Production Supervisor

At Lhoist North America, our core values of Respect, Courage, and Integrity are more than words. We respect people, encourage courageous innovation, and uphold integrity in everything we do. If these principles resonate with you, you may find your next great opportunity with us.

We believe our people make the difference. That’s why we invest in talent by offering meaningful opportunities to grow your skills, expand your knowledge, and pursue your interests. Our work environment prioritizes safety, fosters collaboration across teams, and embraces inclusion. Here, you’ll be challenged to grow, and you’ll be supported throughout your career journey. Join us and help shape the future of Lhoist North America.

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Production Supervisor manages the day-to-day production activities of the plant by providing direction and leadership to their assigned work group. They have the authority to hire, transfer, suspend, promote, recommend discharge, assign, reward, or discipline employees as well as the power to responsibly direct their work and administer production grievances. The Production Supervisor serves as a liaison between plant management and the hourly workforce while ensuring that daily / shift goals related to safety, quality and productivity are consistently met. The Production Supervisor is also accountable for ensuring that their work team is adequately trained and prepared to perform their tasks in a safe and efficient manner.

RESPONSIBILITIES & EXPECTATIONS:

Safety, Environmental & Compliance Support:

• Promote safe work practices and support site safety initiatives.
• Ensure production tracking supports compliance with environmental permits, operating limits, and reporting requirements.
• Support audit readiness for safety, environmental, and quality systems through accurate documentation.

Production Leadership:

• Provide clear written and verbal communications to team.
• Provide feedback for all operators and supervisors on Kiln performance.
• Assist the Production Manager in implementing strategies and policy.
• Effectively lead your team and support inter/intra-departmental efforts to achieve continuous improvement.
• Follow up on maintenance and engineering priorities for the plant.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and delegate effectively.
• Recognize opportunities and set goals to accomplish what needs to be done.
• Be able to be effective in a union environment and administer grievances.

Coaching and Development of Production Team:

• Set expectations and standards for high levels of performance.
• Actively coach your team to ensure their development and success.
• Continually improve and develop the kiln training program.
• Assist in developing and implementing the kiln operator scorecard and develop improvement plans for operators on the results.
• Document all development of team members.

Develop and Implement Kiln Strategies for Successful Production:

• Developing and setting targets for key process parameters.
• Monitor Kiln performance to hit production, quality, efficiency, and environmental targets.
• Develop Tasks and material lists for kiln equipment for maintenance and outages.
• Interface with Production Shift Supervisor and Production Manager on the performance of individual kiln crews, always seeking to develop the production supervisor as the leader of the shift production team.
• Work with the lab and production manager in optimizing stone blends and sizing.

Production Planning & Coordination:

• Support the Production Manager in converting monthly and weekly lime production targets into daily production plans.
• Coordinate kiln, cooler, crushing, screening, hydration, milling, and load-out activities to align with product demand and operational constraints.
• Communicate production plan changes resulting from equipment availability, maintenance activities, raw stone supply, fuel availability, or quality requirements.
• Monitor silo levels, product routing, and storage limitations to support uninterrupted lime production and shipping.
• Support the production department by purchasing consumables, equipment rentals, and production related services.

Operational Visibility & Shift Continuity:

• Review shift logs, downtime comments, and operating notes to ensure continuity between shifts.
• Track unresolved operational issues and ensure visibility to appropriate Production or Maintenance leaders.
• Identify recurring equipment or process interruptions and support follow-up actions.

Production & Downtime Tracking:

• Track lime production volumes, kiln runtime, and major equipment availability.
• Maintain accurate records of production losses and downtime by area and cause.
• Support daily, weekly, and month-end reporting for tons, utilization, and equipment performance.
• Assist with reconciliation of production data used for internal reporting, environmental reporting, and audits.

Cross-Functional Coordination:

• Serve as a central coordination point between Production, Maintenance, Lab/Quality, and Shipping.
• Assist in aligning maintenance schedules with production priorities and outage planning.
• Communicate lab or quality constraints impacting stone blends, hydration, or finished lime products.
• Support Shipping and Logistics with production status and product availability.

