Team Leader - 1st Shift

Menk USA; Sterling (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) with company matching

Company-Paid Life and Disability

Job summary

Menk USA LLC is seeking a Team Lead in Finishing to support daily production on the shop floor. You will work alongside production staff to ensure safety, quality, and output meet targets.

This frontline role reinforces standard work, guides teammates, and escalates issues to the Group Leader. You will participate in continuous improvement efforts and help maintain an organized, efficient work environment.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Previous manufacturing or production experience required.
• Experience working in a team-based production environment preferred.
• Forklift or overhead crane experience preferred (based on department needs).

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on leadership on the shop floor to meet daily production goals.
• Model safe work practices and standardized procedures.
• Monitor daily production performance and report issues in real time.
• Coordinate workflow and prioritize tasks to maintain efficiency and minimize downtime.
• Support training of new and existing employees.
• Identify quality issues and escalate concerns for corrective action.
• Promote 5S and housekeeping standards.
• Resolve minor production issues and escalate complex ones as needed.
• Support scrap reduction and process improvements.
• Ensure materials, tools, and workstations are prepared for production needs.
• Communicate shift expectations and updates clearly to the team.
• Collaborate across departments to align priorities and schedules.
• Perform production work as needed to maintain output.
• Support inventory accuracy through counts and cycle checks.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement in safety, quality, and productivity.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support operational needs.

Skills

Team leadership

Communication

Production processes

Problem solving

Multitasking

Basic computer skills

Training others

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Manufacturing/production experience

Team-based production experience

Forklift/overhead crane experience

Job description

The purpose of this role is to: The Team Lead in Finishing is responsible for supporting daily production operations by working directly on the shop floor alongside employees to ensure safety, quality, and production goals are met. This role provides frontline leadership, reinforces standard work, and serves as the primary point of contact for production employees during the shift. The Team Lead works under the direction of the Production Supervisor and plays a key role in maintaining workflow, addressing immediate production issues, and supporting team performance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide hands-on leadership and support to production employees on the shop floor to ensure daily production goals are achieved.
• Work directly alongside team members to model and reinforce safe work practices and standardized work procedures.
• Monitor daily production performance and communicate issues, delays, or risks to the Group Leader in real time.
• Assist in coordinating workflow and prioritizing tasks to maintain production efficiency and minimize downtime.
• Support training of new and existing employees by demonstrating proper work methods and reinforcing standard work expectations.
• Identify quality issues, defects, or non-conformances and escalated concerns as needed for corrective action.
• Promote and maintain a safe, clean, and organized work environment by supporting 5S and housekeeping standards.
• Assist in resolving minor production issues on the floor and escalated complex issues to the Group Leader or appropriate support functions.
• Support scrap reduction efforts by reinforcing correct work methods and identifying potential process improvements.
• Ensure materials, tools, and workstations are prepared and available to support production needs.
• Communicate shift expectations, changes, and updates clearly to team members.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with group leaders, team leaders, production manager, other department managers, and human resources to align priorities and production schedules.
• Perform production work as needed to support the team and maintain output.
• Support inventory accuracy through cycle counts and physical inventory participation as needed.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement focused on safety, quality, productivity, and employee engagement.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support operational needs.

Quality Related Responsibilities:

• Ensure work is performed in accordance with the requirements of Menk USA LLC ISO 9001:2015 based quality management system including adhering to appropriate policies and procedures
• Support adherence to standardized work and escalated quality concerns promptly.
• Assist in maintaining product quality through consistent execution of work instructions.

Skills:

• Strong teamwork and leadership skills with ability to lead by example
• Ability to effectively communicate with employees and leadership
• Strong understanding of production processes and standard work
• Problem-solving skills with ability to address issues quickly on the floor
• Ability to multitask and maintain production flow in a fast-paced environment
• Basic computer skills for reporting and communication as needed
• Ability to train and support employees in a hands-on environment

Education, Certifications, and Experience:

• High School Diploma or GED required
• Previous manufacturing or production experience required
• Experience working in a team-based production environment preferred
• Forklift or overhead crane experience preferred (based on department needs)

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to walk, stand, sit, stoop, squat, and kneel for extended periods of time
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds when required
• Ability to travel throughout the facility to perform job duties
• Ability to spend extended periods of time in a production environment
• Ability to lift and move materials using appropriate equipment
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401(k) with company matching
• Company-Paid Life and Disability Insurance
• Vacation, Paid Time Off (PTO) & Paid Holidays