Production Lead

Nortek Air Solutions; Oklahoma City (OK); On-site; USD 50,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

Nortek Air Solutions in Oklahoma City is seeking a Production Lead to support the Production Supervisor in a fast-paced HVAC manufacturing environment. This role involves coordinating day-to-day activities for a small team, ensuring safety and quality standards are met, and providing hands-on guidance to operators.

The ideal candidate will have production experience, forklift operation skills, and strong communication abilities. The position offers a full-time schedule from Monday to Friday with potential overtime.

Qualifications

• Manufacturing or production experience, preferably with some informal leadership responsibilities.
• Forklift operation experience or ability to become certified.
• Basic understanding of ISO 9001 quality control practices.

Responsibilities

• Support the Production Supervisor in daily activities and team coordination.
• Operate forklifts for material movement and storage.
• Ensure adherence to safety, quality, and output standards.

Skills

Manufacturing experience

Forklift operation

Problem-solving skills

Teamwork skills

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Summary

The Production Lead supports the Production Supervisor by providing hands‑on guidance to a small team in a fast‑paced HVAC and UV light manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for day‑to‑day floor coordination, ensuring work is executed safely, efficiently, and in alignment with quality standards. The Production Lead acts as a first point of contact for operators, helps resolve issues in real time, and reinforces standard work, ISO 9001 practices and continuous improvement initiatives, including providing forklift support as needed to maintain material flow.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Production Supervisor in coordinating daily activities for a team of up to 15 employees.
• Provide hands‑on direction on the production floor, ensuring adherence to safety, quality and output expectations.
• Operate a forklift to support material movement, staging and production flow as required.
• Serve as a resource for operators by answering questions, troubleshooting issues and escalating concerns as needed.
• Monitor workflow and help balance staffing and work assignments to meet daily production targets.
• Assist in identifying inefficiencies, scrap and rework and support implementation of corrective actions.
• Reinforce compliance with ISO 9001 standards, including proper documentation and standardised processes.
• Support quality control requirements by verifying product standards and escalating defects.
• Utilise Microsoft Word, Excel and ERP systems to track production activity and maintain accurate records.
• Partner with cross‑functional teams (Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain and Maintenance) to resolve production issues.
• Promote and model safe work behaviours, including proper forklift operation and material handling practices.
• Assist with onboarding and training of new team members, including safe equipment usage.
• Help maintain organisation, cleanliness and visual controls on the production floor (5S).
• Adjust to changing priorities and support the Supervisor in executing production plans.

Required Qualifications

• Manufacturing or production experience, preferably with some informal leadership or lead responsibilities.
• Forklift operation experience (certification preferred or ability to become certified).
• Basic understanding of quality control practices; exposure to ISO 9001 is a plus.
• Ability to follow direction while taking initiative to solve problems on the floor.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel; experience with ERP systems is preferred.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to multitask and remain organised in a fast‑paced environment.
• Basic problem‑solving skills with the ability to escalat…

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in HVAC, UV light or related light assembly, electromechanical or component‑based manufacturing environments.
• Experience with light assembly processes, including small parts handling, sub‑assembly and final assembly.
• Familiarity with hand and power tools, torque tools and basic assembly fixtures.
• Experience working with work instructions, visual aids and standardised assembly processes.
• Understanding of basic electrical or wiring assembly (as applicable to UV or related products).
• Experience in low‑to‑mid volume high‑mix production environments.
• Familiarity with quality checks within assembly processes (e.g. visual inspection, functional testing).
• Exposure to kitting, material staging and line‑side inventory replenishment.
• Exposure to Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement practices.
• Experience training or mentoring employees.
• Active forklift certification.
• Familiarity with UL / Intertek certification requirements.

Cultural Expectations

• Safety — Leads by example, follows procedures and encourages safe behaviours.
• Trust — Communicates openly, supports teammates and follows through on commitments.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset — Takes ownership of daily responsibilities and looks for ways to improve processes.
• Bias for Action — Proactively addresses issues and supports team execution without delay.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Manufacturing floor environment with exposure to machinery, noise and movement.
• Ability to stand, walk, lift materials and operate equipment (including forklifts) as needed.
• Monday–Friday, 1st shift; overtime as required.

Compensation

• Compensation is based on experience and is positioned below Supervisor level within the production pay structure.

Role Positioning (for internal clarity)

• Focus on execution and floor leadership, not full team management.
• Acts as a bridge between operators and the Supervisor.
• Provides hands‑on support across production, material flow and training.
• Escalates performance, personnel or systemic issues to Supervisor.