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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Industrial Production Manager

💰 $ - $

ManufacturingOperationsProduction Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Industrial Production Manager leads day-to-day manufacturing operations for a plant or production line, translating business objectives into executable production plans. This role owns production scheduling, resource allocation, quality standards, safety compliance, cost control and continuous improvement initiatives. The manager partners closely with Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality and HR to meet volume, cost and delivery targets while developing frontline supervisors and operators. Strong operational discipline, data-driven decision making and applied Lean / Six Sigma expertise are essential.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Production Supervisor or Shift Manager
  • Process Engineer or Manufacturing Engineer
  • Supply Chain Planner or Quality Engineer

Advancement To:

  • Plant Manager / Operations Manager
  • Director of Manufacturing
  • VP of Operations / Head of Global Manufacturing

Lateral Moves:

  • Continuous Improvement Manager / Lean Manager
  • Quality Manager / Quality Director
  • Supply Chain/Logistics Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and execute detailed production plans and schedules to meet customer demand, minimize lead times and optimize factory throughput while balancing workforce, equipment and material constraints.
  • Own daily operations of assigned production lines or facilities, managing shift handovers, monitoring WIP, ensuring on-time delivery and coordinating cross-shift priorities to meet weekly and monthly targets.
  • Lead capacity planning, line balancing and resource allocation analyses to identify bottlenecks and create short- and long-term plans for equipment, staffing and overtime that align with demand forecasts.
  • Implement and maintain manufacturing operating systems (MES / MRP / ERP) to ensure accurate production orders, track production status, capture yield data and enable data-driven decision making.
  • Drive continuous improvement programs (Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma) to reduce cycle times, increase yields, lower scrap and waste, and improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
  • Establish, track and report production KPIs (throughput, OEE, first-pass yield, scrap rate, on-time delivery, cost per unit) and cascade performance targets to supervisors and team leads.
  • Lead root-cause investigations for production quality or reliability issues using structured problem-solving (5 Why, Fishbone, DMAIC) and ensure effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
  • Manage production budgets, control labor and material costs, approve capital expenditures for line improvements and deliver cost reduction initiatives without compromising quality or safety.
  • Ensure product quality and regulatory compliance (ISO, FDA, GMP as applicable) by enforcing process controls, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and inspection/testing requirements.
  • Partner with Engineering and Maintenance to schedule preventive maintenance, prioritize repairs, execute changeovers and support new product introductions to minimize downtime and ramp time.
  • Recruit, hire, onboard and develop production supervisors and frontline staff; deliver structured training, performance reviews, succession planning and coaching to build a high-performing team.
  • Enforce workplace safety and environmental programs (OSHA, local regulations), lead safety audits, incident investigations and continuous safety training to maintain a zero-harm culture.
  • Coordinate material planning and inventory control with Supply Chain to ensure availability of raw materials, components and spare parts while minimizing excess inventory and obsolescence.
  • Manage line changeovers, set-up reductions and SMED initiatives to improve flexibility and reduce downtime when switching products or batches.
  • Lead new product launch planning with cross-functional teams (R&D, Quality, Supply Chain) to ensure manufacturability, process validation, pilot production and successful scale-up.
  • Design and maintain standardized work documentation (SOPs, work instructions, control plans) and ensure operators follow documented procedures consistently.
  • Implement and leverage production analytics and dashboards to monitor real-time performance, highlight trends and support predictive maintenance and capacity planning.
  • Negotiate and work with external service providers and contractors (maintenance, calibration, training) to ensure service-level compliance and cost-effective solutions.
  • Oversee environmental, health and safety reporting, compliance paperwork, permit management and emergency response readiness for manufacturing operations.
  • Lead cross-functional continuous-improvement workshops, gemba walks and daily management reviews to accelerate problem resolution and capture process improvement ideas from frontline staff.
  • Ensure compliance with labor laws, union agreements (if applicable) and company HR policies while managing workforce scheduling, overtime and disciplinary actions.
  • Prepare monthly operational reviews, executive summaries and variance analyses for senior leadership highlighting production performance, risks and mitigation plans.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory analysis to quantify production improvement opportunities and validate business cases for capital investment.
  • Contribute to the plant’s digitalization roadmap by piloting automation, IIoT sensors, MES enhancements and advanced analytics projects that improve visibility and control.
  • Collaborate with corporate teams on sustainability initiatives (energy reduction, waste diversion, product lifecycle) to achieve environmental targets.
  • Participate in cross-site benchmarking to share best practices and standardize processes across multiple facilities.
  • Serve as the plant contact for external audits, customer quality visits and certification renewals, coordinating evidence collection and corrective action responses.
  • Mentor junior managers and engineers on operational excellence methodologies, project management and change leadership.
  • Develop contingency plans for supply disruption, labor shortages or equipment failure and lead implementation during business continuity events.
  • Facilitate supplier improvements related to manufacturability, quality or lead-time reductions by providing production feedback and joint problem-solving.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Production planning & scheduling: expertise in creating master production schedules, line-level schedules and shift plans to meet demand.
  • ERP/MRP systems: hands-on experience with SAP, Oracle, Infor or similar enterprise systems for production order management and inventory control.
  • Lean manufacturing & Six Sigma: practical experience leading Kaizen events, value stream mapping, 5S and DMAIC projects with measurable results.
  • Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE): proven ability to measure, analyze and improve OEE across multiple lines.
  • Quality systems & regulatory compliance: working knowledge of ISO 9001, GMP, FDA regulations or industry-specific quality frameworks.
  • Root-cause analysis & corrective actions: proficiency with structured problem solving tools (5 Why, 8D, FMEA).
  • Process engineering fundamentals: understanding of process controls, tooling, changeover optimization and statistical process control (SPC).
  • Capacity planning & throughput modeling: ability to perform bottleneck analysis and calculate takt time, cycle time and required resources.
  • Cost control & budgeting: experience managing production budgets, labor cost models and cost per unit analyses.
  • Maintenance coordination & TPM: knowledge of preventive maintenance, spare parts management and Total Productive Maintenance practices.
  • Safety and environmental compliance: experience implementing OSHA or local safety standards, permit management and incident investigation.
  • Data & analytics: familiarity with dashboarding tools (Power BI, Tableau) and basic data analysis to drive performance improvement.

