Production Manager Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the production manager job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the production manager role in most companies.

What Does a Production Manager Do?

Production managers who are also known as industrial production managers are the manufacturing world’s conductors, orchestrating the intricate symphony of the production process to ensure quality products are delivered on time and within budget.

According to Teal Labs, production managers plan, coordinate, and control production activities to ensure manufacturing processes run smoothly and reliably.

Aside from planning and coordinating production activities, the industrial production manager’s role also involves team management and optimization of resource allocation.

In a nutshell, the production manager job description involves key duties in planning, organizing, directing, and controlling production activities.

Other major responsibilities include scheduling production, quality, inventory levels of raw materials and finished goods, and process improvements.

Production managers might also take part in budgeting, cost control, and liaison activities with procurement, sales, and human resources departments.

They often report directly to top management, such as the operations director or chief operating officer.

They can be found in industries’ up and down value chains, such as in automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and textiles – mainly any industry with manufacturing or production of any kind.

A minimum requirement for a production manager is a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or any other related area.

Most companies look for people with a Master’s degree or higher certification, such as one provided by the Association for Supply Chain Management.

Learning and keeping updated is an ongoing process to stay current with the ever-changing field of study from new trends and technology used in the industry.

Besides the primary duties, production managers could easily engage in strategic planning, sustainability, or other special projects to improve production capabilities.

Their role is of essence in different countries with slight variations based on local industry standards and regulations.

Typical employers look for a production manager who can couple technical knowledge with leadership skills and business acumen.

A production manager armed with acumen to analyze data, make informed decisions, and communicate the same with various stakeholders will be highly valued.

In terms of regulation, production managers must adhere to a lot of national and local standards.

For example, in the USA, they have to observe the OSHA regulations enacted to ensure that a safe environment within the production facilities is guaranteed to the workers.

Production Manager Job Description Example/Sample/Template

The industrial production manager job description consists of the following tasks, duties, and responsibilities:

• Develop and implement production schedules to meet demand and deadlines
• Oversee daily production operations and resolve any issues as they may occur
• Motivate, inspire, and supervise production staff to achieve set goals
• Monitor production processes and adjust workflows for maximum efficiency
• Ensure conformance to quality standards, and implement control quality and raw material availability through coordination with procurement
• Analyze production data and report to the upper management
• Ensure safety protocols are implemented and maintained in the production area
• Coordinate equipment repairs, upgrades, and maintenance
• Take part in cost control and budget planning activities
• Collaborate with the sales and customer service department to adjust production levels in regard to changing demand
• Identify and implement process and cost improvement ideas
• Manage inventory levels and optimize storage practices
• Train new employees and conduct follow-up training of existing personnel
• Regularly review performance and make appraisal of comments for employees in one’s team
• Ensure compliance with environmental regulations as well as sustainability programs
• Participate in production process feasibility studies and in new product  development
• Manage the relationship with key suppliers and contractors
• Lead in the implementation of new technologies/production methods
• Develop contingency plans to ensure no production disruption
• Collaborate on staffing needs and workforce planning with human resources
• Stay ahead on industry trends and competitors
• Ensure adequate documentation and record-keeping of production activities
• Participate in strategic planning sessions with top management staff
• Manage Production-relevant KPIs and implement correct actions if necessary.

Production Manager Job Description for Resume

If you are making a new resume or CV as someone who has worked before in the role of a production manager or are currently working in that position, then you can apply the production manager job description sample provided above in making the Professional Experience part of your resume.

You can express the duties and responsibilities you have carried out or are presently performing as a production manager in your resume’s Professional Experience by utilizing the ones provided in the sample job description above.

This will give a strong proof to the employer/recruiter that you have been successful performing the duties of a production manager, which can boost your chances of being hired for the new job that you are applying for, especially if it requires someone with some production manager work experience.  

