Head of Manufacturing; Responsible for manufacturing

The production manager is responsible for the technical management, supervision and control of industrial production processes to ensure that they operate reliably and effectively. That is why production management is present in many industries, being the most common chemical, food, pharmaceutical, aerospace, or electronics industry.

The production manager is a key figure in planning and preparing the required operations in a production process, as it organizes and monitors manufacturing to determine the means of production workload. Consequently, he has a thorough and holistic knowledge of the system, materials and resources used for production, since it must be programmed and estimated in accordance with company productive capacity.

To develops this job, it is essential to be a methodical, analytical and rigorous professional, as any mistake can distort production process or delay product manufacturing. Production manager also need to have a resolutive attitude to potential problems and communication through teamwork and staff coordination.

• Manages and plans productive actions, coordinating the different work teams to ensure continuity and efficiency, thus meeting the deadlines and objectives established by the company.
• Determines the start-up timing and technical impacts on the cost offer.
• Defines, delegates, communicates and ensures staff understanding of the responsibilities associated with their area of competence.
• Strategically, manages technology within the company in order to coordinate the new industry demands with new market technologies.
• Revises and proposes control mechanisms, monitoring systems and processes analysis for operational aspects under its responsibility.
• Verifies plans fulfilment, evaluates goals and observes and manages the resolution of possible deviations under its responsibility.
• Ensures that incidents during the unit's work are properly recorded, reported and investigated.
• Actively participates in optimizing production unit procedures with managing improvement strategies and proposals, such as reducing costs or increasing productivity.

Regulated training and graduates

Production manager does not respond to a single specialized qualification. Depending on the industry where the person in charge wants to integrate, a degree in higher education such as chemistry, business management, electrical, electronics, mechanics, process or production engineering, materials science or biochemistry will be required.

Training required for this professional may also vary depending on the management methods used by each company. Consequently, you can apply from a Vocation and Education Training, especially in the manufacturing or maintenance and production services, to a college degree. Some of the studies that qualify you to carry out this occupation could be:

• Professional Training Course(s) in the field of Chemical Professional Families - Advanced Level: Chemical industry
• Professional Training Course(s) in the field of Chemical Professional Families - Advanced Level: Pharmaceutical, biotechnological and Related Product Production
• Grau: Química
• Grau: Enginyeria química
• Grau: Enginyeria en tecnologies industrials

Complementary training

Companies highly value complementary education and knowledge about the industry sector the company belongs to, and in some cases, it may be advisable to have a university master's degree, such as the Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering (Industrial Technology Engineering).

Other specific skills

Technical skills required by companies for this professional vary greatly depending on the industry sector and company size. However, the most requested competences are:

• Fluency in English and, in many cases, a second language (French or German), depending on the degree of company internationalization.
• High skills in software tools for office management, especially in spreadsheets, Oracle and ERP.
• A sound technical base and knowledge of automation and continuous production.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement systems (e.g., Kaizen, Smed, etc.).
• Availability to work with different work shifts and production series on sophisticated machines.

Required experience to work as a production manager varies depending on the type of company and the responsibility that is exercised. Typically, a minimum of two to three years of experience is required to perform similar tasks in high-level productive industrial environments, with the responsibility for production or logistics in the chemical or manufacturing industries and in ISO or GMP environments. Candidates must provide knowledge of the manufacturing process, products and the conditioning process.

In most cases, experience is gained in intermediary manufacturing or other factory areas with responsibility before practicing becoming a productions manager in itself, along with more experienced staff in the company or industry sector. After a period of training, production manager will be entrusted with responsibility for one production shift, and so on until you reach the desired responsible position.

People management: Level 3

Planning and organisation: Level 3

Commitment to the organisation: Level 3

Initiative: Level 3

Concern for order and quality: Level 3

Management

The organisation, administration and control of a company or entity are the main interests of people related to the management field. Activities included in this field of interest vary from effective resource management, feasibility analyses and solving business problems to the development of skills and fostering of motivation in relation to human resources. Knowledge regarding specific techniques of strategic administration and business management are required to carry out these activities.

Logistics

The planning, organisation, control and carrying out of logistics and administrative tasks are the focus of people who work in the field of logistics. Activities in the field of logistics include the organisation and planning of supply, storage, production and distribution systems, taking inventories, controlling stock and estimating production, as well as the organisation and/or carrying out of the administrative tasks necessary for the implementation of these activities. Knowledge of organisation, control and management techniques is essential for carrying out these activities.

Process controller

Biotechnology quality technician

Offshoring production manager

Environmental and chemical safety specialist

Specialist in catalysis and catalytic processes

• Work hours

  Full time, in continuous schedule, party or in shifts.
  Time flexibility is required, as large companies work on rotating shifts in the morning or afternoon, mainly at production peaks or the introduction of new systems. It may also be necessary to work out of the usual schedule, including weekends and holidays, to solve problems with production or to take action in a factory emergency.

• Salary

  Salary ranges between 31,551 to 45,564 gross euros by year. The average salary is around 37,916 gross euros by year.
  
  Reference source: Study "Observatori d'Ocupacions i Salaris del Mercat de Treball Actual. Barcelona Activa ", prepared by ICSA Grupo. April 2015.

• Professional category

  Middle management