What skills does a manufacturing manager need?

A manufacturing manager needs 20 essential skills including production processes, sustainable manufacturing, manufacturing processes, lean manufacturing, manage supplies. Core competencies include .

Will AI replace manufacturing manager jobs?

The AI disruption score for manufacturing manager is 37/100 (moderate risk). Some tasks may be automated but the role will evolve rather than disappear entirely.

Manufacturing & ProductionProduction and specialised services managersISCO 1321

manufacturing manager

Manufacturing managers plan, oversee and direct the manufacturing process in an organisation. They ensure products and services are efficiently produced within the timeframe and budget given.

European Skills Framework

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

Essential (20)

production processesproduction processesMaterials and techniques required in the production and distribution processes.sustainable manufacturingsustainable manufacturingThe generation of manufactured products using efficient and sustainable production process that enhances the conservation of natural and energy resources while minimizing negative environmental impact...manufacturing processesmanufacturing processesThe steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.lean manufacturinglean manufacturingLean manufacturing is a methodology that focuses on minimizing waste within manufacturing systems while simultaneously maximizing productivity.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 ...coordinate manufacturing production activitiescoordinate manufacturing production activitiesCoordinate manufacturing activities based on production strategies, policies and plans. Study details of the planning such as expected quality of the products, quantities, cost, and labour required to...manage budgetsmanage budgetsPlan, monitor, report on the budget and prepare set production budgets.strive for company growthstrive for company growthDevelop strategies and plans aiming at achieving a sustained company growth, be the company self-owned or somebody else's. Strive with actions to increase revenues and positive cash flows.schedule productionschedule productionSchedule the production aiming maximum profitability while still maintaining the company KPIs in cost, quality, service and innovation.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.manage production enterprisemanage production enterpriseOrganise and instruct staff, plan production strategies and programmes including sales. Carry out input purchase orders, materials, equipment and manage stocks etc. Awareness of demands of the busines...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.optimise productionoptimise productionAnalyse and identify the strengths and weaknesses of solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems; formulate and plan alternatives.plan manufacturing processesplan manufacturing processesDetermine and schedule production and assembly steps. Plan manpower and equipment needs taking ergonomic considerations into account.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.manage production systemsmanage production systemsOrganize, manage, and maintain all aspects of production, including product design, production planning, and production control systems (for example by the use of the computer program WFM).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.follow company standardsfollow company standardsLead and manage according to the organisation's code of conduct.

Optional (61)

