Production Supervisor (Kiln Department)

Del Conca USA Inc•Loudon, TN

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Del Conca Group is a significant player in the Italian ceramic tile industry, with Del Conca USA in Loudon, TN, specializing in residential and commercial porcelain tile and outdoor pavers. This Production Supervisor role oversees all aspects of the Kiln department in a 24-hour manufacturing operation. The position is crucial for managing the performance of people and processes, focusing on safety, quality, overall equipment effectiveness, and operator productivity. Responsibilities include overseeing kiln operations and maintenance to ensure quality standards, managing a team, coordinating activities, and implementing improvements to maximize kiln efficiency and production. The role involves analyzing kiln operations, maintaining equipment, and ensuring compliance with safety and environmental regulations, with regular communication to the Plant Manager, Supervisors, and Team Leaders.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required
Prior supervisory or management experience in a manufacturing environment required
Demonstrated knowledge of manufacturing safety, quality, production, maintenance, and continuous improvement principles.
Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to understand production data, process parameters, equipment performance, and manufacturing KPIs.
Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and employee-development skills.
Ability to work effectively across departments and with employees at all levels of the organization.
Ability to support a 24/7 manufacturing operation and respond to significant operational issues outside normal working hours when necessary.

Nice To Haves

technical degree, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree preferred
Ceramic tile, ceramics, kiln, furnace, thermal-processing, or similar continuous-process manufacturing experience strongly preferred
Experience with WMS/ERP systems such as AS400 and SAP is preferred

Responsibilities

Provide overall leadership and day-to-day management of the Kiln Department across all operating shifts.
Ensure employees and supervisors follow all company safety policies, procedures, work instructions, JHAs, and Lockout/Tagout requirements.
Establish clear performance expectations for supervisors, team leaders, and operators and hold employees accountable for results.
Monitor kiln operations, firing conditions, temperatures, pressures, speeds, cycles, and other critical process parameters.
Ensure kilns are operated within established production and quality specifications.
Monitor production output, efficiency, downtime, scrap, defects, energy consumption, and other department KPIs.
Coordinate with Quality personnel to identify and correct firing-related defects, including dimensional, color, flatness, surface, and structural issues.
Work closely with Maintenance to prioritize preventive maintenance, repairs, equipment reliability, and planned downtime.
Participate in troubleshooting kiln, dryer, conveyor, burner, fan, sensor, and related equipment problems.
Ensure accurate completion of production records, quality checks, inspections, shift reports, and other required documentation.
Review production performance and communicate significant problems, downtime, quality concerns, and corrective actions to Plant Management.
Develop and train supervisors, team leaders, and operators to improve technical knowledge, leadership, troubleshooting, and operational consistency.
Manage staffing, scheduling, attendance, overtime, training, performance management, and employee development within the department.
Support investigations of safety incidents, quality problems, equipment failures, and production interruptions and implement corrective actions.
Identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, improve kiln efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and improve overall equipment effectiveness.
Maintain good housekeeping and 5S standards throughout the department.
Participate in continuous improvement projects and other plant initiatives.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Plant Manager.
Provides leadership and direction to Kiln Engineer, Technicians, Kiln Operators, and other assigned department employees. Responsibilities include employee development, coaching, performance management, training, scheduling, accountability, and ensuring consistent expectations across all shifts.