Aerospace Shop Floor Team Lead - Lean, Safety & Improvement

STEEL TOOL & ENGINEERING CO.; Gibraltar (MI); On-site; USD 30,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% Medical Paid

Dental and Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

401K

Paid Holidays

Paid Vacations

Job summary

Steel Tool & Engineering is seeking a Team Lead to coordinate daily production on the shop floor in Trenton, MI. You will guide operators, monitor safety and quality, and drive continuous improvement using a structured daily leadership process.

As a hands-on leader, you will plan workflows, conduct shift huddles, assign workstations, track performance, and escalate issues while partnering with Quality, Maintenance and Supervisors to meet targets.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in manufacturing (steel, machining, tooling, or related preferred).
• Prior leadership or lead-operator experience strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of Lean principles (5S, standard work, waste reduction).
• Ability to lift 40 lbs and work in a shop-floor environment.
• Basic computer skills (production reporting, email, ERP entry).

Responsibilities

• Plan the daily workflow by reviewing production schedules, hourly attainment, staffing levels, machine readiness, materials, and tooling
• Conduct start-of-shift team huddles to communicate safety reminders, production targets, quality expectations, and known issues
• Assign operators to workstations and ensure all team members understand priorities
• Monitor production throughout the shift by walking the floor, observing operations, and verifying adherence to standard work
• Track hourly output, scrap, downtime, and quality performance
• Provide coaching, training, and hands-on support to operators as needed
• Address minor issues immediately, including housekeeping/5S corrections, minor equipment irregularities, documentation gaps, and non-critical quality concerns
• Escalate major issues such as safety risks, customer-impacting defects, equipment failures, or environmental concerns
• Communicate effectively with Quality, Maintenance, and Supervisors regarding issues and performance
• Ensure safety rules, PPE requirements, and company policies are followed at all times
• Review end-of-shift results versus targets and document downtime, quality issues, and safety concerns
• Communicate shift performance and open issues to the next shift or supervisor
• Identify at least one improvement opportunity each shift and support continuous improvement activities such as Kaizen and A3 problem solving
• Apply SMART goal principles when participating in improvement projects or setting team objectives

Skills

Lean principles

Leadership

Safety awareness

Team coordination

Communication

Job description

Steel Tool & Engineering is seeking a Team Lead to coordinate daily production on the shop floor in Trenton, MI. You will guide operators, monitor safety and quality, and drive continuous improvement using a structured daily leadership process.

As a hands-on leader, you will plan workflows, conduct shift huddles, assign workstations, track performance, and escalate issues while partnering with Quality, Maintenance and Supervisors to meet targets.