Vinyl Weeding Team Lead

Job Description

Job DescriptionDescriptionThe Role

Volleyball coaches teach hitting, basketball coaches teach shooting, hockey coaches also teach shooting. While technically each of these roles is highly specific and would require years of training to do well, they all share a certain commonality: the ability to lead and motivate a team to achieve results.

In this post-industrial era, it's easy to assume that sophisticated machinery can automatically produce just about anything. You'd be wrong - machines can be pretty dumb. They're good for about 90% of the work. That last 10%? It requires a brain.

If you're reading this, we're going to assume you own a brain. If so, congratulations: you passed the first test. Ready for the second? Tell us what a Weeding Team Lead is supposed to do. Go and Google "weeding vinyl" if you need some help. We'll wait.

Welcome back. If you guessed "a Weeding Team Lead, as the name implies, leads a team which weeds vinyl," you're correct. Everyone else, please close the tab.

dbrand is the global leader in vinyl skins for consumer electronics. Every single day, our millions-strong fanbase of devoted, cult-like customers buys our vinyl. Every single one of them expects and demands perfection from us - from our carefully cultivated brand image down to how precisely we've weeded all 144 holes on the top of an Xbox Series X skin.

That's where the Weeding Team Lead comes in. We're looking for a highly-motivated, dexterous, efficient individual to lead our Weeding Team. One who can inspire fun challenges, proactively resolve problems, unearth new efficiencies, develop new hires, and set an example for the team by treating each day as a competition against yourself. Does that sound like you? Probably not. If it does, keep reading.

The Environment

Picture a meticulously-organized, clean, modern warehouse. Inside, there are tens of thousands of inventory bins, each containing the huge array of products that you're making ready-for-market. Between these bins, nestled in the heart of the warehouse, the Weeding Team works their magic. Production is pumping out new skins at a record pace. Your job? Keep that pace. Over a thousand skins have been cut overnight, and more are on their way. Your tools for this assignment: a crack team of Weeders that you've trained yourself, a bottomless supply of coffee, and a set of Cricut picks. Sounds like a challenge, but you love those.

Yesterday, your team weeded 2,056 skins. Today, you're aiming for 2,200. One of your robots - let's pretend he's named Steve - challenge you to a race: first one to weed 100 skins buys lunch. Before you know it, your hands are moving at a speed that would make lightning jealous. You're answering questions while your hands continue the race. Steve yells that he's passed 50 - you smirk. You're at 63. A student should never doubt the master.

By the time your lunch arrives, your team has cleared the backlog. The goal of 2,200 is a sure thing. What turned this seemingly-impossible task into an accomplished one? Simple: energy and excitement. You're in a world-class production facility, creating industry-leading products for a legion of devoted supporters. You're immersed in a one-of-a-kind workplace culture which doesn't assume that "results" and "fun" are mutually exclusive terms. You spend each day coaching, motivating, and guiding peers who are just as dedicated to creating top-of-the-line products as you are. Most importantly, you enjoy the simple act of being there. That's a powerful motivator for doing the best work of your life. What's keeping you from doing it? Well, the fact that you haven't applied yet. Before you submit an application, let's take a second to see if you have what it takes.
The Characteristics

• Agile: You’re nimble. You’re adaptable. You thrive in an environment where priorities can change in an instant.
• Analytical: Your decisions are driven by only one thing: data. You continue to master all the tools necessary to surface insights.
• Collaborative: You enjoy purposeful meetings. You value the contributions and perspectives of your colleagues as much as those of your CEO.
• Curious: You’re eager to learn new concepts and master new skills. There’s no tool that’s useless in your arsenal.
• Disciplined: You never allow the details to slip, understanding that every bit of minutiae forms the bigger picture.
• Enthusiastic: You exhibit a contagious passion for creating a perfect, final product.
• Innovative: You develop new approaches to complex problems.

The Responsibilities & Qualifications This position is responsible for the daily and ongoing functioning of the Weeding Team which consists of 8-10 Weeding Specialists. The team is responsible for the following:

• Removing cutouts from material with a consistent result, adhering to established quality standards.
  • Utilize caution and ensure no tearing of edges or corners.
  • Maintain efficiency and speed by use of proper technique.
• Sorting sliced / weeded units by device.
  • Identify minor feature differences on similar devices to determine proper inventory organization.
  • Stack units neatly without bends, folds and / or creases.
• Discarding damaged materials.
  • Dispose of materials and units with scratches, tears, and / or smudges.
  • Present materials with wrinkles and bubbles to the Inventory Manager for inspection.
• Maintaining clean and organized work stations.
  • Place sliced and organized units in the appropriate priority bin.
  • Sweep the work area, wipe down surfaces and remove material debris from the station.

To be successful at this role, the Team Lead will need to own processes within the Weeding team and develop relationships with the team to handle increased workloads while optimizing available resources.

• Must have past work experience in leading and motivating teams for measurable results.
• Capable to lead and supervise shift associates to ensure tasks at hand are completed in a timely manner. Also able to onboard and train new associates and/or temporary staff from staffing agency
• Responsible for conducting quarterly performance reviews and 1:1 sessions for the team.
• Possess technical skills to complete data analysis on Google Sheets, effectively use ClickUp for task management and Twist for internal communication, monitor data inputs in Google Forms, and create and maintain existing playbooks.
• Responsible for the execution and delivery of process improvement initiatives that will contribute to improved KPI metrics.
• Able to participate in management meetings and / or organise as well as lead weekly team meetings (in the absence of Inventory Manager).
• Effective leader with strong team building skills and a subject matter expert on all team responsibilities.
• Must possess proactive communication skills to ensure close collaboration with team members to be able to motivate, inspire and coach associates for supporting the overall culture of dbrand

If you find a box you can’t check, stop reading and look for a company who demands less from their employees:

• Strong eye-hand coordination and dexterity with a high level of attention to fine details.
• An impeccable communication style - your grasp on the English language is flawless.
• Detail-oriented, self-sufficient, resourceful, organized, and proactive.
• The instinct to help teammates thrive and the openness to learn from past experiences.
• The ability to solve complex problems (or know where to find the answer).
• Commitment to long-term growth and learning opportunities.
• Insights and engagement with the current state of smartphone and mobile technology.

The Moment of Truth Compensation for the job starts at $50,000 per year with health, dental, vision, and profit sharing benefits. We’re located a few minutes west of Pearson Airport.

Still think you have what it takes to lead the Weeding Team at dbrand?

To be perfectly honest, we doubt it.

That said, our company was built on the idea that every assumption can be proven wrong. Your move.