How to hire a manufacturing team leader

How to hire a manufacturing team leader, step by step

Here's a step-by-step manufacturing team leader hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a manufacturing team leader job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new manufacturing team leader
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a manufacturing team leader do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your manufacturing team leader job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a manufacturing team leader for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect manufacturing team leader also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of manufacturing team leader salaries for various roles:

   Type of Manufacturing Team Leader	Description	Hourly rate
   Manufacturing Team Leader		$13-25
   3rd Shift Supervisor	A 3rd shift supervisor is responsible for monitoring the operations and staff performance of a specific shift. 3rd shift supervisors strategize on effective business techniques to maximize staff's productivity and improve customers' experience... Show more	$12-19
   2nd Shift Supervisor	A 2nd shift supervisor is responsible for supporting the operations of a department, managing the staff's performance, and assisting the team in achieving maximum productivity. They provide high-quality services for the customers by responding to their inquiries and concerns and resolving complaints... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Continuous Improvement
   • Lean Manufacturing
   • GMP
   • Process Improvement
   • ISO
   • Quality Standards
   • Safety Standards
   • Sigma
   • Corrective Action
   • Production Schedules
   • FDA
   • Troubleshoot
   • Product Quality
   • Kaizen

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead numerous Kaizen blitz efforts to identify and reduce waste.
   • Manage operations in compliance with strict ISO9001 certification and FDA requirements.
   • Manage a team of QC inspectors for inspecting automotive components from manufacturing line
   • Provide technical information to FDA auditor during PAI inspection.
   • Lead the development of a no batch single piece flow cell utilizing the kaizen process.
   • Key player in the transformation of the operations in regards execution and practices of GMP's.

   More manufacturing team leader duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the manufacturing team leader job description is a good way to get more applicants. A manufacturing team leader salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a manufacturing team leader in New Mexico may be lower than in Wyoming, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level manufacturing team leader. Additionally, a manufacturing team leader with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average manufacturing team leader salary

   $39,390yearly

   $18.94 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level manufacturing team leader salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average manufacturing team leader salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$49,835	$24
   2	New Jersey	$49,730	$24
   3	Massachusetts	$47,308	$23
   4	California	$46,142	$22
   5	Rhode Island	$45,704	$22
   6	Illinois	$44,214	$21
   7	Maryland	$43,666	$21
   8	Minnesota	$41,736	$20
   9	Arizona	$41,735	$20
   10	Washington	$41,029	$20
   11	South Carolina	$40,256	$19
   12	Michigan	$40,231	$19
   13	Missouri	$39,103	$19
   14	Montana	$38,870	$19
   15	Kansas	$38,287	$18
   16	Texas	$37,212	$18
   17	Utah	$36,965	$18
   18	Kentucky	$36,506	$18
   19	Ohio	$35,482	$17
   20	North Carolina	$33,631	$16

   Average manufacturing team leader salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AstraZeneca	$73,399	$35.29	3
   2	Zoetis	$65,307	$31.40	6
   3	ABB	$59,468	$28.59	11
   4	Cummins	$58,547	$28.15	7
   5	IDEX	$52,986	$25.47	32
   6	CAI	$52,440	$25.21	2
   7	Rivian	$49,240	$23.67	17
   8	Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc	$48,745	$23.44	4
   9	Pfizer	$48,138	$23.14	10
   10	Toyota Boshoku America	$46,775	$22.49
   11	Corning Incorporated	$45,319	$21.79	57
   12	Raytheon Technologies	$45,198	$21.73	86
   13	Intuitive Surgical	$45,125	$21.69	9
   14	Harvey Building Products	$45,059	$21.66
   15	Thermo Fisher Scientific	$41,761	$20.08	132
   16	Sonoco	$41,674	$20.04	10
   17	National Vision Administrators	$41,554	$19.98	24
   18	General Mills	$41,104	$19.76	9
   19	Steelcase	$40,966	$19.70	3
   20	Baxter International	$39,661	$19.07	15

