Workshop Supervisor – People, Production & Technology

Lead today’s production. Build tomorrow’s workshop.

Some supervisors keep work moving.

The right leader improves how the work gets done, develops the people doing it and prepares the workshop for what comes next.

Thompson Longhorn is seeking a Workshop Supervisor who can lead day-to-day production while helping us build a more connected, disciplined and technology-enabled manufacturing team.

This is not a narrow search for someone who has held the same title in the same type of workshop for the past five years.

You may currently be a:

• Workshop Supervisor or Production Team Leader;

• Leading Hand ready to take the next step;

• Site, Project or Maintenance Supervisor;

• Operations or Production Coordinator;

• experienced tradesperson with strong leadership capability; or

• proven people leader from another practical manufacturing or industrial environment.

What matters is your ability to earn trust, organise work, make sound decisions, learn systems and bring people with you.

About Thompson Longhorn

Thompson Longhorn designs and manufactures Australian-made livestock handling equipment from our facility at Goomburra, near Warwick. Our work combines practical design, robust manufacturing and automation to improve workplace safety, animal welfare, labour efficiency and processing performance.

We are continuing to invest in our people, systems, technology and manufacturing capability. This position will play a central role in turning that investment into practical workshop outcomes.

The opportunity

Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will lead the day-to-day operation of the workshop and create the conditions for good people to do good work—safely, accurately, efficiently and with a clear understanding of what comes next.

You will:

• Lead, coach and develop the workshop team, including tradespeople, production employees, apprentices and emerging leaders.

• Plan and allocate daily and weekly work, matching people, skills, materials and equipment to production priorities.

• Own workshop safety, quality, productivity and organisation, maintaining clear standards and addressing issues before they become accepted practice.

• Maintain accurate production information, including job progress, labour, materials, job tickets and other operational records.

• Coordinate workshop readiness, including plant and equipment maintenance, tools, consumables, freight movements and production constraints.

• Work closely with Design, Purchasing and management to resolve technical issues, interpret requirements and improve products and manufacturing processes.

• Monitor performance and lead continuous improvement, making bottlenecks visible and implementing practical changes that deliver lasting results.

Technology is part of the leadership role

We are not looking for someone who sees technology as an office project.

The successful applicant will help translate the company’s technology objectives into practical workshop routines and measurable outcomes.

This may involve production software, digital job tracking, scheduling systems, data capture, reporting tools, automation and new manufacturing processes.

You will be expected to:

• understand the systems well enough to explain their purpose;

• demonstrate how they should be used;

• listen to practical feedback from the workshop;

• coach people who need additional support;

• address resistance directly and respectfully; and

• follow through until the agreed process becomes normal practice.

You do not need to arrive knowing every system we use.

You do need to be comfortable with technology, willing to learn and prepared to invest genuine time in helping your team build confidence and capability.

Sending an instruction is not the same as implementing change. We need someone who understands the difference.

Who we are looking for

We are more interested in demonstrated capability than a perfect job title.

Strong applicants will be able to demonstrate:

• experience leading people in a hands-on production, workshop, construction, maintenance, project delivery or industrial environment;

• the ability to plan work, manage competing priorities and keep people focused on the agreed outcome;

• practical knowledge of workplace safety, quality assurance and production control;

• confidence using digital systems, spreadsheets and production or ERP-style software;

• clear, direct and respectful communication;

• the ability to manage performance, provide feedback and hold people accountable;

• a practical continuous-improvement mindset; and

• sound judgement when working through operational and technical problems.

A trade or relevant tertiary qualification is preferred, but it is not the only pathway into this role.

A forklift licence is also relevant to the position. Applicants without one may still be considered where they are willing and able to obtain the required licence promptly.

You do not need to be the most technically specialised person in the workshop. You do need enough operational judgement to ask the right questions, establish priorities, maintain standards and know when additional technical expertise is required.

What success will look like

Success will be visible in the way the workshop operates.

The team will understand the plan and what is expected of them. Production information will reflect what is actually happening on the floor. Problems will be raised early rather than hidden. Technology will be used consistently rather than worked around. Improvements will remain in place after the initial push.

Most importantly, the team will become safer, more capable, more accountable and better equipped for the future.

What we offer

• A genuine opportunity to influence how the workshop operates and develops.

• A leadership role positioned between people, production and technology.

• Direct involvement in manufacturing systems, automation and process improvement.

• The opportunity to work across workshop, design, purchasing and management functions.

• An established Australian manufacturing business producing equipment with practical, real-world impact.

• A permanent, full-time position based at our Goomburra manufacturing facility near Warwick.

• A suitable remuneration package negotiated to reflect the successful applicant’s experience, capability and level of responsibility.

For the right person, we are prepared to discuss a package that properly recognises the value they can bring to the business.

How to apply

Submit your resume together with a brief cover letter addressing the following:

1. The type and size of team you have led.

2. A production, technology or process improvement you have successfully implemented.

3. How you gained the support of employees who were uncertain about or resistant to change.

We are open-minded about where you have come from.

We are serious about where you can take the team.