Production Manager Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a production manager. Feel free to use our production manager job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a production manager.
Who is a Production Manager?
A production manager is a consultant who supervises the production procedure and plans every action to guarantee there are enough resources available. A production manager prepares production schedules and makes sure that manufacturing machinery and equipment is maintained and repaired. Their leadership and skill set are crucial for the timely, cost-effective, and secure manufacture of high-quality goods and products. You can better grasp the qualifications, abilities, and work experience needed to succeed in this career by learning more about it.
A production manager is in charge of making sure that manufacturing product production begins and ends on schedule and within budget. Different production plans and activities are planned, scheduled, coordinated, and organized by them. All items must adhere to the necessary quality standards, according to the production manager. These managers improve an organization’s manufacturing and production using various methods and techniques. The production manager’s first task is production planning. Production planning involves deciding in advance what will be produced, how it will be produced, and by when it should be produced. It also involves choosing the production goals that will be met while keeping in mind the sales projections.
Production control is concerned with the successful implementation of production planning. It aims at completing production well in time and also with lower costs. Production planning cannot be properly achieved without an efficient system of production control. A proper system of production control guarantees continuous production, a reduction in work-in-progress, and a waste reduction. The maintenance of the necessary product quality is a priority for the production manager. The goal of quality control is to minimize the adverse factors that compromise a product’s overall quality. Utilizing all available tools and techniques to uphold quality standards is what it is concerned with. Making a product can be done in a variety of different ways.
Compared to other techniques, some are more cost-effective. A thorough analysis of each method should be done by the production manager, who should then choose the best option. Analysis methods are a general term for the process of choosing the best choice. Controlling the inventory effectively is the next crucial duty a production manager must carry out. To avoid overstocking and understocking issues, he should calculate the economic order size, maximum, minimum, average, and hazard levels of materials. Additionally, this reduces material waste.
Plant layout is largely concerned with the right internal organization of a business. It has to do with the efficient and orderly utilization of the factory’s resources, including the workers, cash, equipment, supplies, and production techniques. In other words, it is focused on maximizing and effectively utilizing resources while maintaining low operational costs. The goal of work measurement methods is to gauge an employee’s level of performance. Techniques for time and motion studies can be applied to the measuring of work. A worker’s performance must be enhanced by positive or negative incentives if they perform below the standard set by work measurement tools.
A career as a production manager has numerous potential benefits. It gives you the chance to work on a range of tasks and projects, pick up new abilities, and progress your career. You must have a thorough understanding of every stage of the filmmaking process, from pre-production to post-production, to be a successful product manager. Additionally, you’ll need to maintain organization while working under pressure and be able to manage many projects at once. Being able to multitask and manage multiple operations at once is a need for success as a production manager. Excellent time management and interpersonal skills are essential for a production manager.
Production Manager Job Description
Below are the production manager job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a production manager job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
- Manage and oversee the production team as they carry out tasks.
- Develop the project schedule in conjunction with the clients.
- Plan, schedule, and carry out production tasks with the team.
- Assign team members their daily workloads.
- Create a production schedule and rules that meet business objectives.
- Establish regular maintenance and inspection schedules for your equipment.
- Propose process enhancements to increase production quality and capacity.
- Plan on-the-job training for team members to meet production targets.
- investigate production problems, then create fixes.
- Establish what resources—equipment, materials, and labour—are needed to complete the project.
- Create a project budget and keep spending within it.
- Encourage cost-cutting measures while upholding high standards for quality.
- Assist with the hiring, performance review, promotion, retention, and termination of employees.
- Keep an eye on a production activity and change timetables for on-time deliveries.
- Make sure the finished product satisfies the customer’s requirements and quality standards.
- Make sure the staff adheres to the safety regulations and corporate policies.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science or Master of Arts in business administration, management, engineering, industrial technology, or a related discipline.
- A track record of success as a production director.
- Profound understanding of manufacturing management.
- Knowledge of health and safety legislation and quality requirements.
- Understanding of budgeting and performance evaluation principles.
- Understanding of methods for process improvement.
- Understanding of management, finance, and business principles.
- Understanding of the ethics and procedures of human resources.
- Understanding of tools and machines.
- Understanding of the ideas and procedures used in engineering and technology.
- Knowledge of reporting on important production metrics.
- MS Office and ERP software expert.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Excellent leadership and organizational abilities.
- Ability to always pay attention to details.
- Strong decision-making abilities and a focus on outcomes.
Essential Skills
- Communication skills: Information must be communicated through speech, writing, or other means. In your capacity as a production manager, you could have to interact with a wide range of parties, including staff, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. You may transmit your demands and thoughts, respond to inquiries, and solve problems more effectively by using communication. To effectively explain corporate objectives and aims to their team, a production manager needs strong communication abilities. To express their thoughts to the management or the employees on their production line, they could use written or spoken communication abilities. They might also provide production reports using their abilities in written communication.
- Problem-solving skills: Production managers can recognize future challenges and create solutions to address them thanks to their problem-solving abilities. When the original plan isn’t viable, you might utilize your problem-solving abilities to locate alternative resources, suppliers, or production techniques. Workplace disputes, employee grievances, and production delays can all be resolved using problem-solving techniques. Companies frequently look to production managers to solve problems when equipment malfunctions or when challenges arise throughout the production process. To identify a solution, these specialists need to have outstanding problem-solving skills. The production schedule can be kept on track by finding solutions to production-related issues.
