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General Description

This is an ideal career for analytical thinkers. It’s a Production Manager’s job to plan, direct, coordinate and control an industrial process. You determine the necessary labour resources; monitor the production schedule and cost; ensure production achieves efficiency, quality, and quantity; and manage the receipt of materials and the shipping of final goods. Depending on the size of the manufacturing company, you may supervise jobbing production, mass production, process production or batch production.

You undertake planning during the pre-production stage, as well as controlling and supervising during production. You work closely with other departments to implement the company’s policies and goals, such as the financial department to develop a budget and spending plan, or the heads of sales, procurement, and logistics.

What you do every day

During a standard working day, your tasks will be broad and varied, depending on the size of the company you work for, and the current stage of the production process. Possible tasks include:

• motivating and instructing production staff;
• planning and implementing the production process;
• analysing the company’s employees, resources, and capital to determine the most effective method of meeting production goals;
• investigating possible ways to reduce costs;
• guaranteeing quality standards are being met;
• monitoring the schedule and ensuring production progresses according to deadlines;
• correcting any problems that occur;
• liaising with other departments within the company;
• planning ahead for future production including ordering necessary raw materials and upgrading equipment.

If you work in a smaller company, then you will spend much of your time on the production floor, overseeing the process and supervising staff. However, in a larger company, you will spend more of your daily work hours in your office, writing plans and production reports, and communicating with marketing, finance and logistics personnel.

Personality that best fits this career

Production Managers need to excel at business, technology, and have a flair for project and people management. You will need a well-developed sense of managerial responsibility, with an aptitude for problem solving, an analtyical mind, and time management. It’s important for you to understand how production fits in with the rest of the business.

The best Production Managers also have good communication skills, not only when dealing with other departments and suppliers, but also motivating and encouraging staff.

You will also need to be able to remain calm under pressure, and have good organisational skills, observation skills, judgment, confidence, an eye for detail, and the ability to work with others.

Best thing about this career

Production Managers improve the efficiency and success of a production line. You are responsible for the quality and quantity of products, not to mention the execution of the most cost and time effective production methods. You are in a position of responsibility, and fulfil an important managerial role. When you meet a deadline, and a product is sent off to your clients, you can breathe a large sigh of relief and have pride in the successful production.

Worst thing about this career

You work under busy, loud and often stressful conditions. The production process can be demanding and hectic, with many hiccoughs and glitches in need of immediate attention. If product quality is not up to scratch, you have to fix it and start again. If a machine fails to work and is in need of repair, you have to call a technician before production can continue. Meeting the deadline is your responsibility, so when overtime is needed from the workers, you cop the blame and resentment for not managing the schedule better in the first place.