Production Manager Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

The following are critical skills, knowledge, and abilities that a production manager is supposed to possess to meet the requirements of the position and to achieve success on the job:

• Strong leadership and team management skills
• Sound understanding of production processes and manufacturing techniques
• Sufficient experience in production planning and scheduling software
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Good analytical skills with data interpretation capabilities
• Knowledge of quality management system and continuous improvement methodologies
• Basic principles of supply chain management
• Industry-specific regulations and safety standards
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Pressure-handling and multiple-priority managing capabilities
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles
• Ability to work effectively with MS Office suite and ERP systems
• Expertise in budgeting and financial management
• Ability to read, comprehend, and apply technical drawings and specifications
• Strong knowledge of inventory control methods and project management techniques
• Knowledge of Ergonomics and workplace safety principles, and environmental legislation and sustainability
• Negotiating and relationship management skills with suppliers and contractors
• Flexibility and willingness to accept new technology and procedures.

Production Manager Employment

Demographics and employment statistics of production managers in the United States describe some interesting facts about the structure of the workforce, the type of employers and their size and distribution amongst industries.

Number of Production Manager Jobs

Currently, 150,359 production managers are in employment in the United States, according to survey data by Zippia.

Company Type:

• Private – 51%,
• Public – 46%,
• Government – 1%,
• Education – 1%

Company Size:

• Less than 50 employees: 5%,
• 50-100 employees: 8%
• 100 – 500 employees: 13%
• 500 – 1,000 employees: 4%
• 1,000 – 10,000 employees: 25%
• > 10,000 employees: 45%.

Employment by Industry

The most common industries for production managers to be employed in are:

• Manufacturing: 20%
• Fortune 500: 20%
• Media: 9%
• Technology: 8%
• Retail: 7%.

Employment by State

According to survey data from Zippia, the top States that employ the most production managers include California and Texas, with 3,888 and 2,413 employments respectively.

These are statistics related to production managers within different industries, where they have huge presence within the manufacturing and large corporate environments.

This data shows the kind of organizations that hire production managers.

Production Manager Salary

As of June 27, 2024, the average production manager salary in the United States was $122,144, but the range typically fell between $105,211 and $140,036 according to Salary.com.

However, Zippia reports $78,064 as the average salary for production managers.

Salary by State

According to Zippia, the highest paying States for production managers in the U.S. include:

• Rhode Island, $93,747
• Washington, $90,522
• California, $88,069
• New Hampshire, $84,101
• Connecticut, $84,064

Salary by Industry

The companies that pay production managers the highest salaries in the United States include:

Production Manager: Companies that Pay Highest Salaries Salary. Data from Zippia

Production Manager Job Satisfaction

Industrial production managers have a job satisfaction of 2.8 out of 5 stars. This information is provided in the current Careerexplorer job satisfaction survey report. 

As part of the survey, certain questions were asked, including:

When asked if they were happy with their salaries, 243 respondents gave a 3.3 out of 5 stars rating, showing that most production managers are satisfied with their salaries.

On whether industrial production managers find their job meaningful, a rating of 2.6 over 5 stars was given by 244 respondents.

This shows that most production managers do not feel their work is meaningful.

However, most production managers believe that their personality quite fit their job roles.

266 respondents gave a rating of 3.8 over 5 stars to the question on whether production managers’ personalities are suitable to the everyday tasks that they perform.

When asked how enjoyable the industrial production manager’s work environment is, the 264 individuals that participated in the survey gave a rating of 3.3 over 5 stars, suggesting that most production managers enjoy the environment they work in.

Also, most industrial production managers tend to agree that their skills and abilities are well utilized in their job.

The 266 respondents that were asked if their abilities were well utilized in working as a production manager gave a rating of 3.0 out of 5 stars.

Conclusion

This guide discusses everything from duties and key skills of production managers, to salary expectations and employment statistics.

It assists potential production managers in comprehending the field and employers in developing effective job descriptions.

One of the most important roles in any manufacturing business has to be that of a production manager.