Lead Polisher

Blue Nile•New York, NY

17d•$30 - $35

About The Position

R2Net is a diamond bridal jewelry company with a technology soul. R2Net Inc. is an innovative technology company that provides e-commerce and supply chain platforms to connect the entire span of the diamond industry’s ecosystem, including manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. The Production Lead – Polishing is responsible for overseeing team members and workflow within the Polishing department to ensure consistent high-quality finishes, and drive continuous improvement across polishing processes, including pre-polish, final polish, washout, rhodium and engraving. This role supports the efficient and timely completion of work while collaborating closely with factory leadership to coordinate efforts across departments and align with overall production goals. The position focuses on managing the department’s daily and weekly operational needs, including work order management to optimize on-time completion, providing technical guidance on the production floor, supporting quality standards, facilitating clear communication, and coaching team members. In addition, the Production Lead represents the Polishing team within the broader factory environment, serving as a key point of contact between Assigning, QA, and Production teams for polishing-related matters, and supporting broader R2Net initiatives.

Requirements

5+ years on the jewelry polishing as a production jeweler
Deep knowledge of jewelry finishes required
1+ year in a related role with leadership/mentorship experience preferred.
Strong problem-solving, communication, and documentation skills, anticipate bottlenecks
Track record of excellent performance – quality, communication and attendance
Basic computer skills including comfort with word, email, excel, and slack, and the ability to use them every day and support team members
Hands-on problem solving, proactively identifying solutions, takes action and prevents issues from escalating.
Translate business needs to action items for the polishing team
Spanish speaking preferred

Responsibilities

Follow and track job orders with polishers and finishers to ensure we are meeting production lead times, and prioritizing effectively
Answer any questions team members may have to ensure the work is completed in a timely manner
Move, jobs, communicate deadlines, and take action as needed to ensure work is completed
Support the department team members on individual jobs to overcome technical hurdles and concerns.
Assist operators on polishing jobs, addressing surface preparation, abrasive selection, tool conditioning, and finish optimization.
Bridge communication between Assigning, QA and production team members when there are problems, questions or feedback
Document job status, root causes, and escalate critical concerns.
Troubleshoot polishing-specific job order issues, Maintain a knowledge base of best practices, defects, and solutions
Advocate for polishing staffing, tools, training, and procedures.
Lead and mentor polishers; onboard new team members; identify skills gaps and coordinate targeted training.
Support broader R2Net initiatives and communication
Communicate clearly and consistently to the jewelry team, sharing updates, activities and other broader communications
Communicate clearly and consistently with the rest of the factory around updates, concerns or questions coming from the jewelry department
Help department team members navigate broader R2Net requirements, events, training, and Workday.
Define finish specifications and inspection criteria; monitor quality metrics and drive improvements.
Documentation and traceability- Use data metrics (throughput, defects, rework, finish quality) and communicate progress to leadership.