What You'll Do

  • Direct or coordinate production, processing, distribution, or marketing activities of industrial organizations.
  • Develop budgets or approve expenditures for supplies, materials, or human resources, ensuring that materials, labor, or equipment are used efficiently to meet production targets.
  • 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.
  • Review operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems.
  • Hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances.
  • Initiate or coordinate inventory or cost control programs.
  • Prepare and maintain production reports or personnel records.
  • Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality.
  • Develop or implement production tracking or quality control systems, analyzing production, quality control, maintenance, or other operational reports to detect production problems.
  • Review plans and confer with research or support staff to develop new products or processes.

Essential Skills

Speaking 4.0/5
Critical Thinking 4.0/5
Monitoring 4.0/5
Coordination 4.0/5
Judgment and Decision Making 4.0/5
Reading Comprehension 3.88/5
Active Listening 3.88/5
Time Management 3.88/5
Management of Personnel Resources 3.88/5
Learning Strategies 3.75/5
Systems Analysis 3.75/5
Active Learning 3.62/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Leadership, Integrity, Dependability, Adaptability/Flexibility

Want a personal read on fit. Take the free assessment and see your exact compatibility with this career and many related roles.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Written Comprehension 4.0/5
Oral Expression 4.0/5
Problem Sensitivity 4.0/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.0/5
Information Ordering 4.0/5
Inductive Reasoning 3.88/5
Speech Clarity 3.75/5

Technologies & Tools

ABB Optimize IT Predict & Control Adobe Acrobat Adobe After Effects Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop Apple Final Cut Pro Autodesk AutoCAD AVEVA InTouch HMI Citect IIM CitectSCADA Reports Clockware Computer aided design CAD software Computer integrated manufacturing CIM software Computer integrated manufacturing CIM time manager software Computer integrated manufacturing CIM warehouse shipping manager software Computerized maintenance management system CMMS Database software Distributed control system DCS Eko Email software

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.72/5)
  • Leadership (High importance: 4.49/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.48/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.43/5)
  • Adaptability/Flexibility (High importance: 4.34/5)

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How to Become One

Most employers require a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Some positions may also require experience through internships, co-ops, or entry-level work to strengthen your candidacy.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Area Plant Manager Assembly Manager Bulk Plant Manager Car Construction Superintendent Concrete Mixing Plant Superintendent Correctional Facility Industries Superintendent Factory Manager Factory Superintendent Food Processing Plant Manager Food Production Manager Gas Operations Manager Gas Operations Superintendent General Milling Superintendent General Production Manager Industrial Production Manager Manufacturing Coordinator Manufacturing Department Manager Manufacturing Director Manufacturing Manager Manufacturing Operations Manager Manufacturing Planner Manufacturing Production Manager Manufacturing Project Manager Materials Coordinator Materials Planner Plant Chief Plant General Manager (Plant GM) Plant Manager Plant Superintendent Product Line Manager Production Control Manager Production Control Supervisor Production Foreman Production Manager Production Managing Supervisor Production Shift Manager Production Superintendent Quality Assurance Manager (QA Manager) Quality Assurance Supervisor (QA Supervisor) Quality Control Manager (QC Manager) Quality Manager Quality Supervisor Sawmill Manager Sub Plant Manager Value Stream Manager Vinous Liquor Wine Maker