2nd Shift Supervisor in Sheboygan, Wisconsin at Northland Plastics Inc

The 2nd Shift Production Supervisor oversees the daily manufacturing operations during the second shift. This role is responsible for leading extrusion line operators to meet production schedules safely and efficiently. Because this is a custom profile extrusion environment, a heavy focus is placed on monitoring quality specs, minimizing scrap during changeovers, and troubleshooting process variations to keep lines running consistently. Individual may also run lines when production dictates the need.

• Team Management: Direct, train, and hold accountable 2nd shift personnel
• Production Goals: Monitor and drive shift efficiency, ensuring production targets are met while minimizing downtime and material waste (scrap).
• Shift Handoff: Conduct thorough shift-start meetings to communicate daily goals, and provide clear, detailed handoff notes to the 3rd shift supervisor regarding running jobs, material changes, or mechanical issues.

• Profile Inspection: Ensure running profiles strictly match engineering drawings, customer blueprints, and quality standards using calipers, micrometers, and optical comparators.
• Setup & Changeover Support: Oversee and expedite line changeovers (die/tooling changes, material transitions, and downstream equipment calibration) to reduce setup scrap and downtime.
• Troubleshooting: Assist operators in diagnosing and correcting common extrusion processing issues (e.g., surging, melt fractures, die lines, dimensional twisting, or cooling tank adjustments).
• Material Integrity: Verify that resin blends, regrind ratios, and color concentrates match the Bill of Materials (BOM) before they hit the hoppers.

• Safety Enforcement: Maintain a safe work environment by ensuring strict adherence to PPE requirements, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) protocols, and machine guarding standards.
• Equipment Care: Monitor the mechanical health of extruders, pullers, cutters, etc. Document maintenance needs and enter work orders for any issues requiring toolroom or maintenance intervention.

• Experience: Minimum 3 years of supervisory or lead experience in a manufacturing environment, with a strong preference for plastics manufacturing; extrusion (profile, tubing, or sheet) preferred.
• Technical Knowledge: Solid understanding of single or twin-screw extruder operations, downstream equipment, and plastic resins (e.g., PVC, PP, PE, ABS).
• Quality Skills: Ability to read and interpret manufacturing blueprints, engineering drawings, and shop orders. Proficient with standard precision measuring tools.
• Software Proficiency: Basic computer literacy required for tracking production logs and interacting with ERP/inventory systems.
• Schedule: Ability to work standard 2nd shift hours.