Production manager (manufacturing) Job Information | National Careers Service

The work

Production managers make sure that manufacturing processes run smoothly, are cost-effective and deliver products on time. As a production manager, you could work in all types of manufacturing, for example:

• vehicle assembly
• brewing
• food products
• pharmaceuticals
• building materials.

Your work would cover the three main areas of the production process:

• planning – preparing an order, setting quality standards and estimating timescales and costs
• control – monitoring production schedules and adjusting them if problems occur
• supervision – managing the production line supervisors, organising staff, and making sure targets are met.

You would also put together production reports for factory managers and clients.

You would work closely with supervisors, maintenance technicians, company buyers, suppliers, quality control, training departments, and health and safety managers.

Hours

You could expect to work 37 to 40 hours a week. This may involve shiftwork or on-call duties to deal with out-of-hours problems.

Although you would have your own office, you would spend a lot of your time on the factory floor, discussing day-to-day issues with supervisory staff and workers. You would wear protective clothing in production areas.

Income

• Starting salaries can be between £18,000 and £24,000 a year.
• Average salaries fall between £25,000 and £40,000.
• Managers with overall responsibility for production can earn over £45,000.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

One way of getting into this career is to start as a production operative in a manufacturing company. You could then work your way up to team leader, supervisor and into production management.

You may be able to get into production manufacturing work through a manufacturing Apprenticeship scheme. The range of Apprenticeships available in your area will depend on the local jobs market and the types of skills employers need from their workers. To find out more about Apprenticeships, visit the Apprenticeships website.

• Apprenticeships

To get onto an Apprenticeship, you are likely to need four or five GCSEs (grades A-E).

Alternatively, you could complete a foundation degree, BTEC HNC/HND or degree in manufacturing, and then apply to a company's management training scheme. Manufacturing courses at universities often specialise in a particular industry, for instance food processing or pharmaceuticals.

To search for colleges and universities offering foundation degrees, HNCs/HNDs and degrees, visit the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website.

• Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

You may still get on to a management training scheme without qualifications, if you can show you have previous management experience.

Training and development

As a trainee production manager, you would learn mainly on the job training, working alongside experienced staff. A structured management training scheme would allow you to gain experience in various departments, getting to know their working methods and procedures and gradually taking on more responsibility.

You could work towards one or more of the following qualifications:

• NVQ Diploma/Certificate in Management
• NVQ Diploma/Certificate in Project Management
• NVQ Diploma levels 2, 3 and 4 in Business Improvement Techniques
• Institute of Operations Management (IOM) Certificate and Diploma in Operations Management
• Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Awards, Certificates and Diplomas
• Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) qualifications.

You may find it useful to gain a qualification in quality management, such as the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) Certificate and/or Diploma in Quality Management. It could also be helpful to become familiar with any national and international quality standards for your industry. Visit the British Standards Institution (BSI) website for more information.

• British Standards Institution

Knowledge of quality management methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma could be useful.

Most of these organisations also offer a range of short training courses, some of which are available by distance learning. For more details, visit the websites for Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Institute of Operations Management (IOM), Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and Chartered Quality Institute (CQI).

• Chartered Management Institute
• Institute of Operations Management
• Institute of Leadership and Management
• Chartered Quality Institute

Skills and knowledge

• good project management skills
• the ability to communicate clearly with staff at all levels
• good presentation skills
• maths and IT skills
• good problem-solving skills
• an understanding of manufacturing processes
• knowledge of manufacturing quality standards
• the ability to make effective decisions under pressure
• the ability to work to deadlines
• a willingness to work flexibly
• an understanding of health and safety.

More information

Institute of Operations Management (IOM)
Earlstrees Court
Earlstrees Road
Corby
Northants
NN17 4AX
Tel: 01536 740105
www.iomnet.org.uk

Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)
Stowe House
Netherstowe
Lichfield
Staffordshire
WS13 6TJ
Tel: 01543 266867
www.i-l-m.com

Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
Management House
Cottingham Road
Corby
Northants
NN17 1TT
Tel: 01536 204222
www.managers.org.uk

The Chartered Quality Institute
2nd Floor North
Chancery Exchange
10 Furnival Street
London
EC4A 1AB
Tel: 020 7245 6722
www.thecqi.org

SEMTA (Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies in the UK)
14 Upton Road
Watford
Hertfordshire
WD18 0JT
Tel: 0845 643 9001
www.semta.org.uk

Women into Science, Engineering and Construction
Athlone Wing
Old Building
Great Horton Road
Bradford
BD7 1AY
Tel: 01274 436485
www.theukrc.org/wise

Opportunities

Typical employers include pharmaceutical companies, automotive manufacturers and suppliers, food processing companies and engineering firms.

With experience, you could move into overall factory management or strategic planning roles at regional or national level. If you work for a large national or international company, you may have the opportunity to work overseas.

You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading (links open in a new window):

• Manufacturing Recruitment
• JustEngineers.net
• The Engineer Online
• Totally Engineering
• Flipside Magazine
• Directgov (Jobseekers page)