Production Manager Job Description & Roles and Responsibilities

A production manager is a person who oversees the manufacturing process of an organisation. The production manager manages procurement of resources, monitors equipment performance, and supervises that the production process runs smoothly and efficiently. He or she creates and implements efficient production plans and strategies.

A production manager's communication and leadership skills help achieve the desired outcomes. A production manager’s expertise is required while planning courses of action, cost reduction strategies, and analysing performances. Apart from these, a production manager also monitors the workers and their performance and ensures that all the safety measures are fulfilled during production.

Job Description of a Production Manager

A production manager plans, coordinates, and controls production activities to ensure the efficient and effective production of goods and services. He or she takes care of all the factors and problems that may affect the production process. The production manager analyses performances of equipment and workforce to identify areas of improvement.

A production manager is responsible for adopting new production techniques that increase manufacturing efficiency. He or she might also manage workers and perform tasks like hiring and training them. The production manager organises staff meetings to ensure effective communication within the company and discuss production goals and ways to coordinate them with organisational goals.

What are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Production Manager?

A production manager may have varied job roles in different organisations but their overall task is to oversee the manufacturing of products and ensure that the production strategies are implemented successfully. A manager works on maintaining the standard quality of products and services produced and keeps a check on timely delivery. Here are some of the roles played by a production manager:

Resource Management: A production manager coordinates with other departments to effectively allocate resources for maximum productivity and to minimise wastage. He or she is responsible for managing inventory levels, conducting worker meetings, and determining the inventory size to be maintained to avoid the situation of understocking or overstocking.

Method Analysis: A production manager has to determine the method of production to be used while producing goods and services. Some methods are cost-efficient while others need in detail analysis to consider them as a path of working. This also helps in identifying inefficient methods and developing strategies to overcome such problems.

Budget Management: A production manager not only looks after the availability of inventory and the proper functioning of workers and equipment but also ensures that all the activities adhere to the budget of the production. He or she monitors that the budget is properly allocated to all the divisions of the manufacturing department and there are minimum chances of wastage.

Quality control: A production manager is responsible for maintaining the best quality of the product. Some pre-set quality standards have to be adhered to during the production of goods and services. The production manager has to be on his or her toes to evaluate the product outcomes and work on the deviations or errors found.

Career Progression of Production Managers

The career as a production manager progresses from entry-level positions to senior roles like plant manager or Director of Production. This depends on various factors like industry, experience and skills. Below is a list of positions in the career progression of a production manager:

Entry-Level Production Manager: An entry-level production manager works on gaining hands-on experience on various skills required to become a production manager. Most prior roles involve assisting in production planning, inventory management, scheduling tasks, and learning the production process of the organisation. The entry-level positions can be a production coordinator or assistant production manager.

Production Supervisor: A production supervisor manages a team of workers and assigns them roles and responsibilities. He or she makes sure that the production process runs efficiently and high-quality products are manufactured. The production supervisor ensures that the output meets the desired specifications.

Plant Manager: A plant manager oversees the responsibilities of the entire plant. He or she ensures that all the production processes are taking place according to the planned strategies and that all the rules and regulations are adhered to. The plant manager plans, organises, directs, and runs the optimum day-to-day operations of the plant.

Operation Director: A production manager can succeed in becoming an Operations Director of the company after possessing high knowledge of different company processes. The roles and responsibilities of the director of operations range from overseeing the operations of the entire organisation to evaluating the company's performance through analysis and interpreting data. The operations director coordinates with different departments to ensure smooth functioning within the organisation.

Source: Workable, Indeed

Qualifications Required to Become a Production Manager

A production manager must hold a bachelor’s degree in the related field. However, industry relevant experiences and skills also proves to be helpful and attracts recruiters.Here is the list of some bachelor's degrees that can be pursued after 10+2 to become a production manager:

• Bachelor in Business Administration
• B.Tech in Industrial Engineering
• Bachelor of Business Management

What are the Skills Required to Become a Production Manager?

A successful production manager possesses various skills ranging from good leadership, sharp analysis for performance evaluation and adaptability to market trends. Good communication skills are very important for smooth connection between seniors and the workforce. Here are some of the important skills:

• Leadership skills
• Communication skills
• Good technical knowledge
• Problem-solving skills
• Cost control and budgeting
• Decision-making skills

Who are the Top Recruiters of Production Managers?

Recruiting production managers addresses various aspects like knowledge, skills, location, and industry. The recruiters of production managers include manufacturing companies, food and beverage brands, pharmaceutical companies, and even textile companies.

Several big players in the market actively hire production managers to manage the production processes and operations of their manufacturing units. Here is the list of some top recruiters for production managers:

• TATA Consultancy Services
• Larsen & Turbo
• Lupin
• ITC
• Britannia Industries Limited
• Hindustan Unilever

Salary of Production Managers

The salary structure of production managers depends on various factors like experience, industry, designation, and skills. The average salary of a production manager varies from Rs. 3.0 Lakhs to Rs. 26.6 Lakhs in addition to bonuses in India. The higher salaries are usually associated with top recruiters. Here is a list of an average salary of a production manager in top recruiting companies:

Source: AmbitionBox, Glassdoor

Conclusion

A production manager is a professional who manages the manufacturing units of an organisation. A production manager ensures efficient use of company resources for producing high-quality goods ad services. He or she acts as a problem-solver for the bottom-line workforce and conveys all the plans and strategies to them. The role of a production manager is very important to keep manufacturing processes on track.