What are the responsibilities and job description for the Production Line Supervisor (Composites) position at Karman Space & Defense?
Summary
The Production Supervisor leads daily operations of an assigned aerospace composites production line, ensuring safe, compliant, and on-schedule manufacturing of flight hardware. This role is accountable for execution of the production plan, workforce coordination across Day, Swing, and Weekend shifts, and alignment with Integrated Product Team (IPT) Leads and Program Managers (PMs) to meet customer deliverables.
The supervisor maintains a strong shop-floor presence, actively supporting technical issue resolution, process adherence, and production flow while driving operational discipline, quality compliance, and continuous improvement.
About Us
Karman Space & Defense provides concept-to-production solutions for mission-critical systems on spacecraft, launch vehicles, missiles, hypersonics, and integrated defense systems. We believe that solving the industry’s most complex and mission-critical challenges requires relentless determination and a willingness to push the boundaries of possibility. Karman Space & Defense brings to bear unparalleled production capabilities, unmatched engineering expertise, and unflinching analysis to render the impossible, possible.
Compensation & Benefits
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities. The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
Karman is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (“protected class”) including, but not limited to race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability; citizenship status; uniform servicemember status; or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law. Our management is dedicated to ensuring the fulfillment of this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment advertising, pay, and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.
The Production Supervisor leads daily operations of an assigned aerospace composites production line, ensuring safe, compliant, and on-schedule manufacturing of flight hardware. This role is accountable for execution of the production plan, workforce coordination across Day, Swing, and Weekend shifts, and alignment with Integrated Product Team (IPT) Leads and Program Managers (PMs) to meet customer deliverables.
The supervisor maintains a strong shop-floor presence, actively supporting technical issue resolution, process adherence, and production flow while driving operational discipline, quality compliance, and continuous improvement.
About Us
Karman Space & Defense provides concept-to-production solutions for mission-critical systems on spacecraft, launch vehicles, missiles, hypersonics, and integrated defense systems. We believe that solving the industry’s most complex and mission-critical challenges requires relentless determination and a willingness to push the boundaries of possibility. Karman Space & Defense brings to bear unparalleled production capabilities, unmatched engineering expertise, and unflinching analysis to render the impossible, possible.
Compensation & Benefits
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- Company Paid Life Insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Paid Holidays
- Tuition Reimbursement*
- Lead, develop, and hold accountable production personnel within the assigned composites manufacturing area.
- Execute daily and weekly production schedules to meet program milestones and customer delivery commitments.
- Maintain active presence on the shop floor to monitor workflow, remove barriers, and support resolution of technical and process issues.
- Provide hands-on support and guidance for composite processes including layup, cure cycles, trim, bond, tooling, and NDI as needed to ensure compliance and schedule adherence.
- Partner with IPT Leads and PMs to ensure manufacturing readiness, risk mitigation, and recovery planning.
- Coordinate cross-shift communication and work transfer between Day, Swing, and Weekend shifts to ensure continuity and plan alignment.
- Drive performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
- Ensure compliance with aerospace manufacturing procedures, configuration control, and quality management system requirements (AS9100).
- Identify and resolve production constraints in coordination with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Planning.
- Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Escalate risks, non-conformances, or schedule impacts to the Composites Manager in a timely manner.
- 8 years of manufacturing experience, preferably in aerospace composites or flight hardware production.
- Prior supervisory or team leadership experience in a production environment.
- Strong working knowledge of composite manufacturing processes (layup, autoclave cure, trimming, bonding, NDI, tooling).
- Experience operating within a regulated aerospace quality environment (AS9100 preferred).
- Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and production scheduling tools.
- Strong problem-solving, organizational, and cross-functional communication skills.
- Ability to lead in a fast-paced, schedule-driven manufacturing environment.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities. The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
Karman is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (“protected class”) including, but not limited to race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability; citizenship status; uniform servicemember status; or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law. Our management is dedicated to ensuring the fulfillment of this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment advertising, pay, and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.
Salary : $30 - $46