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Manufacturing supervisor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

8 min read

Quoted expert

Jianyu Liang

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical manufacturing supervisor skills. We ranked the top skills for manufacturing supervisors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 10.3% of manufacturing supervisor resumes contained continuous improvement as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a manufacturing supervisor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 manufacturing supervisor skills for your resume and career

1. Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement is an ongoing process of improvement of products, services, and processes with the help of innovative ideas. It is an organized approach that helps an organization to find its weaknesses and improve them.

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use continuous improvement:

Praised for commitment to continuous improvement, predicting assembly problems and suggesting solutions to reduce waste and errors and increase productivity.
Led data driven continuous improvement initiatives to identify key losses and collaborated with engineering and maintenance to implement permanent corrective actions.

2. Lean Manufacturing

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use lean manufacturing:

Led manufacturing team in developing Copper Barrier lean manufacturing techniques resulting in a 33% overall increase in productivity improvement.
Created a lean manufacturing environment through troubleshooting of downed equipment and implementing 5S corrective actions to eliminate lost production time.

3. Safety Regulations

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use safety regulations:

Partnered with Safety Team to meet company standards and enforced safety regulations to prevent and eliminate injuries.
Monitor and maintain safe working environment through adherence to safety regulations and observance of good housekeeping practices.

4. Quality Standards

Quality standards are a specific level of standards of products that are set by the companies for the customers that have to be met and maintained throughout the process until the time of delivery. Quality standards are information that includes the customer's requirements, guidelines, and characteristics for the needed final product or service.

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use quality standards:

Provided information to facilitate continuous quality improvement of the process and product, maintaining high quality standards in the manufacturing environment.
Examined product for defects, utilizing knowledge of manufacturing and quality standards, to ensure conformance to product specifications.

5. GMP

GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practice. It is a system that ensures that all products like food, beverages, and medicinal drugs that are produced comply with the quality standards. It helps in minimizing the risks and hazards that cannot be eliminated after the testing of final products.

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use gmp:

Developed production schedules and supervised day-to-day manufacturing operations, GMP, and safety issues.
Supervised GMP manufacturing operations, closeout of all process documentation, and process investigations.

6. Production Schedules

The project plan of a film or a documentary that highlights how a production budget will be spent over a given period until its completion is called a production schedule. The scheduling process starts with writing and analyzing the script, which is then broken down to determine and allocate the budget for each scene. The production schedule also includes several elements of the film including; cast actors, special effects, wardrobe, special equipment, stunts, extras, silent bits, production equipment, and many others.

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use production schedules:

Established and maintained daily production schedules and created an environment conducive to increasing teamwork, raising morale and improving efficiency.
Implement and support daily production schedules to ensure optimum production goals, maximize utilization of equipment, and manufacturing resources.

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7. Process Improvement

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use process improvement:

Received wide recognition from engineering and management communities for process improvement efforts on all aspects of manufacturing and process improvement projects.
Assessed process performance by observation of floor operations and review of performance data with the objective of implementing process improvement solutions.

8. Safety Procedures

Safety procedures are a set of standardized procedures, that ensures minimal to no risk to people, resources, and the work environment. A company follows the step-by-step safety procedures as it they not only keep the customers and the employees safe, but also help in avoiding legal claims.

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use safety procedures:

Prepared operating reports, performed technical reviews, published new and revised operating and safety procedures to satisfy OSHA plant requirements.
Follow operational safety procedures and policies to ensure a safe work environment to achieve company objectives.

9. Direct Supervision

Direct supervision is a term used to indicate that a person is supervising a certain task or a certain person while being physically present or in close proximity. It refers to the presence of a person and the availability of their supervision in something if it is needed.

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use direct supervision:

Provide direct supervision for production personnel, participate in decisions involving hiring, promotion wage salary change and termination of employment.
Participate in Production Planning process Detailed Role: * Direct supervision of manufacturing area consisting of 10-12 individuals.

