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What does a manufacturing supervisor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Jerry Leth
What does a manufacturing supervisor do

A manufacturing supervisor is a management-level employee who takes responsibility for the daily operations of the production processes in the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing supervisors execute different roles as sponsors, coaches, directors, counselors, and educators. They supervise staff, organize the production team, and monitor the overall workflow. There are necessary skills for this position, including adaptability, cooperation, verbal and written communication, and conflict resolution. The supervisors are also expected to be skilled in mentorship and in making a sound decision.

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Manufacturing supervisor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real manufacturing supervisor resumes:

  • Conduct all safety meeting and manage the employee's time keeping (Kronos).
  • Review and correct documentation and batch records while managing RODAC testing and leading CAPA investigations.
  • Lead, develop, and implement the KANBAN system by providing better flows of raw material and production.
  • Manage a team of 16-35 to insure packaging lines are running to standards as far as USDA guidelines and company productivity.
  • Lead sigma program driving quality, productivity and delivery improvements.
  • Manage a team of QC inspectors for inspecting automotive components from manufacturing line
  • Develop production schedules and supervise day-to-day manufacturing operations, GMP, and safety issues.
  • Monitor employee attendance and punctuality using KRONOS.
  • Communicate with sales dept., support groups, mfg.
  • Perform CIP/SIP tasks on equipment used in all stages of production.
  • Educate each employee on BOM (building of material) list and quality.
  • Work with programmers, engineering, and tool room to develop and troubleshoot processes.
  • Used pH meters, conductivity meters, spectrophotometers, microscopes, incubators, and autoclaves.
  • Assure full compliance with DEA and internal policies on the manufacturing / packaging of control substance.
  • Audit departments to ensure compliance with ISO standards, coach employees on maintaining conformance to specifications.

Manufacturing supervisor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10% of Manufacturing Supervisors are proficient in Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, and Safety Regulations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Leadership skills, and Problem-solving skills.

We break down the percentage of Manufacturing Supervisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Continuous Improvement, 10%

    Praised for commitment to continuous improvement, predicting assembly problems and suggesting solutions to reduce waste and errors and increase productivity.

  • Lean Manufacturing, 9%

    Led manufacturing team in developing Copper Barrier lean manufacturing techniques resulting in a 33% overall increase in productivity improvement.

  • Safety Regulations, 5%

    Partnered with Safety Team to meet company standards and enforced safety regulations to prevent and eliminate injuries.

  • Quality Standards, 5%

    Provided information to facilitate continuous quality improvement of the process and product, maintaining high quality standards in the manufacturing environment.

  • GMP, 5%

    Developed production schedules and supervised day-to-day manufacturing operations, GMP, and safety issues.

  • Production Schedules, 5%

    Established and maintained daily production schedules and created an environment conducive to increasing teamwork, raising morale and improving efficiency.

Most manufacturing supervisors use their skills in "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," and "safety regulations" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential manufacturing supervisor responsibilities here:

Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for a manufacturing supervisor to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "industrial production managers must have excellent communication skills to work well other managers and with staff." Additionally, a manufacturing supervisor resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "applied interpersonal and team building skills to ensure communication across departments allowing on-time delivery of cylinders. "

Leadership skills. Another essential skill to perform manufacturing supervisor duties is leadership skills. Manufacturing supervisors responsibilities require that "to keep the production process running smoothly, industrial production managers must motivate and direct employees." Manufacturing supervisors also use leadership skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "enforced a culture of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement while providing operational leadership skills. "

Problem-solving skills. This is an important skill for manufacturing supervisors to perform their duties. For an example of how manufacturing supervisor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "production managers must identify and address problems that arise." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a manufacturing supervisor: "resolved worker grievances and submitted unsettled grievances to hr for action. ".

Most common manufacturing supervisor skills

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Manufacturing Supervisor Resume
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Manufacturing Supervisor Resume
Manufacturing Supervisor Resume
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Manufacturing Supervisor Resume
Manufacturing Supervisor Resume
Manufacturing Supervisor Resume
Manufacturing Supervisor Resume
Manufacturing Supervisor Resume
Manufacturing Supervisor Resume

Compare different manufacturing supervisors

Manufacturing supervisor vs. Assembly supervisor

Assembly Supervisors oversee and coordinate employees' work on assembly-lines. The supervisors assign personnel to stations or tasks and prepare their work schedules. They monitor processes to make sure that the employees are carrying out their tasks correctly. It is their responsibility to monitor the whole assembly process for delay prevention. They also contribute to developing procedures and processes to boost the overall operation of the assembly lines.

