Assembly Supervisor

Assembly Supervisor

Location: Farmington, New Hampshire
Job Type: Full-Time, Salaried (Exempt)
Department: Manufacturing / Production – Assembly
Reports To: Vice President of Operations
Direct Reports: Firearm Assemblers, Assembly Leads, and Final Inspection/Test Personnel

Position Summary

T/C Arms is seeking an experienced, hands-on Assembly Supervisor to lead firearm assembly operations at our manufacturing facility in Farmington, New Hampshire.

This is a floor-focused leadership position responsible for the safe, efficient, and consistent execution of the assembly production plan. The Assembly Supervisor owns day-to-day performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People, ensuring finished firearms are assembled, tested, documented, and completed to T/C Arms standards.

The ideal candidate combines strong manufacturing leadership with a working knowledge of firearm mechanics and assembly. This individual knows how to lead by the numbers, solve problems at the source, develop employees, and maintain strict accountability for serialized firearms and receivers.

The Assembly Supervisor works closely with Planning, Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, Shipping, and Operations leadership to meet production commitments without compromising safety, quality, or regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Production & Delivery

• Execute daily and weekly assembly schedules provided by Planning and ensure each scheduled workstation is staffed with trained and qualified personnel.
• Lead daily start-of-shift meetings covering safety, prior-day performance, current production goals, staffing, shortages, and open issues.
• Monitor hourly and daily production against plan and take immediate action to recover missed targets or escalate constraints with a clear recovery plan.
• Confirm component availability—including receivers, barrels, triggers, small parts, and finished components—before releasing work to the floor.
• Partner with Planning and Manufacturing to identify and resolve material shortages and production constraints.
• Ensure work orders, labor transactions, production completions, and related ERP transactions are accurate and completed on time.
• Balance workloads and cross-train employees to maintain production continuity during absences, product-mix changes, and shifting demand.

Quality

• Ensure firearms are assembled according to approved drawings, specifications, work instructions, and quality standards.
• Ensure required functional and safety inspections are completed before product release, including applicable headspace, trigger pull, function/cycling, and safety checks.
• Own departmental first-pass yield and drive improvements in assembly quality.
• Lead structured root-cause analysis and corrective actions using tools such as 5-Why, fishbone analysis, and 8D.
• Immediately contain nonconforming product and partner with Quality on evaluation and MRB disposition.
• Ensure assembly work instructions, gauges, tooling, and fixtures are current, appropriate, and properly maintained or calibrated.
• Partner with Engineering to recommend improvements to assembly methods, tooling, fixtures, and documentation.
• Review customer complaint and warranty information with Quality, Sales, and Customer Service to identify and eliminate recurring assembly-related issues.

Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Promote and enforce a zero-harm safety culture throughout the assembly department.
• Ensure compliance with PPE requirements, safe tool operation, proper handling of solvents and lubricants, OSHA requirements, and company safety procedures.
• Investigate incidents and near misses and ensure corrective actions are completed promptly.
• Maintain strict accountability and control of serialized firearms and receivers in accordance with applicable ATF requirements and company procedures.
• Support serialized inventory counts, record accuracy, internal controls, and audits.
• Immediately escalate any serialized inventory discrepancy in accordance with company procedures.

People Leadership

• Recruit, onboard, train, develop, and certify assembly personnel.
• Maintain an effective skills and cross-training matrix to ensure appropriate coverage across critical assembly operations.
• Provide daily coaching, establish clear performance expectations, and conduct employee performance reviews.
• Address attendance, performance, and conduct issues consistently, professionally, and fairly.
• Identify and develop high-performing employees and Assembly Leads for future leadership opportunities.
• Manage overtime, time approvals, staffing, and shift coverage within established budgets.

Continuous Improvement & Cost

• Drive Lean manufacturing principles throughout assembly, including 5S, standard work, visual management, waste reduction, and continuous improvement.
• Improve labor efficiency while reducing rework, scrap, downtime, and unnecessary material movement.
• Deliver measurable productivity improvements while maintaining required quality and safety standards.
• Partner with Engineering and Operations on new product introductions, assembly line layouts, tooling, fixtures, and process improvements.
• Track departmental KPIs and present performance, issues, countermeasures, and action plans during weekly production meetings.

Key Performance Expectations

Performance will be measured across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Compliance, and People, including:

• Zero recordable safety incidents.
• 100% timely closure of required near-miss and incident corrective actions.
• 100% serialized firearm and receiver count accuracy with zero unresolved discrepancies.
• First-pass yield of 98% or greater at final functional test.
• Year-over-year reduction in assembly-related rework, scrap, customer returns, and warranty claims.
• Daily and weekly schedule attainment of 95% or greater.
• On-time completion against the shipping plan of 95% or greater.
• Labor hours per unit at or below established standards.
• Overtime maintained within departmental budget.
• A minimum of three qualified assemblers available for each critical workstation.
• Departmental 5S audit score of 90% or greater.
• Attendance and voluntary turnover maintained within company targets.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; Associate degree, technical degree, or relevant certification preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of manufacturing experience, including at least 2 years supervising an assembly or production team.
• Strong working knowledge of firearm mechanics, function, and safety, including rifles, barrels, receivers, triggers, and related components.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, and manufacturing work instructions.
• Familiarity with inspection gauges, measurement equipment, and functional testing.
• Demonstrated ability to manage production using measurable Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost metrics.
• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, 5S, standard work, continuous improvement, and structured problem-solving techniques.
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to set expectations and hold employees accountable professionally and consistently.
• Must meet all company and legal requirements applicable to working with firearms in a licensed manufacturing environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Supervisory experience in firearms, defense, aerospace, precision manufacturing, or a similarly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Experience with ATF requirements, recordkeeping, and serialized inventory control within an FFL/SOT manufacturing environment.
• NetSuite experience.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent training.
• Gunsmithing, armorer, or related firearm technical training.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Ability to spend the majority of the workday on the manufacturing floor, including standing, walking, bending, and reaching.
• Fine motor skills and visual acuity sufficient to inspect small components and completed assemblies.
• Ability to wear required PPE, including safety glasses and hearing protection.

Work Environment

This position operates primarily within an active manufacturing environment with moderate noise levels and designated firearm testing areas. Employees may work around manufacturing oils, lubricants, and cleaning solvents and are required to follow all applicable safety procedures.

The Assembly Supervisor must have the flexibility to support overtime, off-shift production, and occasional weekend coverage when required to meet production needs.

About T/C Arms

T/C Arms is committed to American manufacturing, quality craftsmanship, innovation, and building products our customers can depend on. Our Farmington, New Hampshire operation brings together experienced manufacturing professionals, engineers, craftspeople, and firearms enthusiasts focused on carrying the Thompson/Center legacy forward.

T/C Arms is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Work Location: In person

Salary : $49,938 - $66,689