10. Sigma

In Greek alphabets, sigma is the 18th letter that means "to sum up". In statistics, the lower case symbol of sigma is the unit of measurement for standard deviation which is used to assess the variability in a given set of data. While the upper case symbol is for summation notation means to add up all the given numbers in the data set.

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use sigma:

Championed cross-functional teams using Six Sigma tenants optimizing storage area by reducing clutter/distractions 35%.
Utilized Lean Six Sigma operating techniques to maintain quality service and effective production.

11. FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services that regulates the production and sale of food, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, and other consumer goods, as well as veterinary medicine. The FDA is now in charge of overseeing the manufacture of products like vaccines, allergy treatments, and beauty products.

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use fda:

Establish new aseptic manufacturing facility production process, which adheres to compliance FDA regulatory guidelines.
Prepare presentations and briefings on manufacturing procedures for FDA Academy.

12. Performance Reviews

Performance reviews refer to the official evaluation of a worker's performance done by the manager. The evaluation then helps the superior identify the worker's strengths and weaknesses and offers valuable feedback to help him overcome his shortcomings. This assessment also helps a worker set a future goal for himself and identify ways to better his future performance. Performance Reviews may be done on a monthly or yearly basis, depending on the company.

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use performance reviews:

Completed quarterly employee performance reviews, presented factory performance data to management daily, and investigated and resolved customer incidents.
Conducted employee performance reviews, established individual and department goals and objectives, and assured corporate standard policy compliance.

13. Direct Reports

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use direct reports:

Collaborated with direct reports to troubleshoot machining complications and increase machine productivity and reduce scrap cost towards quarterly metric goals daily.
Communicate daily with direct reports as well as peer supervisors and executive management team to insure critical information is transferred.

14. Corrective Action

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use corrective action:

Supervised maintenance Mechanics regarding the process reasons that may promote downtime to the manufacturing areas and assured problem/corrective actions were done.
Provided immediate assessment and corrective action at deviation occurrence to ensure continued product quality and minimize negative impact on production schedule.

15. HR

HR stands for human resources and is used to describe the set of people who work for a company or an organization. HR responsibilities revolve around updating employee records and carrying out management processes like planning, recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes. HR is a key contributor to any company or organization's growth as they are in charge of hiring the right employees, processing payrolls, conducting disciplinary actions, etc.

Here's how manufacturing supervisors use hr:

Led HR integration of global acquisitions into the parent company, while maintaining the unique regulatory compliance issues in each country.
Worked closely with HR to achieve the desired crewing levels, including interviewing external and internal candidates for job promotions.

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Jianyu Liang

Director of Materials and Manufacturing Engineering Program, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, WPI, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

For manufacturing engineers, the next 3-5 years promise significant evolution due to advancements in technology and changes in manufacturing processes. Here are some skills that are expected to become more important and prevalent in the field: proficiency in automation and robotics, advanced data analysis and data-driven optimization, digital twin technology, additive manufacturing and 3D printing, application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in manufacturing, cybersecurity for manufacturing systems, and supply chain management.

Do you want to know more?

List of manufacturing supervisor skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a manufacturing supervisor resume and required skills for a manufacturing supervisor to have include:

Continuous Improvement
Lean Manufacturing
Safety Regulations
Quality Standards
GMP
Production Schedules
Process Improvement
Safety Procedures
Direct Supervision
Sigma
FDA
Performance Reviews
Direct Reports
Corrective Action
HR
EHS

OSHA
On-Time Delivery
Preventative Maintenance
Disciplinary Actions
Production Operations
Kaizen
Cost Reduction
Production Equipment
Develop Team
Manufacturing Management
Quality Products
Work Ethic
Production Process
CNC
Value Stream
Safety Standards

MRP
Process Control
QC
Customer Satisfaction
QA
SPC
Quality Issues
Equipment Performance
Production Floor
Employee Training
Manufacturing Support
Production Control
Production Lines
Kanban

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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