- Leadership skills: Motivating team members to increase production efficiency is one of the responsibilities unique to the position of a production manager. This calls for outstanding leadership abilities. A manager can gain the team members’ trust by demonstrating strong leadership abilities. This is important for completing projects on schedule and under budget, as well as for streamlining the entire production process.
- Technical skills: Production managers frequently analyze and enhance the overall functionality of the manufacturing process using technical expertise. To succeed as a production manager, you must be able to operate a variety of manufacturing tools. Additionally, for this position, it’s advantageous to be able to master new technologies and technological tools.
- Teamwork: In a manufacturing setting, finishing a task frequently necessitates coordination and collaboration between product managers and team members. A desirable talent for this position is the capacity to work well in a team. A smart production manager prioritizes their job as well as making sure that their team does the same and works effectively.
- Budgeting skills: The practice of preparing and predicting a project’s expenditures is called budgeting. The budget for a project may be under your control as the production manager. You may save money and keep the project on schedule by making wise financial decisions with the aid of good budgeting abilities.
- Organizational skills: Production managers frequently have to meet deadlines. They need to be well organized if they are to achieve the deadlines and objectives. They must be great multitaskers because they control numerous manufacturing processes. A production manager’s ability to be organized also aids in completing tasks without overlooking minute details.
- Analytical skills: To find opportunities for improvement, production managers frequently evaluate production statistics and reports. This enhances the productivity and quality of the production process. When manufacturing processes are intricate, these experts examine each step to identify problems and identify potential improvements.
- Manufacturing standards proficiency: Knowledge of manufacturing norms is as essential as other skills. Regardless of the business, they work in, a production manager needs to be knowledgeable about various manufacturing standards to manufacture products that meet specifications. To maintain the necessary production standards, a production manager also develops and employs performance measurements. This calls for a solid understanding of the manufacturing standards relevant to the particular industry in which they work.
- Proficiency in health and safety protocols: For the employment role of a production manager, it’s crucial to be knowledgeable about the rules and practices necessary to manage a safe and compliant manufacturing plant. Employers frequently favour applicants with health and safety certifications to safeguard the well-being of all workers in the workplace. Such credentials might be obtained while you are still a student or after getting some work experience.
How to Become a Production Manager
Step 1. Acquire education.
For entry-level production management positions, a high school diploma or GED is frequently required. After that, get a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and in distribution, technology, and math courses to help you in your career in production management. A master’s degree in business administration or manufacturing may also be beneficial. Some employers might favour candidates with a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a similar subject. Economics, marketing, business management, accounting, finance, and statistics are among the relevant courses.
Step 2. Acquire relevant work experience
Acquiring knowledge and experience in a specific area of production management is another approach to moving up in this industry. The initial few months of a production manager’s career are usually spent learning on the job. They get knowledge of the company’s specialized practices and procedures thanks to this training. The specialized processes and procedures of the new organization may require further training for production managers who move to another company. If you know what area you want to work in, it can be beneficial to start there by taking an internship or an entry-level position. Before applying for more advanced positions, use this work to build crucial abilities and get on-the-job experience.
Step 3. Acquire technical certifications.
Technical and production-based credentials can also help you land your first entry-level production job or a position as a production manager. Professional certification from a group like the International Association of Production Management or the Production Management Association is required to advance in this sector. Certified production managers frequently have an edge when seeking positions. Production management certifications are a terrific method to enhance your credentials while also expanding your experience and industry knowledge.
Step 4. Build your resume.
Because it shows your most pertinent production management experiences and skills, your resume is a crucial component of the hiring process. Include all relevant part-time jobs and academic experiences that are related to the available employment. List each position and experience together with the relevant dates. You may also mention any pertinent certificates you have obtained.
Step 5: Make a job application for a production manager.
You can apply for production management opportunities once you’ve finished your studies and started building your experience. Use your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant talents.
Where to Work as a Production Manager
Automobile, aerospace and defence, heavy engineering, chemical engineering, food processing, pharmaceutical, printing, textile, and electronic and electrical consumer goods corporations are some manufacturing firms that employ a production manager. An important portion of a production manager’s job is spent in a factory or other manufacturing-related setting. They could work in an office environment, managing tasks. Additionally, they might meet with managers and other business stakeholders throughout the workday to interpret results and offer suggestions for enhancing a business process’ overall efficiency. Although they spend most of their time in their offices, production managers occasionally need to travel to other factories to meet with stakeholders or for business. Although they frequently work full-time, production managers occasionally put in extra hours or work on the weekends depending on the production schedule. Over the ensuing ten years, average growth in the number of production managers is anticipated.
Production Manager Salary Scale
The salary of production managers varies according to their level of education, years of experience, firm size, and industry. Bonuses are another possible kind of compensation for them. As of June 2022, the average income for a production manager in the United States is $109,956, but the range frequently falls between $94,355 and $124,352. In Nigeria, the average monthly salary for a production manager is roughly 548,000 NGN. From lowest to highest, the salary ranges from 274,000 NGN to 849,000 NGN. These numbers represent the projected monthly average pay, which includes housing, transportation, and other amenities.