Production Supervisor - Polisher
Blue Nile · New York City · $75,000–$80,000 (stated in the posting)
Our banner, Blue Nile, is part of Signet Jewelers, a purpose-driven company who believes love inspires love and whose mission it is to enable all people to Celebrate Life and Express Love. Signet Jewelers is also a “Great Place to Work-Certified™” company. Innovation and brilliance – two things that set us apart. Join us!
The Setting Supervisor is the first-line leader responsible for the safe, timely, efficient, and quality-focused performance of the setting work cell. The Supervisor translates the production plan into daily execution, provides technical direction across the cell, develops team capability, and is accountable for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and people performance.
The Polishing Supervisor is the first-line leader responsible for the safe, timely, efficient, and quality-focused performance of the polishing work cell. The Supervisor translates the production plan into daily execution, provides technical direction across the cell, develops team capability, and is accountable for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and people performance.
This leader builds a culture of continuous improvement and respect for people. They create clear and fair expectations, listen to and develop team members, make problems visible without blame, and use standard work, data, and structured problem solving to improve first-pass yield and flow. Working in partnership with Quality Assurance and the Production Flow & Quality Coordinator, the Supervisor keeps defects close to their source, provides immediate feedback, and strengthens quality at the point of work.
Responsibilities:
- Lead daily tier meetings; translate demand and priorities into a clear shift plan, assign work based on skill and capacity, and adjust staffing and sequencing to protect schedule attainment and customer commitments.
- Maintain control of cell WIP and flow using visual management, FIFO and priority rules, standard times of operation (STOs), and timely escalation of constraints, material gaps, technical risks, or forecasted delays.
- Own daily performance for safety, first-pass yield, throughput, schedule attainment, rework, aging WIP, finish quality, and labor productivity; establish countermeasures when performance is off plan and communicate progress to leadership.
- Ensure safe work practices, proper tool and equipment condition, workplace organization, and prompt reporting and follow-up of safety concerns and incidents.
- Provide visible floor leadership and technical guidance across jewelry production; help team members overcome job-specific hurdles, condition tools, optimize finishes, and prevent issues from escalating.
- Review customer repairs and special orders to determine feasibility, required work, technical risk, production needs, timeline, and cost implications; support accurate estimates and initiate estimate review when major changes occur.
- Ensure aesthetic, workmanship, and finish requirements are understood and achieved while protecting high-value and custom work throughout the production process.
Quality, Flow, and Coordinator Partnership:
- Direct the Production Flow & Quality Coordinator's daily priorities and integrate work movement, incoming verification, in-process checks, job-status control, and defect containment into the cell's operating rhythm.
- Ensure incoming work meets defined acceptance criteria before it enters the cell; do not allow known defects or incomplete information to transfer silently downstream.
- Keep defects with the responsible cell until corrected, provide immediate and respectful feedback at the point of discovery, and prevent repeat defects through documented root-cause analysis and countermeasures.
- Partner with Quality Assurance on standards, inspection plans, certification, calibration, audits, defect coding, escape investigations, and systemic prevention; preserve QA's independent authority over product acceptance requirements.
- Build quality at the source by reinforcing craft self-inspection, successive checks, standard work, and risk-based QA verification rather than relying on repeated end-of-process inspection.
- Maintain accurate job status, defect, rework, repair-finding, quote, and escalation records to ensure traceability and timely follow-up.
People Leadership and Development:
- Set clear expectations, conduct regular one-on-one coaching, recognize strong performance, address performance or conduct concerns promptly, and partner with the Production Manager and Human Resources on formal corrective action when required.
- Conduct individual performance reviews and career-development discussions; maintain the team's skills matrix and training plan, identify capability gaps, and coordinate onboarding, cross-training, and targeted technical development.
- Create an environment where team members are treated with dignity, encouraged to surface problems, and engaged in developing solutions; balance accountability with curiosity, fairness, and respect.
- Review attendance, timekeeping, schedule coverage, and overtime needs in accordance with company policy; participate in interviewing and selection and advocate for appropriate staffing, tools, training, and procedures.
- Communicate business priorities, changes, results, and broader Blue Nile requirements clearly and consistently, ensuring each team member understands how their work supports the customer and factory goals.
Continuous Improvement and Cross-Functional Leadership:
- Lead structured problem solving and continuous-improvement activity focused on reducing queue time, excess movement, touches, defects, rework, and lead time while improving process capability and on-time delivery.
- Develop, document, train, audit, and improve standard work; sustain visual controls and workplace standards and share proven countermeasures and best practices across the factory.
- Serve as the primary operational contact for Special Production and coordinate effectively with CAD, Order Processing, Production, Quality Assurance, Customer Service, Training, and other partners on job requirements, options, constraints, timelines, and next steps.
- Support broader Blue Nile initiatives and perform other related duties as business needs evolve.
Requirements
- 5+ years of experience in fine-jewelry manufacturing, repair, or quality evaluation; strong technical understanding of production jewelry, stone setting, polishing, and finish requirements.
- 2+ years of experience supervising or formally leading employees in a manufacturing, production, repair, or comparable technical environment preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to plan and control daily production, allocate work, anticipate bottlenecks, coach performance, and deliver against safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost expectations.
- Working knowledge of continuous-improvement methods, standard work, visual management, root-cause analysis, and quality-at-the-source practices; Lean manufacturing experience preferred.
- Strong judgment and problem-solving skills, including the ability to make timely decisions, manage competing priorities, and escalate risk with clear facts and recommended actions.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and documentation skills with a record of building trust, developing others, and maintaining clear and fair accountability.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, email, Slack, and production or order-management systems; able to use data routinely and help team members use systems accurately.
- Consistent record of strong quality, reliability, communication, and attendance; Spanish-language proficiency preferred.
Leadership Expectations:
The successful candidate leads with humility, discipline, and respect. They go to the work to understand problems, involve the people closest to the process, distinguish process issues from individual accountability, and follow through on commitments. They are expected to model learning, candor, customer focus, and continuous improvement every day.
Benefits
At Blue Nile, many of our roles offer a high-quality, comprehensive benefits package including healthcare, paid time off, retirement planning and opportunities for career advancement. Some offerings are dependent upon the role, employment type, work schedule or location:
- Medical, Dental, Vision and Prescription Insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match
- Flexible spending account
- Health savings account
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Employee discount
- Parental leave
- Life insurance
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
At this time, Blue Nile will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.
Base pay $75,000- $80,000. Final pay rate shall be determined and is based on experience and qualifications