Line Supervisor Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for a line supervisor job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a line supervisor. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a line supervisor.
Who is a Line Supervisor?
A line supervisor is an individual who is responsible for monitoring and supervising the line operations of a company. They are in charge of ensuring the efficiency of line staff members in production and supervising the quality control procedures. Line supervisors are the executive employees who oversee the activities of other employees in an organization. They supervise a group of employees and are in charge of making sure these employees meet the deadlines given to complete their tasks and uphold quality standards. Although hiring choices and other matters relating to personnel management may fall under the responsibilities of line supervisors, they are typically not made by them.
To decide which current employees should be promoted into supervisory positions or which new hires to bring on board, line supervisors rely on directives from higher-level managers. Throughout operations, they serve as the managers’ monitoring agents in the course of ongoing work. The line supervisor is in charge of monitoring the line personnel’s productivity, attendance, and quality of work. The supervisor is also in charge of keeping a full roster to make sure that all line positions are staffed and run efficiently. The line supervisor must have a backup plan in place in case an employee is absent to guarantee befitting shift coverage. In many cases, the line supervisor will fill the vacancy for open job tasks. The line supervisor’s primary duty is to make sure that the line runs without interruption or downtime.
All new line employees must be mentored and trained by the line supervisor. The labour and output of the line employees are under the supervision of the line supervisor. As a result, the line supervisor must monitor and evaluate the production quality of the line. All management-completed projects for process improvement and line improvements also call for the line supervisor’s intervention and participation. All of the technical process data needed for these programmes must be provided by the supervisor.
The line supervisor is also in charge of putting into effect any new policies and procedures that management deems necessary for line operations. For line supervisor positions, two to five years of relevant expertise in the business’s speciality area are needed. For instance, two to five years of line production experience at various locations on the line might be necessary to qualify for a line supervisor position on a car production line. Except for banks, most of the line supervisor positions don’t require formal education. Many banks have line supervisors, customer service supervisors, teller callers and drive-ups.
An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business or finance is typically required by banks for this role. A high level of professionalism, attention to detail, and communication skills are also requirements for these roles. Line supervisors are frequently tasked with creating rotations and personnel schedules, requiring intense organisational skills.
Line supervisors can work in a range of environments where production or manufacturing is required. Line supervisors typically spend their time outside or in non-air-conditioned buildings when they work in factories, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, or industrial complexes. They are influenced by the weather and the weather can be hot, cold, damp, or extremely inconvenient. Although they frequently take place in climate-controlled manufacturing facilities, line supervisors’ roles in the technical domains demand a high level of specialisation.
A solid work history, experience, and leadership skills are the three major qualifications for becoming a line supervisor. Line managers need to be affable and capable of inspiring co-staff. However, a few years of college or technical school training can be very beneficial. Many employers prefer hiring applicants with a high school diploma. The majority of line supervisors advance to their roles after years of experience as production workers. They learn the procedures required to make a product from their work experience. Additionally, it helps them understand the issues that production workers face.
Some supervisors get valuable experience serving as union representatives. Many businesses also offer new supervisors training courses or guides that explain management practices. As supervisor trainees, several industrial organisations prefer to hire individuals with some college or technical school expertise. The industries that use complicated production methods the most frequently are those that produce electronics or chemicals. For supervisor trainees, having a background in business administration, labour relations, engineering, science, or mathematics is advantageous. It takes different companies and industries a different amount of time to completely qualify a production supervisor.
Line Supervisor Job Description
What is a line supervisor job description? A line supervisor job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of a line supervisor in an organization. Below are the line supervisor job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a line supervisor job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a line supervisor include the following:
- Make sure the team adheres to safety protocols to avoid injuries or accidents.
- Ensure that employees may work in a secure, comfortable, and safe setting.
- Examine employee performance to see if they are fulfilling their obligations under the employment.
- Ensure that workers receive training on the tools they will use in their tasks.
- Establish work schedules for employees and make sure they are followed.
- Develop departmental or shift-specific goals in collaboration with management.
- Keep an eye on the functioning of the production lines to make sure it complies with the company’s quality and safety standards.
- Improve the methods used to produce goods as well as the tools and processes used in manufacturing.