Process & Continuous Improvement Support:

• Assist Production leadership with data collection and analysis for continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support root cause discussions by providing accurate operational data and timelines.
• Help identify opportunities to improve production stability, communication, and execution discipline.

Technical Skills:

• Very thorough understanding of Preheater Kilns in Lime Processing.
• Deep understanding of process control. Able to work with Electricians and Process Engineers on a professional level to attain optimal system design, operation and maintenance.
• Thorough understanding of fuels and combustion process and environmental constraints.
• Understanding of Lime Chemistry and process drivers of quality.

Safe Quality Food (SQF):

• Ensure a SQF workplace and follow regulatory compliance with Federal FDA – Food Modernization Safety Act (CFR Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Part 507).
• Support Environmental Health and Safety, as well as SQF initiatives and awareness programs.
• Be a leader and promoter of employee safety and SQF culture.
• Following completion of SQF training, demonstrate understanding of expected safety, SQF performance and Food Safety Culture.
• Complete periodic SQF training(s).
• Each site location will ensure training is conducted for new employees and continued for existing employees.
• Employees will actively participate in audits for regulatory, safety, SQF and environmental compliance at the site.

ATTRIBUTES:

• Technical expertise outlined above.
• Proficient in MS Office and basic computer skills to facilitate communication & documentation; makes effective
• use/application of electronic productivity tool.
• Effective process problem solver using facts and logic to identify likely causes and resolve deviations and issues.
• Thoughtful, analytic personality type, but able to interface with emotional intelligence both up and down the chain of command.
• Able to spot problems and opportunities and interpret trends.
• High work ethic and sense of ownership of the process.
• Basic understanding of Statistical Process Control (SPC)
• Effectively integrate safety and environmental values and compliance into all production strategies and activities.
• Demonstrated track record of continuous improvement of workforce skills and manufacturing KPI’s.
• Effective written and oral communications with employees, peers, and supervisor.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Must be physically able to perform work assigned.
• Must be physically capable of accessing all plant locations.
• Access all areas within a site which could include heights of 150 feet, confined spaces, climbing ladders or stairs, and
• accessing tunnels.
• Will be working at times in covered environment but mainly in a lime/mineral environment.
• The employee will be exposed to the following working conditions: Extreme Heat and Cold, Noise, Vibration, Oils, and
• Atmospheric Conditions such as Dust, Fumes, and Lime/Mineral Particles.
• The employee will be required to perform the following actions (from time to time): Standing, walking, balancing, stooping, kneeling, reaching, talking, seeing, hearing and sitting.
• Ability to lift/carry 50 pounds.

REQUIRED EDUCATION:

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.

PREFFERED EDUCATION:

• Bachelors’ degree in process engineering, or equivalent combination of relevant experience and education.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:

• Five (5) years or more of production supervisor experience in a lime plant with pre-heater kilns or equivalent cement kiln
• experience.

PREFFERED EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in lime, cement, or mineral processing operations.
• Experience with production reporting, downtime tracking, or operational coordination roles.

Lhoist North America is proud to offer a highly competitive compensation package designed to support your well-being and future.

Our benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, along with paid vacation and sick time. We also offer an attractive 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with a generous Employer Match as well as a Supplemental Contribution based on your Years of Service to help you plan confidently for the future. We recognize that growth doesn’t stop at the workplace. That’s why we provide educational assistance to encourage continued learning and professional development, empowering our employees to reach their full potential.

At Lhoist North America, your success is our investment.

Lhoist North America is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We are committed to fostering a workplace that values inclusion, respect, and diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. We believe that a diverse and inclusive environment strengthens our teams and drives innovation. That’s why we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply and strive to ensure every employee feels respected, supported, and empowered to succeed.

At Lhoist North America, inclusion isn’t just a policy, it’s a core part of who we are.

If you need assistance completing the application process, please contact lna.accommodations@lhoist.com. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.