Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Cell Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Cell Manager is the hands-on leader accountable for the performance of a defined production/assembly cell or group of cells. This role blends people management, process ownership, and operational excellence: ensuring safety and quality compliance, meeting throughput and efficiency targets, coaching hourly staff, executing continuous improvement projects (Lean/Kaizen/TPM), and partnering with engineering, quality, supply chain and maintenance to remove constraints and scale production. The Cell Manager uses metrics and systems (ERP/MES/MRP) to plan capacity, control costs, reduce waste and deliver on-time, in-full (OTIF) customer commitments.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Production Supervisor / Team Lead (assembly, machining, test)
Process Technician or Continuous Improvement Engineer
Industrial/Manufacturing Engineer

Advancement To:

Manufacturing/Operations Manager
Plant/Factory Manager
Director of Operations or Continuous Improvement

Lateral Moves:

Process Engineering Lead
Quality Manager
Supply Chain/Production Planner

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead daily operations for one or more production cells, ensuring staffing, scheduling, and workflow meet weekly and monthly output, quality and delivery targets while maintaining strict adherence to safety and regulatory requirements.
Plan and balance cell capacity, labor and machine resources using demand forecasts, work orders and MRP/ERP inputs to meet customer delivery dates and minimize lead time.
Drive continuous improvement through structured Lean and Six Sigma projects (Kaizen events, 5S, SMED, standard work) to increase throughput, reduce cycle time, eliminate non‑value-add steps and lower per-unit cost.
Coach, mentor and develop a cross-functional team of technicians and operators; conduct performance reviews, implement individual development plans and hire to fill competency gaps.
Implement and sustain standardized work and visual management boards on the shop floor so that KPIs like yield, takt time, first-pass quality and downtime are visible and owned by the team.
Lead root cause analysis for production issues using methods such as 5 Whys and Fishbone diagrams; ensure robust corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) are executed, validated and documented.
Partner closely with Quality to contain and investigate non-conformances, support corrective action requests, and maintain compliance with ISO/AS9100/TS/IATF or cGMP policies as applicable to the business.
Manage tooling, fixtures and equipment lifecycle for the cell by coordinating preventive maintenance and break/fix activities, working with maintenance or third-party service providers to minimize unplanned downtime.
Own production budgets and cost control for the cell: track labor efficiency, scrap and rework, direct material variances and initiate cost-reduction actions where possible.
Establish and report daily/weekly/monthly performance metrics (OEE, yield, scrap rate, on-time delivery, cycle time) to plant leadership and use data to drive decisions and continuous improvement.
Ensure accurate transactional activity in ERP/MES systems for production routing, material consumption, labor reporting and inventory adjustments to maintain product traceability and financial controls.
Implement health & safety programs at the cell level, enforce PPE, lockout/tagout and safe work procedures and lead incident investigations to prevent recurrence.
Control change: work with engineering on ECOs (engineering change orders), process qualification, line trials and pilot production to integrate product and process changes into the live cell with minimal disruption.
Oversee training and competency matrices for operators including cross-training, skill assessments and certification for key operations or inspection tasks.
Coordinate with Supply Chain and Material Planning to resolve shortages, prioritize work orders, expedite critical materials and reduce line starvation or bottlenecks.
Drive quality-in-process control and inspection sampling plans, support in-line testing and validation activities to reduce escapes to downstream processes and customers.
Facilitate daily stand-ups, shift handovers and problem-solving sessions to quickly remove obstacles and keep production aligned with plan.
Lead launch readiness and scale-up for new product introductions within the cell: establish routings, cycle time studies, first article inspection and production control plans.
Manage subcontractor or temporary labor as required for peaks, ensuring appropriate onboarding, training and supervision to maintain standards.
Champion environmental compliance and waste reduction initiatives at the cell level, including recycling, packaging optimization and energy efficiency measures.
Coordinate cross-functional escalation and communication during production disruptions and participate in emergency response or business continuity planning as required.
Develop, review and maintain cell-level documentation including work instructions, SOPs, quality records, and training files to meet audit readiness.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Support supplier performance discussions and participate in supplier corrective action programs that impact cell performance.
Assist continuous improvement teams with pilot projects and help scale proven improvements to adjacent cells or lines.
Attend cross-functional meetings (engineering, quality, logistics, R&D) to provide operational feedback and identify risk mitigation strategies.
Support periodic internal and external audits as the cell representative, preparing evidence and driving post‑audit actions.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven expertise in Lean Manufacturing methodologies (Kaizen, 5S, SMED, Standard Work) and experience leading Kaizen events that delivered measurable productivity gains.
Strong operational knowledge of MRP/ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) and shop-floor MES systems for production scheduling and traceability.
Hands-on experience with performance metrics and analytics: OEE, takt time, yield, first-pass yield, SPC and root cause analysis tools.
Background in preventative and corrective maintenance coordination, familiarity with TPM and working with maintenance technicians to drive uptime improvements.
Knowledge of quality systems and regulatory frameworks applicable to manufacturing environments (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, AS9100, or cGMP depending on industry).
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, basic macros) and production reporting tools to analyze trends and create actionable dashboards.
Experience with change control processes, engineering change orders (ECOs), first article inspection (FAI) and production part approval process (PPAP) where relevant.
Skilled in capacity planning, staffing models, labor rate management and budget stewardship for a production cell or small department.
Familiarity with tooling, jigs, fixtures and basic mechanical/electrical troubleshooting skills to support continuous operations.
Knowledge of safety and environmental compliance requirements (OSHA, local regulations, PPE, LOTO) and demonstrated ability to enforce them.
Experience with structured problem solving and improvement methodologies (Six Sigma, DMAIC) and ability to lead cross-functional RCA sessions.
Working knowledge of inspection equipment and test instrumentation used in the cell (calipers, micrometers, gauges, vision systems, test stations).

Soft Skills

Strong people leadership and coaching skills with a track record of developing high‑performing hourly teams.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and escalation management.
Results-oriented mindset with high ownership, accountability and ability to drive outcomes under tight deadlines.
Analytical thinker with the ability to synthesize data into clear, prioritized action plans.
Skilled facilitator of problem-solving sessions, capable of building consensus across engineering, quality and operations.
Adaptable and resilient with experience managing change in fast-paced manufacturing environments.
Conflict management and negotiation skills when balancing production targets, quality requirements and resource constraints.
Attention to detail and commitment to documentation, compliance and audit readiness.
Time management and multi-tasking ability to balance tactical daily execution with strategic improvement initiatives.
Customer-focused orientation—internal and external—ensuring production decisions support delivery and quality commitments.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate degree in Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Maintenance, or related field OR equivalent combination of education and manufacturing experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Operations Management, or related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering
Operations Management
Mechanical or Electrical Engineering
Business Administration with Manufacturing concentration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–8 years in production supervision, manufacturing leadership or process engineering roles within a high-mix or high-volume manufacturing environment.

Preferred:

5+ years managing production cells or lines, with demonstrated success in Lean deployment, people leadership, and measurable productivity improvements.
Experience with ERP/MES systems, budget ownership, and cross-functional project leadership (installation, launch, or major process change).
Industry-specific experience (automotive, medical devices, electronics, aerospace, consumer goods) as required by the employer.