What does a factory manager do?
Factory manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real factory manager resumes:
- Lead the process change to use MRP for planning all in house manufacture production products.
- Manage engineering and maintenance technicians in order to improve equipment reliability and improve OEE.
- Design a visual kanban for the factory floor and develop an electronic system using MRP technology to replenish parts.
- Develop and maintain set-up sheets / device history records for all customer jobs to ensure SMT tractability.
- Reduce work-in-process inventory from 2 weeks to 2 days by improving processes and setting up a KANBAN system.
- Direct all operations for manufacturing, warehousing supply chain and logistics.
- Monitor and analyze data generate by the MRP system and report all variances and propose solutions to executive management.
- Develop production metrics agenda for press operators and CNC machinists that measure and report machine operating times for production.
- Monitor facility food safety and HACCP plan to insure all production employees are following all parameters of the HACCP program.
- Identify needed machinery and help develop the ROI schedule for the needed machines to purchase.
- Develop an effective production scheduling system for a complex plastic extrusion line.
- Supervise daily operations of repair-line for VAIO notebook and laptop DOA refurbishment
- Assume operational responsibility of the converting dept in addition to keeping extrusion dept responsibilities (below).
Factory manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Factory Managers are proficient in Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, and ISO. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Leadership skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Factory Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Continuous Improvement, 14%
Champion continuous improvement activities to enhance the quality management system through the execution and management of the Toyota Production System principles.
- Lean Manufacturing, 9%
Coordinated development and implementation of lean manufacturing lines, successfully increasing overall efficiency by 43%.
- ISO, 6%
Partnered with Quality Manager to lead documentation and standardization of manufacturing processes in preparation for ISO 9001 certification.
- Sigma, 6%
Mentor for multiple associates through Lean/Six Sigma certification process.
- On-Time Delivery, 5%
Doubled production to meet customer requirements while maintaining on-time delivery.
- Employee Engagement, 5%
Maintained a strong factory 6S Program, through employee engagement, shared responsibilities and accountability.
Common skills that a factory manager uses to do their job include "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," and "iso." You can find details on the most important factory manager responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for a factory manager to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what factory managers do because "industrial production managers must have excellent communication skills to work well other managers and with staff." Additionally, a factory manager resume shows how factory managers use interpersonal skills: "developed and maintained strong interpersonal relationships with clients and raw material suppliers provided documentation for iso 9000 and iso 14001"
Leadership skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling factory manager duties is leadership skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "to keep the production process running smoothly, industrial production managers must motivate and direct employees." According to a factory manager resume, here's how factory managers can utilize leadership skills in their job responsibilities: "key leadership positions manager, factory procurement transportation and warehousing manager production planning manager sap implementation project: developed user guides. "
Problem-solving skills. factory managers are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to factory manager responsibilities, because "production managers must identify and address problems that arise." A factory manager resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "evaluated production processes for various operations and prepared reports for all product specifications and resolved issues. "
The three companies that hire the most factory managers are:
- Deloitte24 factory managers jobs
- Intel10 factory managers jobs
- Liberty Diversified International3 factory managers jobs
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Compare different factory managers
Factory manager vs. Production administrator
Production administrators support all artistic and production functions with expert administrative support to the entire production team. Part of their responsibilities includes maintaining the annual production expenses and production calendar, researching potential venues and maintaining a venue database, and preparing expense reports for artists and production staff. These administrators must be excellent in organization and planning skills, comfortable and flexible with evolving roles, and highly proficient in computer skills such as Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Office.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between factory managers and production administrator. For instance, factory manager responsibilities require skills such as "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," "sigma," and "on-time delivery." Whereas a production administrator is skilled in "data entry," "purchase orders," "windows," and "payroll." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Production administrators tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $43,182. In contrast, factory managers make the biggest average salary, $96,690, in the manufacturing industry.production administrators tend to reach lower levels of education than factory managers. In fact, production administrators are 10.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Factory manager vs. Plant superintendent
Plant superintendents must have skills in operations, productions, and management. They also need a 4-year degree in business or industrial management. Those who choose this career will be called upon to oversee a plant's manufacturing processes and to recommend improvements to increase productivity. They also enforce all state and federal regulations for plant operations and employee safety.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that factory manager responsibilities requires skills like "iso," "employee engagement," "focus factory," and "product line." But a plant superintendent might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "plant safety," "production supervisors," "osha," and "corrective action."
Plant superintendents earn a higher average salary than factory managers. But plant superintendents earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $116,194. Additionally, factory managers earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $96,690 annually.In general, plant superintendents achieve lower levels of education than factory managers. They're 7.9% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Factory manager vs. Manufacturing director
A manufacturing director is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing a company's manufacturing procedures. Their responsibilities revolve around setting goals and objectives, coordinating and managing different departments, planning budgets, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes, implementing solutions, and developing strategies to optimize manufacturing operations. Furthermore, as a manufacturing director, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a factory manager is likely to be skilled in "employee engagement," "focus factory," "production schedules," and "employee development," while a typical manufacturing director is skilled in "supply chain," "project management," "product development," and "safety program."
Manufacturing directors earn the best pay in the retail industry, where they command an average salary of $157,950. Factory managers earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $96,690.When it comes to education, manufacturing directors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to factory managers. In fact, they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Factory manager vs. General milling superintendent
Even though a few skill sets overlap between factory managers and general milling superintendents, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a factory manager might have more use for skills like "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," "iso," and "sigma." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of general milling superintendents require skills like "safety program," "maximo," "mill operations," and "capital improvements. "
In general, general milling superintendents hold lower degree levels compared to factory managers. General milling superintendents are 11.4% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of factory manager
Updated January 8, 2025
