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:
Manage biofuels production and plant operations. Collect and process information on plant production and performance, diagnose problems, and design corrective procedures.
On the job, you would:
Supervise production employees in the manufacturing of biofuels, such as biodiesel or ethanol.
Manage operations at biofuels power generation facilities, including production, shipping, maintenance, or quality assurance activities.
Provide direction to employees to ensure compliance with biofuels plant safety, environmental, or operational standards and regulations.
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
manufacture and distribution of products
Business
management
human resources (HR)
Engineering and Technology
mechanical
product and service development
Math and Science
chemistry
Basic Skills
reading work related information
thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Resource Management
selecting and managing the best workers for a job
managing your time and the time of other people
Verbal
listen and understand what people say
communicate by speaking
Attention
pay attention to something without being distracted
do two or more things at the same time
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
use rules to solve problems
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:
Dependability
Attention to Detail
Leadership
Initiative
Integrity
Analytical Thinking
You might use software like this on the job:
Industrial control software
Distributed control system DCS
Human machine interface HMI software
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software
Microsoft Outlook
bachelor's degree or some college usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
$103,380
$63,470
$172,150
You might like a career in one of these industries:
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