Job Overview

The Molding Production Supervisor is responsible for leading day-to-day production activities in the molding department to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality manufacturing. This role oversees personnel, equipment, and processes to meet production targets, quality standards, and continuous improvement objectives. The supervisor plays a key role in driving operational excellence, employee engagement, and cost control.

Job Requirements

Key Responsibilities

Production & Operations

•    Supervise daily molding operations to ensure production schedules are met while maintaining safety, quality, and efficiency standards.
•    Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) including OEE, scrap rate, uptime, yield, and labor efficiency.
•    Coordinate machine setups, changeovers, and start-ups to minimize downtime.
•    Ensure adherence to standard work, process parameters, and control plans.
•    Support troubleshooting of molding, tooling, and material issues in collaboration with Engineering and Maintenance.

Safety & Compliance

•    Enforce all safety policies, procedures, and PPE requirements.
•    Conduct safety walks, audits, and incident investigations.
•    Maintain compliance with OSHA, environmental, and company safety standards.
•    Promote a proactive safety culture and continuous risk reduction.

Quality

•    Ensure molded parts meet customer and internal quality requirements.
•    Support containment, root cause analysis, and corrective actions for quality issues.
•    Partner with Quality to improve process capability and reduce defects.
•    Ensure operators follow inspection and documentation requirements.

Team Leadership & Development

•    Lead, coach, and develop molding operators, technicians, and leads.
•    Assign work, manage attendance, and address performance issues.
•    Conduct training, onboarding, and skills development to build a versatile workforce.
•    Foster engagement, accountability, and a culture of continuous improvement.

Continuous Improvement

•    Identify and drive improvement opportunities related to scrap reduction, OEE improvement, cycle time optimization, and cost savings.
•    Participate in or lead Kaizen events and problem-solving activities (e.g., 5 Why, Fishbone, PDCA).
•    Support implementation of lean manufacturing principles and best practices.

Communication & Reporting

•    Communicate production status, issues, and priorities during shift handoffs.
•    Maintain accurate production, downtime, and scrap reporting.
•    Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Materials, and Planning.

What your background should look like

Qualifications

Required

•    High school diploma or GED required; technical or associate degree preferred.
•    Minimum 3–5 years experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably plastic injection molding.
•    Previous leadership or supervisory experience.
•    Strong understanding of molding processes, materials, and terminology.
•    Ability to read and interpret work instructions, process sheets, and technical documentation.
•    Proficient with basic computer applications and manufacturing systems.

Preferred

•    Experience with scientific molding principles.

Competencies