Production Supervisor

At Areté, we are on the forefront of utilizing innovative solutions, with great minds from all backgrounds, to help solve the nation’s most complex security challenges. We strive for an inclusive, collaborative team environment that approaches differences as opportunities for innovation and excellence. As an employee-owned company, we foster an atmosphere that propels diverse career opportunities and professional growth.

Discover your future with us.

As Production Supervisor, you are responsible for the hands‑on execution and coordination of day‑to‑day production activities supporting laser and optical system builds in an AS9100‑certified environment. This role focuses on schedule adherence, material readiness, kitting flow, MRB coordination, and capacity tracking to ensure builds progress without interruption. The role emphasizes ownership, urgency, and practical problem‑solving. In this role, you will collaborate closely with a multidisciplinary team, including Production, Program Management, Engineering, Quality Assurance, Materials, and Purchasing.

You will be responsible for ensuring all orders are delivered on time while maintaining strict compliance with Arete’s Quality Management System. This is a full‑time, exempt, supervisory position based in our Niwot, CO office.

• Own daily production execution and schedule adherence.
• Generate and coordinate kitting schedule in coordination with the Materials Planner to ensure continuous production flow and timely delivery to the customer. Work with Materials Planner to monitor and minimize material shortages.
• Lead effort to evaluate material readiness for production and drive actions to mature the readiness as needed.
• Track manufacturing orders and resolve blockers.
• Support nonconformance routing and closure. Actively participate in Material Review Board meetings, providing Production input to help drive decisions.
• Maintain visibility into capacity constraints, monitoring and tracking cycle times for assembly and test processes. Provide real‑time visibility into production constraints and elevate risks early.
• Work with technicians and Engineering to resolve issues.
• Actively participate in Change Review Board meetings, providing production input to help drive decisions.
• Ensure documentation aligns with QMS requirements.
• Coordinate and track on‑the‑job training for production personnel, ensuring individuals working on the hardware are properly trained and certified.
• Communicate production status and risks.
• Identify and lead implementation of approved workflow improvements.
• Support audits and compliance activities, including compiling and presenting evidence of compliance to production processes during audits.
• Track production metrics, including on‑time delivery, first‑pass yield/customer acceptance, and others that may be identified.

• Flextime Scheduling
• Bereavement
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Parental Leave

• Company‑funded 5% contribution to your 401(k) retirement plan
• Company‑funded 5% contribution to your Employee Stock Ownership Plan
• Continuing Education Assistance

• Medical Insurance
• Dental & Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance and Long‑Term Disability (LTD)
• Vision Reimbursement

• Creativity and innovation in solving challenges
• Integrity and responsibility in all actions
• Collaboration across teams and specialties
• Responsiveness in fast‑paced environments
• Passion for national security and excellence

• 5+ years of relevant experience
• Experience in a production or manufacturing environment
• Strong task execution and scheduling discipline
• Organizational and prioritization skills
• Technical problem‑solving ability
• Cross‑functional collaboration capability
• Basic familiarity with production workflows
• Communication and reporting skills
• MS Office proficiency

• Experience with precision laser or optical assembly manufacturing is highly desirable
• Technical understanding of lasers, optical systems and sensors
• Experience…