LEVEL 4 -GR

Position Title: Plant Supervisor

Location: Grand Rapids

Department: Facility Wide Responsibility

Reports To: General Manager

About Gaishin Manufacturing

Gaishin Manufacturing is a leading precision CNC machining company serving the aerospace, medical, and commercial industries. With state-of-the-art facilities located in Grand Rapids, Benton Harbor, and Kalamazoo, we specialize in producing highly complex, tight-tolerance components using advanced CNC technologies—including Swiss-type lathes and multi-axis mill/turn machines.

As a value-driven organization, we are deeply committed to developing our people, delivering exceptional quality, and fostering a workplace culture rooted in teamwork, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. We’re seeking leaders who are passionate about empowering others, take initiative, and are eager to contribute to building a world-class manufacturing environment.

Position Overview

The Plant Supervisor role is responsible for leading day-to-day operations in our manufacturing environments specializing in precision CNC machining. This role ensures adherence to safety, quality, and regulatory standards specific to a varied catalog of components. This position involves managing a team of operators and technicians while coordinating with all departments to meet production goals and customer expectations. The Supervisor drives production efficiency, supports team development, and fosters a culture of compliance, excellence, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and motivate shop floor employees to ensure high morale, productivity, and teamwork.
• Set clear daily production expectations and conduct effective shift handoffs.
• Assist with onboarding and cross-training operators to build a flexible workforce.
• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, and respect.

Production Execution & Scheduling

• Coordinate daily workflow to meet production targets and delivery deadlines.
• Monitor throughput, downtime, labor allocation, and scrap to drive efficiency.
• Adjust resources and priorities in response to real-time production needs.
• Act as the first point of escalation for operator questions or issues.

Quality Control

• Oversee adherence to AS9100 standards, inspection protocols, and documentation practices.
• Ensure adherence to quality standards, inspection protocols, and documentation.
• Collaborate with Quality and Engineering to resolve quality issues and drive improvements.
• Proactively stop production to address defects or non-conforming conditions.

Workplace Safety & Organization

• Enforce safety protocols, PPE use, and machine guarding practices.
• Conduct regular safety audits and immediately address identified hazards.
• Maintain a clean and organized work environment using 5S methodology.

Equipment & Maintenance Oversight

• Ensure machines are operational and schedule maintenance as needed.
• Minimize unplanned downtime through proactive support and communication with maintenance teams.

Inventory & Materials Management

• Oversee raw material flow and ensure sufficient stock to support production.
• Support lean material handling practices to reduce waste and improve flow.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities for process simplification, cycle time reduction, and efficiency gains.
• Encourage team engagement in improvement initiatives.
• Partner with leadership to implement lean manufacturing and standard work practices.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; Associate degree or technical certification preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in aerospace CNC machining or precision manufacturing.
• Minimum 1 year of supervisory or team lead experience in a production environment.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with ERP systems, preferably Plex or aerospace-specific platforms.
• Experience with tight-tolerance parts and complex multi-axis machining.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing, Kaizen, or Six Sigma in aerospace settings.
• Familiarity with customer audits and FAA regulations.