business management principlesbusiness management principlesPrinciples governing business management methods such as strategy planning, methods of efficient production, people and resources coordination.good manufacturing practicesgood manufacturing practicesRegulatory requirements and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) applied in the relevant manufacturing sector.engineering principlesengineering principlesThe engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.innovation processesinnovation processesThe techniques, models, methods and strategies which contribute to the promotion of steps towards innovation.production engineeringproduction engineeringThe subfield of industrial engineering that corresponds to the practice of generating efficient products by transforming raw material into finite products.risk managementrisk managementThe process of identifying, assessing, and prioritising of all types of risks and where they could come from, such as natural causes, legal changes, or uncertainty in any given context, and the method...quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.environmental management standardsenvironmental management standardsThe requirements for an organisation to implement the environmental management system in order to enhance its environmental performance such as ISO 14001.investment analysisinvestment analysisThe methods and tools for analysis of an investment compared to its potential return. Identification and calculation of profitability ratio and financial indicators in relation to associated risks to ...leadership principlesleadership principlesSet of traits and values which guide the actions of a leader with her/his employees and the company and provide direction throughout her/his career. These principles are also an important tool for sel...industrial research and developmentindustrial research and developmentThe set of activities that companies carry out to do industrial innovation and introduce new engineering products and services or new industrial production processes.supply chain managementsupply chain managementThe flow of goods in the supply chain, movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption.keep up with digital transformation of industrial processeskeep up with digital transformation of industrial processesKeep up to date with digital innovations applicable to industrial processes. Integrate these transformations in the company's processes aiming for competitive and profitable business models.ensure compliance with environmental legislationensure compliance with environmental legislationMonitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation....communicate with customerscommunicate with customersRespond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.optimise production processes parametersoptimise production processes parametersOptimise and maintain the parameters of the production process such as flow, temperature or pressure.adjust production scheduleadjust production scheduleAdjust work schedule in order to maintain permanent shift operation.manage stocked company materialmanage stocked company materialMaintain company material and stocked product inventory by keeping track of stock profiles and locations.cope with manufacturing deadlines pressurecope with manufacturing deadlines pressureCope with a tight schedule on the manufacturing processes level and take the necessary actions when deadlines approach or when some processes fail.inspect quality of productsinspect quality of productsUse various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.maintain relationship with customersmaintain relationship with customersBuild a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and servic...ensure compliance with safety legislationensure compliance with safety legislationImplement safety programmes to comply with national laws and legislation. Ensure that equipment and processes are compliant with safety regulations.oversee production requirementsoversee production requirementsOversee production processes and prepare all the resources needed to maintain an efficient and continuous flow of production.perform data analysisperform data analysisCollect data and statistics to test and evaluate in order to generate assertions and pattern predictions, with the aim of discovering useful information in a decision-making process.monitor manufacturing quality standardsmonitor manufacturing quality standardsMonitor quality standards in manufacturing and finishing process.oversee logistics of finished productsoversee logistics of finished productsEnsure that the processes of packing, storage and shipment of finished products meet the requirements.recruit employeesrecruit employeesHire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.oversee quality controloversee quality controlMonitor and assure the quality of the provided goods or services by overseeing that all the factors of the production meet quality requirements. Supervise product inspection and testing.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...negotiate terms with suppliersnegotiate terms with suppliersIdentify and work with suppliers to ensure quality of supply and best price has been negotiated.recruit personnelrecruit personnelCarry out assessment and recruitment of personnel for the production.advise on sustainable management policiesadvise on sustainable management policiesContribute to planning and policy development for sustainable management, including input in environmental impact assessments.ensure finished product meet requirementsensure finished product meet requirementsEnsure that finished products meet or exceed company specifications.ensure equipment availabilityensure equipment availabilityEnsure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.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.develop staffdevelop staffLead employees to meet the organisations expectations for productivity, quality and goal accomplishment. Provide effective performance feedback through employee recognition and reward in conjunction w...improve business processesimprove business processesOptimise the series of operations of an organisation to achieve efficiency. Analyse and adapt existing business operations in order to set new objectives and meet new goals.manage workflow processesmanage workflow processesDevelop, document and implement traffic and workflow processes across the company for different functions. Liaise with several departments and services such as account management and the creative dire...disaggregate the production plandisaggregate the production planSplits production plan in daily, weekly, and monthly plans with clear objectives and targets required.plan shifts of employeesplan shifts of employeesPlans shifts of employees to ensure completion of all customer orders and satisfactory completion of the production plan.negotiate with stakeholdersnegotiate with stakeholdersNegotiate compromises with stakeholders and strive to reach the most beneficial agreements for the company. May involve building relationships with suppliers and customers, as well as ensuring product...evaluate employees workevaluate employees workEvaluate the need for labour for the work ahead. Evaluate the performance of the team of workers and inform superiors. Encourage and support the employees in learning, teach them techniques and check ...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...manage factory operationsmanage factory operationsSupervise factory operations, planning, formulating, organising, controlling. and directing factory production activities.liaise with quality assuranceliaise with quality assuranceWork closely with the relevant quality assurance or grading party involved.schedule regular machine maintenanceschedule regular machine maintenanceSchedule and perform regular maintenance, cleaning, and repairs of all equipment. Order necessary machine parts and upgrade equipment when necessary to ensure optimal performance.monitor plant productionmonitor plant productionMonitor plant processes and efficiency set-up to ensure the maximum output of production levels.ensure equipment maintenanceensure equipment maintenanceEnsure that the equipment required for operations is regularly checked for faults, that routine maintenance tasks are performed, and that repairs are scheduled and performed in the case of damage or f...perform project managementperform project managementManage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project's progress in order to achieve a specific g...perform product planningperform product planningIdentify and articulate market requirements that define a product’s feature set. Product planning serves as the basis for decisions about price, distribution and promotion.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.report on production resultsreport on production resultsMention a specified set of parameters, such as amount produced and timing, and any issues or unexpected occurrences.manage manufacturing documentationmanage manufacturing documentationManage the reports and technical documentation such as Standard Operating Procedures or logbooks, by writing and reviewing them, capturing and eliminating any deviation and ambiguity.train employeestrain employeesLead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the perform...communicate production plancommunicate production planCommunicates production plan to all levels in a way that targets, processes, and requirements are clear. Ensures that information is passed to everyone involved in the process assuming their responsib...align efforts towards business developmentalign efforts towards business developmentSynchronise the efforts, plans, strategies, and actions carried out in departments of companies towards the growth of business and its turnover. Keep business development as the ultimate outcome of an...liaise with managersliaise with managersLiaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.use IT toolsuse IT toolsApplication of computers, computer networks and other information technologies and equipment to storing, retrieving, transmitting and manipulating data, in the context of a business or enterprise.implement strategic planningimplement strategic planningTake action on the goals and procedures defined at a strategic level in order to mobilise resources and pursue the established strategies.control productioncontrol productionPlan, coordinate, and direct all production activities to insure the goods are made on time, in correct order, of adequate quality and composition, starting from intake goods up to shipping.