are the responsibilities and job description for the Production Supervisor position at Dana Incorporated?
Job Purpose
The Production Supervisor is responsible for leading daily manufacturing operations to ensure the safe, efficient, and cost-effective production of high-quality products. This role provides direct leadership to production team members, drives continuous improvement initiatives, supports employee development, and ensures compliance with safety, quality, delivery, and productivity objectives. The Production Supervisor serves as a key link between operations, quality, maintenance, materials, and leadership teams to achieve operational excellence and customer satisfaction.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Production Leadership & Operations
- Direct and coordinate daily production activities to meet safety, quality, delivery, and productivity targets.
- Monitor production schedules and adjust resources as necessary to meet customer demands and changing priorities.
- Manage staffing levels, work assignments, vacation schedules, and overtime requirements to ensure adequate production coverage.
- Review production performance, identify constraints, and implement corrective actions to improve efficiency and throughput.
- Ensure equipment, tooling, dies, fixtures, and materials are available to support production requirements.
- Coordinate with maintenance to address equipment issues and minimize downtime.
- Analyze production data and key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive operational improvements.
People Leadership & Development
- Lead, coach, and develop production team members to achieve performance expectations and foster employee engagement.
- Support onboarding, training, cross-training, and workforce development initiatives.
- Maintain training matrices and ensure employees are qualified and certified for assigned tasks.
- Conduct performance discussions, provide feedback, and support corrective action processes when required.
- Promote a positive work environment that reflects the organization's values and culture.
- Facilitate effective shift communications and daily team meetings.
Quality Management
- Ensure compliance with all quality standards, procedures, and customer requirements.
- Conduct and verify first-piece, last-piece, and in-process quality inspections as required.
- Review quality performance metrics and implement corrective actions to reduce defects and scrap.
- Manage containment activities and disposition of nonconforming products in partnership with Quality personnel.
- Support root cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives related to quality concerns.
- Monitor Statistical Process Control (SPC) activities and ensure process controls are maintained.
Safety & Compliance
- Champion a culture of safety and ensure compliance with all company safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
- Conduct safety observations, audits, investigations, and corrective actions as needed.
- Ensure employees receive required safety training and follow established safe work practices.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and audit-ready production environment through 5S and housekeeping standards.
- Support environmental, health, and safety initiatives and continuous improvement activities.
Continuous Improvement & Administration
- Lead and participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational excellence, waste reduction, and cost savings.
- Perform layered process audits and verify adherence to standard work procedures.
- Maintain accurate production, attendance, labor, and performance records.
- Review and approve employee time and attendance records.
- Prepare reports and communicate production performance, staffing concerns, quality metrics, and improvement opportunities to leadership.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, Materials, and Human Resources.
- Perform other duties and projects as assigned.
Education and Qualifications
Required
- Minimum of 3-5 years of manufacturing experience.
- Minimum of 1-3 years of supervisory, team lead, or leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Experience working in a fast-paced production environment.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Preferred
- Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Operations Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or similar manufacturing software.
- Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, and 5S methodologies.
- Experience with automotive, industrial, or highly regulated manufacturing environments.
- Understanding of quality systems, SPC, root cause analysis, and corrective action processes.
Skills
Strong leadership, coaching, and team-building abilities.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to motivate employees and drive accountability for results.
Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.Knowledge of manufacturing processes, production planning, and workflow management.
Understanding of safety regulations, risk mitigation, and compliance requirements.
Ability to analyze data and use metrics to drive performance improvements.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and manufacturing software systems.Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, and continuous improvement principles.
Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, changing production environment.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate across departments and organizational levels.
Attention to detail with a commitment to quality and operational excellence.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism when handling employee and business information.