Whether their product is a golf club, a car, or a frozen dinner, industrial production managers ensure that production operations meet quality and safety standards, comply with regulations, and stay on schedule. Industrial production managers also plan how to make the best use of equipment and workers to meet their goals, all while keeping costs within budget. They may oversee quality control programs to find any defects in the product and correct the problem causing it. When issues are identified, these managers need to communicate with all of the affected departments, vendors, and contractors. Industrial production managers work in all types of manufacturing plants both in the office and in production areas where they may wear protective gear. Those who specialize in quality control systems generally work in laboratories and factories, but may also find roles in healthcare. Most industrial production managers work full time, and overtime is common. Night or weekend shifts are not unusual, and managers may sometimes need to be on call to deal with emergencies. Industrial production managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and several years of related work experience. Many managers start as production workers, and move up to this position by gaining experience and furthering their education. At large plants, employers may prefer candidates with a graduate degree in business or industrial management.
What they do:
Plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications.
On the job, you would:
Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality.
Direct or coordinate production, processing, distribution, or marketing activities of industrial organizations.
Review processing schedules or production orders to make decisions concerning inventory requirements, staffing requirements, work procedures, or duty assignments, considering budgetary limitations and time constraints.
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
manufacture and distribution of products
Business
management
customer service
Education and Training
teaching and course design
Math and Science
arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Basic Skills
keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
talking to others
People and Technology Systems
thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Verbal
communicate by speaking
listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
order or arrange things
Math
add, subtract, multiply, or divide
choose the right type of math to solve a problem
Visual Understanding
quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things
People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.
They do well at jobs that need:
Attention to Detail
Integrity
Leadership
Dependability
Adaptability/Flexibility
Initiative
You might use software like this on the job:
Industrial control software
Distributed control system DCS
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
Video creation and editing software
Adobe Systems Adobe AfterEffects
YouTube
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
NetSuite ERP
Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
high school diploma/GED or bachelor's degree usually needed
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