- Ensure that staff members receive enough training on their job obligations.
- Make sure every employee reaches the daily production goals that were set.
- Manage resource allocation, including workstation assignments, personnel breaks, and shift rotations to accomplish set goals.
- Keep in close contact with medium and high managers as well as important executives.
- Interact with each other and ensure that everyone understands the departmental and functional goals.
- Direct workflow by assigning tasks and distributing roles.
- Review and grade the work of the team members.
- Watch how your team members work.
- Evaluate the team’s members’ performance.
- Provide team members with opportunities for coaching and feedback.
- Assist with hiring, training, onboarding, and recruiting new employees.
- Cross-train employees to ensure job rotation and fill in coverage gaps for assignments.
- Create and generate schedules for your employees.
- Determine the necessity for corrective action to guarantee that all processes adhere to quality standards.
- Identify issues and overcome obstacles to improve organisational effectiveness.
- Set timeframes for your production objectives.
- Establish and maintain procedural standards.
- Plan and oversee shutdowns, production restarts, and switchovers.
- Maintain a proper personnel level every day by monitoring sick days, employee vacation plans, and unexpected absences.
- Hold shift meetings to make sure that the team is aware of the daily goals and production standards.
- Adhere to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for optimal operation.
- Resolve issues and safety concerns immediately by coordinating with the plant manager and shift supervisor.
- Create a welcoming, healthy, and safe work environment.
- Create daily production reports that provide information about output amount and quality.
- Observe employee performance to make sure all jobs are accomplished to standards.
- Check employee attendance to make sure everyone arrives at work on time.
- Ensure that all necessary paperwork is submitted on time and with accuracy.
Qualifications
- GED/High school diploma is required.
- Degree in business, management, finance or a related discipline.
- A minimum of five years experience in a production line or related industry.
- Experience in a supervisory or managerial role is essential.
- In-depth understanding of product specifications and production standards.
- Thorough knowledge of industry regulations.
- Knowledge of the principles of lean manufacturing.
- Computers and office software proficiency.
- Excellent leadership skills.
- Outstanding organizational and time management abilities.
- Good interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills.
- Ability to use technology to improve effectiveness.
- Must always stay up to date on changes in the industry.
- Outstanding problem-solving techniques.
Essential Skills
- Communication skills: A-line supervisor will have to always interact with customers and staff members. As a line supervisor, you can answer inquiries, give feedback, and convey messages using your communication skills. Your team will feel valued and appreciated if the line supervisor employs effective communication skills to foster a healthy work atmosphere.
- Decision-making skills: Making choices on the production of goods and services may be needed of you as a line supervisor. Additionally, you might need to decide how to address problems at work such as employee disputes or safety concerns. Making wise decisions will enable you to successfully lead your team.
- Analytical skills: Line supervisors receive training to evaluate organisational metrics like productivity levels. To do this, line supervisors will have to understand important business ideas or industry phrases that require analytical skills. Analytical skills can help line supervisors choose the best shift split and pinpoint the times when their staff will work at its best. Line supervisors can use this tool to develop procedures, ideas, and other operational tactics to support the success of their team.
- Technology expertise: The manufacturing sector is heavily reliant on technology, and many line supervisors utilise software to keep a close watch on their operations. To keep track of how much inventory they have of finished goods or raw materials, for instance, they might employ inventory management systems. To decide when staff should work depending on workload and other considerations, they may also use scheduling software. Employees frequently use computers or cell phones to interact with these systems, allowing managers to tell everyone about changes. Making sure that everyone is aware of the duties that need to be completed at any given time can increase efficiency.
- Knowledge of lean manufacturing: The goal of the business philosophy known as “lean manufacturing” is to reduce waste and eliminate inefficiency from the production process. Understanding lean concepts can help you spot places where your team’s efficiency could be increased, for as by cutting down on the time needed to complete particular activities or getting rid of pointless stages. Some of these modifications may also need to be put into effect by a line supervisor, which will probably take a lot of work. In essence, adopting lean principles may make your job simpler as you’ll have more time to concentrate on other areas of running a manufacturing line.
