Quality Supervisor - 1st shift

Trane Technologies; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 78,000 - 109,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K match

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Wellness programs

Job summary

Trane Technologies, a world leader in sustainable climate solutions, seeks a seasoned Quality Inspector Supervisor to lead the plant inspection team on site in Columbia, SC. You will direct daily inspection activities, set priorities, coach inspectors, and ensure product quality and regulatory compliance.

Join a company that prioritizes Thrive at work and at home with benefits, competitive compensation, and growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent with extensive on-the-job experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality Management, or related technical field preferred.
• 3+ years of direct manufacturing inspection experience.
• 5+ years in a Quality Control/Assurance role within a manufacturing environment.
• 2+ years of formal supervisory or team lead experience.
• ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt.
• Lean Manufacturing/5S basics, ISO 9001, or IATF 16949 awareness.

Responsibilities

• Directly supervise all plant quality inspectors across lines or departments.
• Plan and assign daily work schedules to ensure inspection coverage for all production areas.
• Balance inspector workload based on production demand, risk level, and staffing availability.
• Monitor team attendance, punctuality, overtime, and shift handoff effectiveness.
• Lead shift start-up meetings with inspectors to review priorities, quality alerts, and problem areas.
• Provide day-to-day direction, coaching, and support to inspectors on inspection expectations and decision-making.
• Set clear performance expectations for inspectors regarding accuracy, timeliness, discipline, and reporting.
• Conduct regular one-on-one coaching and feedback sessions with inspectors.
• Complete performance evaluations and document employee performance issues or achievements.
• Support corrective action, disciplinary steps, and recognition programs for team members as needed.
• Identify skill gaps and coordinate cross-training to improve team flexibility.
• Develop backup coverage plans for absences, vacations, and high-volume production periods.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, and training new inspectors.
• Build a culture of accountability, urgency, teamwork, and quality ownership within the inspection team.
• Oversee all in-process, first-piece, last-piece, and final inspection activities in the plant.
• Ensure inspectors follow approved inspection plans, sampling methods, control plans, and work instructions.
• Verify inspection results are recorded accurately, completely, and in a timely manner.
• Ensure nonconforming material is properly identified, segregated, documented, and escalated.
• Review inspection findings daily to identify repeat issues, trends, and missed opportunities for prevention.
• Coordinate inspector assignments to support new launches, engineering changes, containment activity, and customer-specific requirements.
• Ensure inspection coverage is aligned with production schedules, critical operations, and customer risk.
• Standardize inspection methods and judgment criteria across all inspectors to improve consistency.
• Audit inspector performance on the floor to confirm compliance with procedures and standard work.
• Drive timely communication of defects and quality concerns to production supervision and other stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for inspector-related quality issues on the production floor.
• Escalate significant quality concerns to quality management, engineering, production leadership, and other functions as needed.
• Ensure smooth communication between shifts so open issues, suspect material, and containment actions are handed off effectively.
• Lead response coordination when inspectors identify major nonconformances or process deviations.
• Support daily production meetings by providing inspection status, quality issues, and staffing updates.
• Partner with manufacturing leaders to resolve conflicts related to product acceptance or inspection disposition.
• Train inspectors on defect recognition, inspection techniques, measurement methods, documentation, and escalation procedures.
• Maintain training records and verify inspectors are qualified for assigned areas and tasks.
• Assess inspector competency through observation, layered audits, and periodic verification checks.
• Update inspectors on revised procedures, engineering changes, customer requirements, and quality alerts.
• Promote standard work and consistency in how inspections are performed and documented.
• Track inspector productivity, accuracy, error rates, and compliance to standard work.
• Monitor department KPIs related to inspection effectiveness, escapes, rework, scrap, and response time.
• Investigate inspection misses, documentation errors, or breakdowns in process discipline.
• Implement corrective actions when inspection performance does not meet expectations.
• Enforce safety rules, PPE requirements, and good housekeeping standards for the inspection team.
• Work closely with production, manufacturing engineering, supplier quality, and operations teams to address plant quality issues.

Skills

Manufacturing inspection

Supervisory experience

Quality control

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

High school diploma

Tools

ASQ CQA

Six Sigma Green/Black Belt

Job description

Be a part of our mission! As a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable, and efficient climate solutions for buildings, homes and transportation, it's our responsibility to put the planet first. For us at Trane Technologies, and through our businesses including Trane® and Thermo King, sustainability is not just how we do business—it is our business. Do you dare to look at the world's challenges and see impactful possibilities? Do you want to contribute to making a better future? If the answer is yes, we invite you to consider joining us in boldly challenging what's possible for a sustainable world.

Learn about our benefits designed for you to Thrive at work and at home.

We boldly go.

