Operations Team Leader

Requisition
176334
-Posted
09/26/2026

- Supply Chain/Manufacturing

- United States

- Maine

- Sanford

- Tom's of Maine

- Travel - up to 10% of time

- On-site

Relocation Assistance Offered Within Country
Job Number#176334 - Sanford, Maine, United States
Who We Are
Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!
Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.

Reporting to the Operations Area Leader, the Team Leader is the frontline driver of technical performance and team engagement. This role is responsible for the direct coaching of Technicians, the execution of Autonomous Maintenance (AM) steps, and ensuring that the area’s technical assets and people operate at peak efficiency. This role will provide support to 1st and 3rd Shift.

• Technical Execution & TPM Mastership
• Frontline AM Lead: Leads the Autonomous Maintenance (AM) program on the floor, ensuring tools are used correctly to drive program step progress and eliminate technical losses.
• Operational Excellence: Drives OPEX initiatives and adheres to all EHS, Quality, and Operational Efficiency standards to optimize plant performance.
• Technical Problem Solving: Identifies and implements process improvements by tracking and analyzing KPIs, including yield variances and inventory loss.
• Safety & Quality Rigor: Ensures strict adherence to Food Safety, GMP, and EHS standards, leading incident investigations and corrective action plans.
• Coaching & Team Development
• Technical
  
  Coaching:
  
  Provides ongoing, real-time coaching and feedback to Technicians to build their technical competencies and self-sufficiency.
• Training Coordination: Coordinates technical training schedules to ensure the workforce possesses the necessary skills to meet evolving business needs.
• Engagement & Labor Relations: Builds employee engagement and ensures timely resolution of labor concerns, seeking mutually beneficial solutions to conflict.
• Workforce Management: Manages the permanent and temporary workforce, including shift rotations, crewing, and daily attendance.
• Production Flow: Directs daily activities of Technicians, establishing work schedules and production sequences to ensure all goals are met.
• Inventory Ownership: Leads physical inventory counts, investigates variances, and conducts activities related to monthly financial closure.
• Data Integrity: Manages SAP daily consumption posting and ensures production orders are technically completed to support the Area Leader’s financial reporting.

• Education/
  
  Experience:
  
  Bachelor’s of Science.
• Physical Ability: Must be able to work in a manufacturing environment (climbing, kneeling, lifting up to 50 lbs) and wear all required PPE.
• Flexibility: Ability to work irregular shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, to support 24/7 technical operations.

• Technical Leadership: 2+ years of supervisory experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Systems Mastership: Strong proficiency in SAP systems, FP&R standards, and Google Suite.
• Communication: Proven ability to communicate technical ideas clearly and facilitate the transfer of best practices across shifts.
• Alignment: Leadership values inherently aligned with the…