Superintendent

Sulzer is a leading engineering company with a proud heritage of innovation. Join our global team to grow your expertise and develop innovative solutions that enable a prosperous and more sustainable society.

About the role

The Operations / Manufacturing / Production Supervisor is responsible for overseeing daily production or service center activities, ensuring that processes run smoothly, efficiently, and safely. This role supervises professional-level staff and ensures adherence to quality standards and production or service schedules.

This job profile is intended for People Managers of 4+ professional-level roles.

Superintendent

Reports To: Service Center Manager (SCM)

Position Summary

The Superintendent is responsible for the overall planning, scheduling, coordination, technical execution, and operational performance of the Service Center. This role serves as the primary leader responsible for managing the complete workflow from project intake through shipment, ensuring customer commitments are achieved safely, efficiently, on schedule, and in accordance with quality standards.

The Superintendent functions as the senior operational leader of the Service Center, with responsibility for production planning, shop execution, workforce management, engineering support, resource allocation, and delivery performance. Working closely with the Operations Coordinator, Administration & Compliance Manager, Sales, Customers, and the Service Center Manager, the Superintendent ensures all departments operate in alignment with business objectives and customer expectations.

The Superintendent directly oversees Operations Leaders and the Lead Engineer and is accountable for the successful execution of all repair, manufacturing, engineering, and service activities.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Develop, maintain, and manage the master production schedule for all active projects and customer orders.
• Establish production priorities based on customer commitments, shop capacity, technical requirements, and business objectives.
• Coordinate workflow across Mechanical, Winding, Machine Shop, Engineering, and Shipping & Receiving functions.
• Manage backlog, resource planning, and capacity utilization.
• Monitor schedule adherence and take corrective actions to maintain delivery commitments.
• Communicate production priorities and schedule updates to leadership and support functions.

Operations Leadership

• Direct and coordinate all operational activities within the Service Center.
• Lead Operations Leaders in executing production schedules and departmental objectives.
• Ensure effective utilization of labor, equipment, facilities, and materials.
• Monitor daily performance and resolve operational bottlenecks.
• Drive accountability, productivity, and operational excellence throughout the organization.

Engineering Leadership

• Provide direction and oversight to the Lead Engineer and engineering team.
• Ensure technical support is aligned with production priorities and customer requirements.
• Review resource needs and engineering workloads.
• Support technical problem-solving, repair strategies, design reviews, and process improvements.
• Ensure engineering deliverables support efficient execution of shop operations.

Project & Customer Management

• Monitor project progress from order entry through shipment.
• Track milestones, critical path activities, and delivery schedules.
• Coordinate with Project Coordinators to ensure accurate planning and execution.
• Provide project status updates to customers, sales personnel, and leadership.
• Participate in customer meetings, project reviews, and operational planning sessions.
• Ensure customer expectations and delivery commitments are achieved.

Workforce Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop Operations Leaders and the Lead Engineer.
• Support workforce planning, training, succession planning, and performance management.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Promote collaboration across operational and technical departments.

Safety Leadership

• Champion a strong safety culture throughout the Service Center.
• Ensure compliance with all safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in incident investigations and corrective action implementation.
• Promote hazard identification and proactive risk management.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure all work meets customer specifications and company quality standards.
• Partner with Quality personnel to address non-conformances and corrective actions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to improve safety, quality, productivity, and delivery performance.
• Promote standardized work processes and operational discipline.

Operational Performance Management

Monitor and improve key performance indicators including:

• On-Time Delivery (OTD)
• Schedule Adherence
• Safety Performance
• Productivity
• Labor Utilization
• Throughput
• Backlog Management
• Quality Performance
• Rework Reduction
• Resource Utilization
• Engineering Responsiveness
• Develop and communicate performance reports to Service Center leadership.
• Identify operational risks and implement mitigation strategies.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business Management, or related field preferred.
• Equivalent industry experience may be considered in lieu of formal education.

Experience

• 10+ years of experience in industrial manufacturing, rotating equipment repair, electrical apparatus service, or related operations.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing multi-functional operations.
• Experience in production planning, workforce management, project execution, and engineering coordination.
• Strong background in safety, quality, and customer-focused operations.

Skills

• Strong operational and technical leadership.
• Advanced planning and scheduling capabilities.
• Excellent communication and customer relationship management skills.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage competing priorities.
• Proficiency with ERP systems, project management tools, and Microsoft Office applications.

What we offer you

• 15 days of paid time off and 12 company-paid holidays
• 401k plan with a 6% match
• Comprehensive health plan including medical, dental, vision, Life, short-term & long-term disability
• Motivating wellness program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid paternal leave
• Gym re-imbursement

Sulzer is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in the strength of a diverse workforce and are committed to offering an inclusive work environment.

We are proud to be recognized as a Top Employer 2026 in Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Switzerland, South Africa, the UK and the USA.