The annual salary of assembly supervisors is $9,287 lower than the average salary of manufacturing supervisors.Even though manufacturing supervisors and assembly supervisors are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and safety regulations in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between manufacturing supervisors and assembly supervisor. For instance, manufacturing supervisor responsibilities require skills such as "gmp," "direct supervision," "fda," and "lean six sigma." Whereas a assembly supervisor is skilled in "assembly operations," "delivery dates," "assembly procedures," and "assembly production." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Assembly supervisors really shine in the automotive industry with an average salary of $79,821. Comparatively, manufacturing supervisors tend to make the most money in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $85,664.On average, assembly supervisors reach similar levels of education than manufacturing supervisors. Assembly supervisors are 4.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Manufacturing supervisor vs. Shop supervisor

A shop supervisor is responsible for monitoring the overall operations of a store, delegating tasks to the shop personnel, and ensuring the highest quality service to the customers for their satisfaction. Shop supervisors handle the sales inventory and process bank transactions every closing. They also negotiate contracts with suppliers and third-party vendors, receive proof of shipments, maintain an organized record of deliveries, and implement marketing strategies to boost brand awareness and generate more revenues to increase profitability.

A career as a shop supervisor brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a manufacturing supervisor. In fact, shop supervisors salary is $20,641 lower than the salary of manufacturing supervisors per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both manufacturing supervisors and shop supervisors have skills such as "safety regulations," "quality standards," and "production schedules. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, manufacturing supervisor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," "gmp," and "process improvement." Meanwhile, a shop supervisor has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "parts inventory," "basic math," and "hudson." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, shop supervisors earn a lower salary than manufacturing supervisors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, shop supervisors earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $63,390. Whereas manufacturing supervisors have higher pay in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $85,664.shop supervisors earn lower levels of education than manufacturing supervisors in general. They're 5.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for manufacturing supervisors in the next 3-5 years?

Jerry LethJerry Leth LinkedIn profile

VP/General Manager, MANA

The current Covid-19 pandemic saw a huge surge in virtual meeting platforms. Your purpose as a salesperson needs to be to help your customers solve the problems they face, not to get orders. If they sense you want to help them rather than get them to buy something, they trust you and end up buying from you. Prior to Covid, salespeople created and maintained high-trust customer relationships through face-to-face meetings. That is not possible under the current environment, and salespeople rely more on connecting through LinkedIn and growing customer relationships through virtual meeting platforms. Following the pandemic, while face-to-face meetings return, the virtual meetings will continue to gain importance and relevance.

Manufacturing supervisor vs. Supervisor

Supervisors are responsible for overseeing the daily functions of employees in a specific team, department, or even a work shift. They create work schedules, organize work processes and workflows, train new hires, provide necessary reports related to the team function and the employees, monitor and evaluate employee performance, and ensure that goals of the specific team or department are met. When needed, supervisors also provide guidance to employees in terms of their career or even personal challenges. They also help in fostering harmonious work relationships by resolving interpersonal conflicts at work. To be successful in their role, they must have leadership skills, time management skills, decision-making capabilities, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills.

On average, supervisors earn lower salaries than manufacturing supervisors, with a $17,428 difference per year.Using the responsibilities included on manufacturing supervisors and supervisors resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "safety regulations," "quality standards," and "production schedules.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a manufacturing supervisor is likely to be skilled in "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," "gmp," and "process improvement," while a typical supervisor is skilled in "customer service," "sales floor," "pos," and "payroll."

Supervisors earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $60,088. Manufacturing supervisors earn the highest pay from the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $85,664.Most supervisors achieve a similar degree level compared to manufacturing supervisors. For example, they're 2.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Manufacturing supervisor vs. Night supervisor

A night supervisor is responsible for managing the hotel's operation during night shift hours, attending to guests' inquiries and requests, and monitoring the staff's performance. Night supervisors maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities, as well as inspecting the efficiency of hotel tools and equipment, and ensuring the adequacy of hotel stock inventories. They review sales reports, process guests' reservations, and strategize on procedures to boost the company's brand in the market. A night supervisor must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially on resolving guests' complaints and maximizing the productivity of staff.

Night supervisors tend to earn a lower pay than manufacturing supervisors by an average of $36,041 per year.According to resumes from manufacturing supervisors and night supervisors, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "safety regulations," "safety procedures," and "direct supervision. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A manufacturing supervisor uses "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," "quality standards," and "gmp." Night supervisors are more likely to have duties that require skills in "customer service," "cash handling," "customer inquiries," and "leadership. "In general, night supervisors earn the most working in the energy industry, with an average salary of $39,870. The highest-paying industry for a manufacturing supervisor is the pharmaceutical industry.In general, night supervisors hold similar degree levels compared to manufacturing supervisors. Night supervisors are 4.4% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of manufacturing supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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