Kitting Supervisor
Outer Armor by Commercial Sewing, Inc. · Commercial Sewing, Inc. - Torrington, CT 06790
Kitting Supervisor
Department
Kitting
Reports To
Operations Manager
FLSA Status
Non-Exempt, Hourly
Work Location
Torrington, Connecticut
Schedule
Full-time; additional hours, schedule flexibility, travel, or after-hours support may be required based on business needs
Position Summary
Supervises the daily workflow, employees, quality, safety, productivity, material readiness, and schedule performance of the Kitting department. The position ensures work orders receive complete and accurate hardware and prepared components, coordinates staffing and equipment, manages employee performance, escalates constraints, and partners with Production, Supply Chain, Quality, Maintenance, and Human Resources.
Essential Functions
- Plan and direct daily Kitting staffing, work assignments, priorities, materials, equipment, and workflow to meet safety, quality, delivery, and productivity requirements.
- Review production schedules, work orders, job notes, bills of material, kit requirements, drawings, and special instructions before work begins.
- Ensure accurate preparation and kitting of hardware, labels, Velcro, webbing, elastic, presewn components, and other required materials.
- Verify kit quantities, part identity, traceability, workmanship, and completeness before release to production.
- Supervise, train, coach, evaluate, and develop employees and administer attendance, time off, performance reviews, corrective action, and other employment matters with Human Resources and company policy.
- Maintain appropriate staffing, cross-training, skill matrices, and coverage for strip cutting, grommeting, kick presses, bar tacking, paper cutting, patching, snaps, labels, hot knives, and other approved operations.
- Monitor output, quality, shortages, scrap, rework, downtime, labor utilization, bottlenecks, and schedule attainment and take or recommend corrective action.
- Escalate material shortages, inaccurate BOMs, work-order issues, equipment failures, quality concerns, and schedule risks promptly to the Operations Manager and appropriate partners.
- Coordinate with Production, Supply Chain, Warehouse, Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance to resolve kit, material, specification, and equipment issues.
- Maintain accurate production, labor, inventory, scrap, downtime, quality, training, attendance, and performance records.
- Ensure ERP or production transactions, material movements, labels, and work-order completion records are accurate and timely.
- Conduct or support quality checks, cycle counts, inventory reconciliation, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action activities.
- Coordinate preventive maintenance, repairs, tooling, guarding, and supply needs and ensure employees do not bypass safeguards or perform unauthorized repairs.
- Enforce PPE, machine guarding, hot-knife, cutting, press, sewing, ergonomic, housekeeping, and incident-reporting requirements.
- Perform kitting or production functions during absences or urgent demand when necessary without displacing core supervisory responsibilities.
- Attend required production and leadership meetings, communicate policies and instructions, support continuous improvement, and perform other related duties.
Minimum Qualifications and Skills
- High school diploma or GED required; college coursework or technical training in manufacturing, supervision, materials, or operations preferred.
- Three to five years of manufacturing, kitting, assembly, materials, sewing, or related experience preferred, including one to three years of supervisory or lead experience.
- Experience with work orders, bills of material, inventory, ERP transactions, production reporting, quality checks, and employee performance management preferred.
- Working knowledge of kitting equipment and processes; sewing or sewn-products manufacturing experience is a plus.
- Ability to plan staffing and workflow, interpret production documents, solve operational problems, and manage multiple priorities.
- Strong leadership, coaching, organization, communication, conflict resolution, safety, quality, and continuous-improvement skills.
Physical Demands
These demands represent those typically required to perform the essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities.
- Regularly stand and walk through the department, communicate, observe production, and use computers and manufacturing equipment.
- Frequently reach, bend, stoop, grasp, push, pull, inspect components, and use hands and arms in repetitive motions.
- Frequently lift, carry, push, pull, or position kits, hardware, components, or materials up to 35 pounds and occasionally up to 50 pounds; use assistance for heavier or awkward loads.
- Work around cutting, pressing, grommeting, sewing, labeling, and heated tools and moving production equipment while using required PPE.
Work Environment
Work is performed in office, manufacturing, production, warehouse, customer, travel, and/or information-system environments as applicable. Required site-safety, confidentiality, security, equipment, housekeeping, and business-conduct procedures must be followed.
Tools and Equipment
Strip-cutting machines, grommet machines, kick presses, bar-tack machines, paper cutters, patch machines, snap machines, label machines, hot knives, computers, ERP and production systems, carts, measuring devices, and hand tools.
Compensation and Benefits
Wage/Salary Range
$28.00 to $32.00 per hour
Benefits Summary
Medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan with company match; company-paid life insurance; paid time off; and paid holidays. Eligibility, employee contributions, waiting periods, coverage levels, and plan terms apply.
Other Compensation
Bonus potential based on company and/or individual performance, subject to plan terms and company discretion.
Equal Employment Opportunity and Accommodation
Commercial Sewing, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities in accordance with applicable law. Qualified applicants and employees may request a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process or perform essential functions. Contact Human Resources to request an accommodation.
Job Description Notice
This description states the general nature and level of work and is not exhaustive. Duties may change consistent with business needs and applicable law. Nothing in this document creates a contract of employment or alters the at-will employment relationship.