Operations Shift Supervisor

Operations Shift Supervisor

Location: Deeside, Flintshire

Reporting to: Production Manager

Working Pattern: Shift-based (37 hours per week)

Travel: Occasional travel to other Triumph sites required

Position Summary

The Operations Shift Supervisor drives safe, compliant, and efficient production performance while leading a team of multi-skilled operators. This role develops and coaches a Cell Leader, building leadership capability and ensuring strong daily control of operations.

Accountable for people, performance, workflow, and resource management, the Supervisor ensures full compliance with aerospace regulations and company standards. They champion continuous improvement, applying Lean principles, leading Kaizen events, and embedding standard work in partnership with the CI function, owning delivery and sustainment of improvements within the shift.

Focused on meeting customer requirements on time, in full, and to quality standards, the Supervisor fosters a culture of safety, engagement, and operational excellence. This hands-on leadership role demands sound judgment, structured problem-solving, and collaboration across Operations, Quality, Engineering, and Supply Chain. Flexibility to support varying shifts and business needs is essential.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Own shift performance, delivering against Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and People (SQCDP) targets.
• Lead and coordinate production activities, ensuring optimal deployment of operators and Cell Leader.
• Plan and prioritise workflow to meet schedules, optimise resources, and maintain effective shift handovers.
• Monitor takt times and drive productivity improvements across assembly and test operations.
• Provide operational cover to maintain output continuity during absences or resource gaps.

Cell Leader Development

• Coach and develop the Cell Leader, building capability in operational control, leadership, and continuous improvement.
• Set clear expectations and accountability, delegating appropriately while retaining overall responsibility.
• Support daily tier meetings, SQCDP boards, and improvement actions.
• Actively develop succession pipeline for future supervisory roles.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead and embed Lean principles, Kaizen events, and structured problem-solving (e.g., 5 Why, 8D).
• Own SQCDP boards, tier meetings, and improvement action plans.
• Drive process stability, standard work, and productivity gains.
• Coach operators and Cell Leader in CI tools and behaviors to foster employee-led improvement.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to aerospace standards and internal procedures.
• Maintain product traceability, configuration control, and compliance with approved processes.
• Escalate and contain non-conformances; support audits, FAIs, and engineering changes.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.

Health, Safety & Environment

• Act as a visible safety leader, enforcing safe systems of work and compliance with HSE standards.
• Support risk assessments, incident investigations, and corrective actions.
• Maintain workplace organization through 6S principles.

People Leadership

• Lead, motivate, and engage the team of operators through inclusive, professional leadership.
• Manage performance, absence, training, and development plans in line with company processes.
• Conduct reviews, disciplinary investigations, and skills development activities.

Reporting & Communication

• Monitor and report operational KPIs, supporting decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Communicate effectively across Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and HR.
• Support implementation of policies, procedures, and site initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Essential:

• Proven experience supervising or leading teams in a manufacturing environment (aerospace preferred).
• Strong understanding of production operations, workflow control and resource planning.
• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement tools.
• Ability to interpret production schedules, KPIs and operational data.
• Confident communicator with the ability to influence and engage at all levels.
• Competent IT skills, including ERP systems and Microsoft Office (Excel essential).

Desirable:

• Experience working within an aerospace or highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of quality management systems.
• Experience supporting audits, FAIs or regulatory compliance activities.
• Formal leadership or supervisory training such as ILM, IOSH Managing Safely.