- Strong leadership skills: A-line supervisors need to be able to inspire workers and effectively lead a team. To motivate your workers to achieve their objectives, you should be able to effectively communicate both orally and in writing. Additionally, to collaborate with your staff to increase productivity, it’s essential to be personable and attentive to their problems.
- Time management skills: Line supervisors should provide an example of the qualities that organisations want to instil in their employees. This implies that line supervisors must be able to successfully and efficiently portray excellent time management skills. Line supervisors are typically responsible for teaching others how to manage their time properly, therefore they must not only be on time and competent in their work, but also teach others the same qualities. Line supervisors must set deadlines, monitor workflow, distribute team schedules, complete tasks on time, and create benchmarks to effectively manage production operations.
- Interpersonal skills: Good relationships can be fostered by effective line supervisors with other employees and team members. As a line supervisor, you may do this through regular contact and interaction with your team and relationship-building exercises. Strong relationships between managers and employees can aid in fostering mutual trust and boosting employee morale.
- Problem-solving skills: You can be in charge of fixing problems that develop during manufacturing as a line supervisor. You can discover the problem’s origin and create a remedy with the aid of great problem-solving skills. You may assist your staff in enhancing their workflow by using problem-solving strategies.
- Customer service skills: Customer service skills are essential for line supervisors. Line managers occasionally interact directly with the customers of their company, serving as a link between the customers and the company’s top management. As a result, skills in customer service including persistence, active listening, empathy, and persuasion become valuable.
- Teamwork skills: You can establish a good working relationship with staff members by using your teamwork skills. Teamwork abilities can assist you with task delegation, team motivation, and dispute resolution. You can support your team members’ skill development and personal growth when you collaborate with them to achieve goals.
How to Become a Line Supervisor
Step 1. Obtain required education
A high school diploma or its equivalent is typically required for line supervisors. A relevant associate’s or bachelor’s degree may be preferred by some employers. Studies in business, management, accounting, economics, statistics, and computer science are essential for this position. To hone your skills and connect with industry experts while in school, consider joining the student chapter of the Production Management Association. A good way to learn more about how engineers operate in production settings is to join an engineering society.
Step 2. Gain relevant work experience
It is beneficial to have industrial experience before seeking a career as a line supervisor. Manufacturing technicians, quality control inspectors, and material handlers are some of the entry-level jobs that offer this kind of training. These jobs give workers the chance to learn about a variety of manufacturing-related topics, such as how raw materials are turned into final goods and how quality control procedures guarantee that high standards are fulfilled. Line supervisors often undergo on-the-job training to become familiar with the precise processes and procedures related to their position. To get the competence necessary to conduct tasks independently, this training may involve observing other line supervisors in action or having employees work under the direction of a senior line supervisor.
Step 3. Join professional organizations
For those working in the manufacturing sector, the Production Management Association (PMA) is a professional association that offers networking opportunities and training options. Line supervisors who join the PMA can stay current on industry developments, find work or grow in their professions, network with other professionals to build relationships and skills, learn about new goods and services, and find methods to enhance their present procedures.
Step 4. Obtain certifications
Certifications can confirm the validity of prior education and reveal expectations, duties, and professional standards. Line supervisors can obtain qualifications to improve their practical understanding of their everyday tasks, assess their professional abilities, and progress in their careers.
Where to Work as a Line Supervisor
Generally, line supervisors work in manufacturing/production plants and facilities They may also work at restaurants, banks, factories, warehouses, and several other organizations and industrial settings. Line supervisors are typically full-time employees, and they may be required to work extra time to meet production deadlines. Line supervisors may also be required to work in shifts, which can include evenings, weekends, and even during holidays. They typically work in an office setting, although they may have to spend most of their time in the production space, where they can monitor production activities while also supervising workers and assisting them as required.
Line Supervisor Salary Scale
Line supervisors make an average of $55,107 per year in the US. The salary scale is usually from $36,000 to $83,000 per year.
The average line supervisor salary in the UK is £25,867 per year. The salary scale is usually from £23,400 to £32,500 per year.
The average line supervisor salary in Canada is $39,000 per year. The salary scale usually ranges from $35,075 to $60,000 per year.
A line supervisor in Nigeria can earn around 3,470,000 NGN NGN per year. The salary scale can range from 1,596,000 NGN to 5,520,000 NGN per year.