Defense Production Supervisor

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Position Summary

Advanced Thin Films (ATF) designs and manufactures high-performance optical components for advanced laser applications serving demanding commercial and defense markets.

The Production Supervisor, Defense is responsible for leading daily manufacturing operations within the Defense Value Stream, with a focus on safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and employee performance. This role provides direct leadership to production employees, translates production priorities into daily execution, develops team capability, and drives continuous improvement across the manufacturing floor.

Working closely with the Operations Manager and cross-functional partners including Planning, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain, the Production Supervisor ensures work is prioritized effectively, production issues are addressed, and customer commitments are supported. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring a strong presence on the manufacturing floor and the ability to lead people and processes in a fast-paced, technical manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

Production Leadership

• •Lead daily manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and productivity objectives.
• •Translate production schedules and business priorities into clear daily expectations for the team.
• •Prioritize work based on customer demand, operational constraints, staffing, and available resources.
• •Monitor production performance, identify risks to execution, and escalate or adjust priorities as needed.
• •Lead daily production meetings and support effective communication of priorities, constraints, and performance.
• •Ensure effective shift handoffs and timely resolution or escalation of production issues.
• •Partner with the Operations Manager and Planning on production requirements, resource needs, and capacity constraints.

Safety & Quality

• •Reinforce a culture in which employees take responsibility for safe work practices and proactively identify risks.
• •Ensure compliance with company safety policies, procedures, and applicable requirements.
• •Identify potential hazards and support corrective actions to reduce risk.
• •Participate in and support safety improvement initiatives.
• •Ensure production activities meet established quality standards, process requirements, and customer expectations.
• •Participate in Material Review Board (MRB) activities and ensure approved dispositions are executed appropriately.
• •Partner with Quality and Engineering to investigate manufacturing issues and implement corrective actions.
• •Reinforce adherence to process controls, standard work, 5S, and applicable quality requirements.

People Leadership & Development

• •Lead, coach, and develop production employees to support individual and team performance.
• •Establish clear expectations and accountability for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, attendance, and company values.
• •Provide ongoing coaching, feedback, recognition, and performance management.
• •Partner with HR and Operations leadership on employee relations and performance matters as needed.
• •Support structured onboarding and training for new employees and employees developing new capabilities.
• •Participate in interviewing, selection, onboarding, and workforce planning.
• •Identify employee development needs and support cross-training, skill development, and succession planning.
• •Participate in the IDEX Talent Review process and other employee development initiatives.

Continuous Improvement & Standard Work

• •Lead and participate in Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement activities that improve safety, quality, delivery, throughput, and efficiency.
• •Use production data and KPIs to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities.
• •Partner with Operations, Engineering, and Quality to improve manufacturing processes, reduce waste, and address recurring production constraints.
• •Support the development, implementation, and sustainment of standardized work and manufacturing best practices.
• •Ensure employees are trained to current work instructions, procedures, and standard work.
• •Identify documentation gaps or improvement needs and partner with appropriate functions to ensure manufacturing documentation remains accurate and effective.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• •Partner with Planning, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Commercial, and other functions to resolve production challenges and support customer commitments.
• •Communicate production risks, resource constraints, quality concerns, and other issues requiring cross-functional support.
• •Support workforce, resource, and capacity planning by providing input on production needs and constraints.
• •Participate in cross-functional problem solving and business improvement initiatives.
• •Perform other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

• •Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, Management, Optics, or a related field preferred. Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience will be considered.
• •7+ years of experience in a technical manufacturing environment.
• •Previous supervisory or direct people leadership experience strongly preferred.
• •Experience with Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
• •Experience in a low-volume, high-mix or precision manufacturing environment preferred.
• •Experience supporting production planning, scheduling, and capacity management preferred.
• •Experience with ERP systems; JD Edwards experience preferred.
• •Experience in cleanroom, ESD-controlled, or other controlled manufacturing environments preferred.
• •Optical manufacturing, coatings, defense, or other precision-engineering manufacturing experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• •Demonstrated ability to lead employees in a manufacturing environment and establish clear expectations and accountability.
• •Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to prioritize competing production demands.
• •Ability to coach, develop, and manage employee performance.
• •Ability to use production data and KPIs to identify issues and drive action.
• •Strong judgment and decision-making skills in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• •Ability to communicate effectively across production teams, leadership, and cross-functional partners.
• •Ability to identify when issues can be resolved within the team and when escalation or cross-functional support is required.
• •Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
• •Ability to work effectively in cleanroom and ESD-controlled manufacturing environments.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• •Work is performed primarily on-site in a manufacturing environment, with regular presence on the production floor.
• •Requires the ability to move throughout the facility and actively engage with employees, equipment, and production processes.
• •May require work within cleanroom, ESD-controlled, or other controlled manufacturing environments and adherence to applicable gowning, PPE, and safety requirements.
• •May be exposed to manufacturing equipment, chemicals, noise, and other conditions typical of a precision optical manufacturing environment.

U.S. Person Requirement

Certain positions with IDEX Corporation and its business units require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration R