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Manufacturing & ProductionISCO 1321

Industrial production manager

An industrial production manager is a person who runs the daily operation of a factory: the schedule, the materials and the people needed to turn incoming raw material into finished product.

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Rate 5 of the 19 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

manage supplies

adjust production schedule

assess impact of industrial activities

manage budgets

oversee production requirements

About industrial production manager

The industrial production manager job description centres on the production schedule. The manager builds it by matching what customers have ordered against what the plant can actually deliver — the machines available, the stock on hand, the labour on shift — and adapts it when an order changes or a line stops. Materials are followed along the whole route through the plant: supplies ordered and managed, inventory and warehouse levels checked, distribution and support work coordinated. The manager also holds the financial side, managing budgets and setting what the operation costs against what it produces, and monitors compliance with the requirements of the production process itself.

Deadlines govern the role. The manager answers for customer delivery dates while the plant's own constraints shift underneath them from week to week.

The post calls for industrial engineering knowledge, the numeracy to read a budget and a production report together, and the organisational grip to hold a schedule that changes constantly. Formal requirements are set by the employer.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (19)

cleaning industry health and safety measurescleaning industry health and safety measuresPreventive and interventional methods used in the cleaning industry to maintain health and safety for all workers and tertiary persons.operations managementoperations managementThe backend business functions that are implemented with the aim of achieving the high efficiency and profitability within an organisation.manufacturing processesmanufacturing processesThe steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.industrial engineeringindustrial engineeringThe field of engineering concerned with the development, improvement, and implementation of complex processes and systems of knowledge, people, equipment, etc.manage suppliesmanage suppliesMonitor and control the flow of supplies that includes the purchase, storage and movement of the required quality of raw materials, and also work-in-progress inventory. Manage supply chain activities ...adjust production scheduleadjust production scheduleAdjust work schedule in order to maintain permanent shift operation.assess impact of industrial activitiesassess impact of industrial activitiesAnalyse data to estimate the impact of industrial activities on resource availability and groundwater quality.manage budgetsmanage budgetsPlan, monitor, report on the budget and prepare set production budgets.oversee production requirementsoversee production requirementsOversee production processes and prepare all the resources needed to maintain an efficient and continuous flow of production.control financial resourcescontrol financial resourcesMonitor and control budgets and financial resources providing capable stewardship in company management.manage staffmanage staffManage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the wor...create manufacturing guidelinescreate manufacturing guidelinesDraft procedures and guidelines to ensure that government and industry regulations are met by manufacturers in both international and domestic markets.define quality standardsdefine quality standardsDefine, in collaboration with managers and quality experts, a set of quality standards to ensure compliance with regulations and help achieve customers' requirements.oversee assembly operationsoversee assembly operationsGive technical instructions to assembly workers and control their progress to ensure compliance with quality standards and to check that the goals set in the production plan are met.manage resourcesmanage resourcesManage personnel, machinery and equipment in order to optimise production results, in accordance with the policies and plans of the company.meet deadlinesmeet deadlinesEnsure operative processes are finished at a previously agreed-upon time.adhere to organisational guidelinesadhere to organisational guidelinesAdhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.liaise with industrial professionalsliaise with industrial professionalsEstablish relationships with engineers and other industrial professionals.check material resourcescheck material resourcesVerify that all requested resources are delivered and in good working order. Notify the appropriate person or people of any problems related to technical and material resources.
Optional (15) — show
industrial softwareindustrial softwareThe selection of software that aids in estimating, managing and scheduling industrial processes such as design, work flow and production improvement.schedule productionschedule productionSchedule the production aiming maximum profitability while still maintaining the company KPIs in cost, quality, service and innovation.define manufacturing quality criteriadefine manufacturing quality criteriaDefine and describe the criteria by which data quality is measured for manufacturing purposes, such as international standards and manufacturing regulations.check quality of products on the production linecheck quality of products on the production lineCheck products for quality on the production line and remove defective items before and after packaging.analyse business plansanalyse business plansAnalyse the formal statements from businesses which outline their business goals and the strategies they set in place to meet them, in order to assess the feasibility of the plan and verify the busine...adapt production levelsadapt production levelsAdapt current production levels and strive to improve the current production rates looking for economic gains and margins. Negotiate improvement with sales, dispatch and distribution departments.identify process improvementsidentify process improvementsIdentify possible improvements to operational and financial performance, in order to increase productivity, efficiency, quality, and streamline procedures.analyse supply chain strategiesanalyse supply chain strategiesExamine an organisation's planning details of production, their expected output units, quality, quantity, cost, time available and labour requirements. Provide suggestions in order to improve products...assess supplier risksassess supplier risksEvaluate supplier performance in order to assess if suppliers follow the agreed contracts, meet the standard requirements and provide the desired quality.check quality of raw materialscheck quality of raw materialsCheck the quality of basic materials used for the production of semi-finished and finished goods by assessing some of its characteristics and, if needed, select samples to be analysed.plan health and safety proceduresplan health and safety proceduresSet up procedures for maintaining and improving health and safety in the establishment or workplace.inspect materialinspect materialSelect material for inspection and check the conformity of that material according to set specifications and regulations.analyse goal progressanalyse goal progressAnalyse the steps which have been taken in order to reach the organisation's goals in order to assess the progress which has been made, the feasibility of the goals, and to ensure the goals can be met...develop business plansdevelop business plansPlan, write and collaborate in the implement business plans. Include and foresee in the business plan the market strategy, the competitive analysis of the company, the design and the development of th...analyse production processes for improvementanalyse production processes for improvementAnalyse production processes leading toward improvement. Analyse in order to reduce production losses and overall manufacturing costs.

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

industrial assembly supervisor10 shared essential skillschemical plant manager8 shared essential skillschemical production manager8 shared essential skillsenergy manager7 shared essential skillsmanufacturing manager7 shared essential skillsmetal production manager7 shared essential skillspower plant manager7 shared essential skillsprint studio supervisor7 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does an industrial production manager do?

Industrial production managers oversee the operations and the resources needed in industrial plants and manufacturing sites for a smooth running of the operations. They prepare the production schedule by combining the requirements of clients with the resources of the production plant. They organise the journey of incoming raw materials or semi finished products in the plant until a final product is delivered by coordinating inventories, warehouses, distribution, and support activities.

What skills does an industrial production manager need?

An industrial production manager needs 19 essential skills, including cleaning industry health and safety measures, operations management, manufacturing processes, industrial engineering, manage supplies.

Will AI replace industrial production manager jobs?

The AI disruption score for industrial production manager is 41/100 (moderate risk). Skills most exposed to automation: check material resources, check quality of products on the production line, manage budgets. Most resilient: liaise with industrial professionals, industrial engineering, manage resources.

Quick Facts

SectorManufacturing & Production
ISCO GroupProduction and specialised services managers
Essential Skills19

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