Soft Skills

  • Leadership and people development: ability to motivate, coach and develop frontline supervisors and operators.
  • Strong written and verbal communication: craft clear production reports, SOPs and present performance updates to stakeholders.
  • Problem-solving and analytical thinking: translate data into actionable improvement plans and make evidence-based decisions.
  • Cross-functional collaboration: work effectively with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain and HR to deliver outcomes.
  • Change management: lead teams through process changes, resistance and new technology adoption.
  • Time management and prioritization: juggle competing operational priorities in fast-paced manufacturing environments.
  • Attention to detail: maintain consistency in process documentation, quality checks and compliance activities.
  • Conflict resolution: manage labor relations, escalate appropriately and resolve issues with diplomacy.
  • Customer focus: translate customer requirements into production priorities and ensure on-time, compliant delivery.
  • Resilience and adaptability: perform under pressure during production peaks, unplanned downtime or supply disruptions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Operations Management or related technical discipline; or equivalent technical diploma with extensive experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Management, or Business Administration with focus on operations.
  • Certifications such as Lean, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), PMP or Production/Operations Management certifications.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Industrial Engineering
  • Manufacturing Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Operations Management
  • Supply Chain Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5–10+ years of progressive manufacturing experience, including 2–4 years in a supervisory/managerial role.

Preferred:

  • 7+ years in manufacturing operations with demonstrated success in production leadership, cost reduction, Lean / Six Sigma projects and cross-functional launch experience.
  • Prior experience in high-volume discrete or process manufacturing, regulated industries (pharma, food, aerospace) or heavy industry depending on the employer.
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