Supervisor, Manufacturing Operations

Job description

Job Title: Supervisor, Manufacturing Operations Job Description: Position Summary The Production Supervisor is responsible for leading day-to-day manufacturing operations for specialty chemical production at the Ambler site. This role combines hands-on chemical manufacturing responsibilities with frontline leadership to ensure the highest standards of safety, quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, and regulatory compliance. This is a working supervisor position. The successful candidate is expected to spend a significant portion of their time actively participating in manufacturing operations while simultaneously providing leadership and direction to the production team. The supervisor will lead by example on the manufacturing floor and will be directly involved in chemical synthesis, purification, equipment operation, troubleshooting, vessel assembly and disassembly, batch execution, and continuous improvement activities. The Production Supervisor will develop a culture of safety, accountability, operational excellence, and continuous improvement while collaborating with Engineering, Planning, Quality, Analytical, EHS, Logistics, and New Product Development teams to drive site performance and support business growth. Key Responsibilities Leadership & People Management Lead, coach, and develop a team of chemists, technicians, and production personnel. Establish daily production priorities and allocate resources to meet customer and production requirements. Drive accountability and foster a culture of safety, quality, operational discipline, and continuous improvement. Conduct employee coaching, training, performance reviews, and development planning. Ensure team compliance with company policies, quality procedures, and safety standards. Train and mentor employees on manufacturing processes, equipment operation, troubleshooting, and best practices. Lead the team through visible engagement on the manufacturing floor while exemplifying Entegris PACE values. Promote teamwork and collaboration across departments. Hands-On Manufacturing Leadership Serve as a working supervisor by balancing leadership responsibilities with direct participation in daily manufacturing activities. Perform and oversee specialty chemical production operations to support production schedules and customer commitments. Actively participate in chemical synthesis, purification, packaging, and material handling activities. Operate, troubleshoot, assemble, and disassemble manufacturing vessels and process equipment. Support production campaigns through direct involvement in batch execution and process monitoring. Provide real-time technical support and troubleshooting for equipment and process-related issues. Conduct regular Gemba walks to identify opportunities for safety, quality, and productivity improvements. Step into operational activities as needed to address staffing gaps, production challenges, and critical manufacturing needs. Manufacturing Operations Supervise and support specialty chemical manufacturing processes including: Functionalization Polymerization Esterification Distillation Extraction Filtration Chromatography Crystallization Vacuum drying and purification operations Ensure production activities are executed according to approved batch records, SOPs, and work instructions. Independently perform and supervise manufacturing activities while achieving quality and throughput targets. Support manufacturing operations ranging from laboratory scale to production reactors up to 100 liters. Oversee operation and maintenance of: Glass reactors Rotovaps Distillation equipment Vacuum and atmospheric ovens Filtration systems Milling equipment Temperature-controlled heating and cooling systems Ensure equipment is maintained and utilized in accordance with engineering standards and procedures. Manage preventive maintenance activities and critical spare parts inventories. Safety, Environmental & Compliance Lead all manufacturing activities with a safety-first mindset. Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, company safety policies, and industrial hygiene requirements. Ensure proper use of PPE, including respirators, chemical protective clothing, lab coats, and protective suits. Drive operational discipline and formal change management processes. Lead safety investigations, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives. Maintain a safe, clean, organized, and audit-ready manufacturing environment. Support site environmental, health, and safety objectives. Quality & Documentation Ensure compliance with Quality Management System (QMS), ISO requirements, and applicable GMP practices. Accurately complete and review batch records using Good Documentation Practices (GDP). Ensure production documentation is complete, accurate, and audit-ready. Support internal and external quality audits. Maintain compliance with approved manufacturing procedures and quality systems. Drive right first time manufacturing and continuous quality improvement. Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence Lead and support continuous improvement projects focused on safety, quality, productivity, and cost reduction. Implement Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, SPC, and other operational excellence methodologies where appropriate. Identify and eliminate non-value-added activities. Develop, monitor, and improve department performance metrics including: Safety performance Throughput and productivity On-time delivery Yield performance Inventory accuracy Quality metrics Support process optimization and scale-up activities. Use advanced chemistry knowledge to support process improvements and manufacturing efficiencies. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with Planning to coordinate production schedules, capacity planning, and order fulfillment. Collaborate with Engineering to improve equipment reliability and process capability. Work closely with Analytical, Quality, Logistics, Procurement, R&D, and New Product Development teams. Sup