Supervisor, Manufacturing

Job description

The MOCVD Manufacturing Supervisor provides immediate, hands-on supervision and operational support for night-shift operators and maintenance technicians supporting the GaN MOCVD R&D facility in Goleta, California. The supervisor assigns work, monitors execution at frequent intervals, maintains shift schedules and workflow, and ensures adherence to established safety, quality, production, and equipment procedures. Working within defined operating plans and management guidance, this role responds to routine shift issues, escalates higher-risk or technically complex problems, and delivers team targets against daily and weekly production plans.

The supervisor routinely works alongside operators and technicians to remove barriers, address production issues, and maintain continuous execution throughout the shift.

Key Responsibilities

Hands-on Manufacturing Support: Actively participate in production activities to maintain WIP flow. Perform or assist with reactor loading, unloading, wafer movement, material handling, process verification and production documentation, as required.

Shift leadership

Direct daily activities of night-shift operators and maintenance technicians; assign tasks, set priorities, balance staffing, and monitor work at frequent intervals to maintain safe and efficient workflow.

Safety and compliance

Enforce EHS requirements, chemical and gas safety controls, lockout/tagout, PPE, cleanroom protocols, permit requirements, and emergency response procedures. Stop work when an unsafe condition exists and ensure timely notification and escalation.

Manufacturing Execution

Coordinate reactor loading, recipe execution, material movement, in-process checks, documentation, and shift handoff activities to meet daily and weekly output, cycle-time, and delivery targets.

Equipment availability

Coordinate planned and corrective maintenance, troubleshooting, and return-to-service activities. Confirm technicians follow approved maintenance procedures and document work accurately.

Quality

Ensure compliance with work instructions, process specifications, control plans, SPC requirements, and material traceability standards. Contain nonconforming material, initiate required documentation, and escalate deviations promptly.

Problem response

Address routine production, staffing, quality, and equipment issues using established procedures. Engage engineering, equipment, facilities, EHS, or management when issues exceed defined authority or technical capability.

Communication

Lead shift start-up meetings and provide clear written and verbal handoffs covering safety concerns, reactor status, production progress, material disposition, maintenance work, and open actions.

People supervision

Provide day-to-day direction, coaching, training reinforcement, and factual performance feedback. Monitor attendance, qualification status, work quality, and adherence to company policies; elevate formal employee-relations matters to management and HR.

Training and qualification

Maintain adequate shift coverage by tracking operator and technician qualifications, assigning trainers, and verifying completion of required training before independent work.

Continuous improvement

Support 5S, standard-work, waste-reduction, uptime, yield, and cycle-time improvements. Provide practical shift-level input while following approved change-control processes.

Cost awareness

Help control overtime, consumables, spare-parts usage, scrap, and rework; provide input to unit-level cost management.

Inventory Management

Ensure new parts are properly received, inspected, stored and cataloged. Ensure material removed from stock are properly recorded.

Shipping

Lead night shift finished goods shipping activity including wafer preparation, documentation and packaging. Measures of Success Safe shift execution and timely escalation of hazards, incidents, and near misses. Achievement of daily and weekly output, schedule, cycle-time, and staffing objectives. Reactor availability, preventive-maintenance completion, and effective response to unplanned downtime. Adherence to process specifications, documentation requirements, and material traceability controls.

Shift-team attendance, qualification coverage, training completion, and work quality. Complete, accurate, and timely shift handoffs, records, and action closure. Control of overtime, scrap, rework, consumables, and spare-parts usage within assigned scope.

Qualifications

Required Associate degree in engineering technology, manufacturing technology, electronics, mechanical systems, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, military technical training, and relevant experience. 5 or more years of experience in semiconductor, high-technology, chemical, or similarly controlled manufacturing, including at least 1 year in a lead, trainer, team coordinator, or supervisory assignment.

Working knowledge of manufacturing safety, quality systems, standard work, equipment maintenance coordination, and production control. Demonstrated ability to assign work, monitor execution, maintain schedules, coach employees, and communicate factual operating information across shifts and functions. Ability to interpret work instructions, equipment procedures, process specifications, control charts, alarm histories, and production priorities.

Ability to make sound routine decisions within established guidelines and recognize when immediate escalation is required. Proficiency with standard business and manufacturing systems used for email, reporting, training records, maintenance, production tracking, and document control. Ability and willingness to work the designated night-shift schedule, including required overtime, weekends, holidays, and emergency coverage as needed.

Preferred Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, operations, or a related discipline. Experience in MOCVD, epitaxy, wafer fabrication, vacuum systems, gas delivery, abatement, facilities interfaces, or semiconductor equipment maintenance. Experience supervising both production operators and maintenance technicians on an off-shift. Knowledge of SPC, MES, CMMS, deviation control, root-cause analysis, 5S, and structured continuous-improvement methods.

Current or prior qualification in hazardous-material handling, emergency response, lockout/tagout, or other site-specific safety programs. Experience with MOCVD, CVD or metrology equipment diagnostics and repair.

Leadership Competencies Safety ownership

Consistently applies controls, recognizes risk, and acts promptly when conditions are unsafe.

Execution discipline

Organizes the shift, follows through on commitments, and maintains accurate records.

Front-line leadership

Sets clear expectations, treats employees fairly, and provides timely coaching within established policies.

Problem solving

Uses facts and defined procedures to resolve routine issues and escalates appropriately.

Communication

Conveys concise, straightforward information to employees, peer groups, and management.

Collaboration

Works effectively with process engineering, equipment engineering, facilities, quality, EHS, planning, and day-shift leadership.

Continuous improvement

Identifies practical improvements while respecting qualification, documentation, and change-control requirements.