Where Is The Work

On-Site (5 days)

What You Will Do

• Directly supervise all plant quality inspectors across lines or departments
• Plan and assign daily work schedules to ensure inspection coverage for all production areas
• Balance inspector workload based on production demand, risk level, and staffing availability
• Monitor team attendance, punctuality, overtime, and shift handoff effectiveness
• Lead shift start-up meetings with inspectors to review priorities, quality alerts, and problem areas
• Provide day-to-day direction, coaching, and support to inspectors on inspection expectations and decision-making
• Set clear performance expectations for inspectors regarding accuracy, timeliness, discipline, and reporting
• Conduct regular one-on-one coaching and feedback sessions with inspectors
• Complete performance evaluations and document employee performance issues or achievements
• Support corrective action, disciplinary steps, and recognition programs for team members as needed
• Identify skill gaps and coordinate cross-training to improve team flexibility
• Develop backup coverage plans for absences, vacations, and high-volume production periods
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, and training new inspectors
• Build a culture of accountability, urgency, teamwork, and quality ownership within the inspection team
• Oversee all in-process, first-piece, last-piece, and final inspection activities in the plant
• Ensure inspectors follow approved inspection plans, sampling methods, control plans, and work instructions
• Verify inspection results are recorded accurately, completely, and in a timely manner
• Ensure nonconforming material is properly identified, segregated, documented, and escalated
• Review inspection findings daily to identify repeat issues, trends, and missed opportunities for prevention
• Coordinate inspector assignments to support new launches, engineering changes, containment activity, and customer-specific requirements
• Ensure inspection coverage is aligned with production schedules, critical operations, and customer risk
• Standardize inspection methods and judgment criteria across all inspectors to improve consistency
• Audit inspector performance on the floor to confirm compliance with procedures and standard work
• Drive timely communication of defects and quality concerns to production supervision and other stakeholders
• Serve as the primary point of contact for inspector-related quality issues on the production floor
• Escalate significant quality concerns to quality management, engineering, production leadership, and other functions as needed
• Ensure smooth communication between shifts so open issues, suspect material, and containment actions are handed off effectively
• Lead response coordination when inspectors identify major nonconformances or process deviations
• Support daily production meetings by providing inspection status, quality issues, and staffing updates
• Partner with manufacturing leaders to resolve conflicts related to product acceptance or inspection disposition
• Train inspectors on defect recognition, inspection techniques, measurement methods, documentation, and escalation procedures
• Maintain training records and verify inspectors are qualified for assigned areas and tasks
• Assess inspector competency through observation, layered audits, and periodic verification checks
• Update inspectors on revised procedures, engineering changes, customer requirements, and quality alerts
• Promote standard work and consistency in how inspections are performed and documented
• Track inspector productivity, accuracy, error rates, and compliance to standard work
• Monitor department KPIs related to inspection effectiveness, escapes, rework, scrap, and response time
• Investigate inspection misses, documentation errors, or breakdowns in process discipline
• Implement corrective actions when inspection performance does not meet expectations
• Enforce safety rules, PPE requirements, and good housekeeping standards for the inspection team
• Work closely with production, manufacturing engineering, supplier quality, and operations teams to address plant quality issues

What You Will Bring

• High school diploma or equivalent with extensive on-the-job experience
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality Management, or related technical field preferred
• 3+ years of direct manufacturing inspection experience
• 5+ years in a Quality Control/Assurance role within a manufacturing environment
• 2+ years of formal supervisory or team lead experience
• Proven experience mentoring junior inspectors or leading shift handoffs
• ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt
• Lean Manufacturing/5S basics, ISO 9001, or IATF 16949 awareness

$77,963.33 - $109,340.00

Compensation Type

Salary

Incentive Eligible

No

Sales Commission Eligible

No

Annual Base Salary Range Or Hourly Base Pay Range

$77,963.33 - $109,340.00

Disclaimer

We strive to provide competitive compensation for this position, tailored to a variety of factors. The actual compensation will depend on elements such as seniority, merit, geographic location, education, experience, travel requirements, and union designation. Our compensation range is generally based on the national average for the country. Additionally, benefits may vary depending on the region, business alignment, union involvement, and employee status.

Thrive At Work And At Home

• Benefits kick in on DAY ONE for you and your family, including health insurance and holistic wellness programs that include generous incentives – WE DARE TO CARE!
• Family building benefits include fertility coverage and adoption/surrogacy assistance.
• Paid time off includes up to 15 vacation days, paid holidays, sick leave, and additional options to support volunteer and parental leave.
• 401K match up, educational and training opportunities through company programs along with tuition assistance and student debt support.

Disclaimer: Benefit offerings may vary by site as well as Collective Bargaining Agreements and local/state regulations

Safety Sensitive Role

Yes

The company designates certain roles as Safety Sensitive. Safety Sensitive roles may require that you pass additional drug screening.

We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits and programs. We are an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, pregnancy, age, marital status, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any legally protected status.