4. Writing a manufacturing team leader job description

   A job description for a manufacturing team leader role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a manufacturing team leader job description:

   Manufacturing team leader job description example

   Why Patients Need You
   At Pfizer, our mission is to inspire a best-in-class culture of continuous improvement and project management that empowers colleagues and enables simple, effective processes. Whether you are managing projects or liaising with others, your contribution in this team will help in making our work easier and faster so that we can deliver breakthroughs that change patients' lives. What You Will Achieve In your role at Pfizer, you will oversee and manage the operational aspects of ongoing projects and serve as liaison between project management and planning, project team and line management. Additionally, you'll review the status of projects and budgets; manage schedules; prepare status report; assess project issues and develops resolutions to meet productivity, quality and client-satisfaction goals and objectives. You'll also develop mechanisms for monitoring project progress and for intervention and problem solving with project managers, line managers and clients. As a Director, you are a subject matter expert and leverage your knowledge of industry, customer requirements and general business environment to adapt and implement strategic actions for the division. Your ability to interpret your division's strategy will establish business priorities that support and set long-term direction for the division. Your managerial skills will help us manage and lead people, technological and financial resources within the division. Through your expertise and extensive knowledge, you will be able to foster a culture that promotes innovation and thrives on doing better for patients and healthcare.
   
   The Global Technology & Engineering - Manufacturing Intelligence (MI) organization works with Pfizer Global Supply (PGS) sites and key partners to accelerate the building of Industry 4.0 capability across Pfizer Global Supply sites. MI teams are working to increase PGS predictive and adaptive manufacturing capability through the delivery of innovative impactful solutions including Real Time Data analytics, Process Analytical Technology, Advanced Process Control, Artificial Intelligence, Process Modelling/Simulation and Advanced Robotics-Cobotics.
   
   To further accelerate progress in the application of advanced robotics a new team is being created within the Manufacturing Intelligence organization. This team will focus primarily on the development and deployment of laboratory automation and intelligent plant robotics systems. This team will work in close partnership with other MI teams, with Global Engineering Automation and Digital support teams.
   
   An opportunity exists to lead this Advanced Robotics team. The successful applicant will be a member of the Manufacturing Intelligence leadership team and will support the development and execution of strategy while establishing and leading a new innovative team to deliver first-in-class robotics solutions that support advancement of Pfizer's Bold Moves.
   How You Will Achieve It
   Support the development and execution of an advanced robotics strategy as part of the PGS Manufacturing Intelligence initiative Establish and lead a new advanced robotics team focused on delivering value for PGS through innovative intelligent robotics and laboratory automation solutions Recruit and develop talent within the robotics team and build capability at sites in support of Pfizer Global Supply objectives Understand business priorities and identify and prioritize highest impact opportunities Identify leading technology solutions and accelerate deployment based on business impact, technology capability and replication potential Drive step change advances in robotics deployment for pharmaceutical manufacturing with impact on process variability, manual interventions and cycle time Develop and bring novel robotics solutions that enable a step change in manufacturing performance into routine use Effectively manage complex project portfolios and priorities, with a strong focus on business return.Partner closely with Digital and Automation organizations, and work with manufacturing sites to deploy robotics solutions as part of broader PGS initiatives Understand regulatory and compliance challenges to innovation and influence new and existing regulations when required through a science-based approach and close engagement with internal and external bodies Sponsor and enable Next Generation robotic solutions Stay abreast of industry trends and developments to ensure alignment with solutions and opportunities Candidate demonstrates a breadth of diverse leadership experiences and capabilities including: the ability to influence and collaborate with peers, develop and coach others, oversee and guide the work of other colleagues to achieve meaningful outcomes and create business impact.
   
   Qualifications
   Must Haves
   Relevant degree and background in Engineering, Mathematics, Robotics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, or a related technical field. 7+ years relevant experience leading complex technology projects and programs Hands-on experience in robotics and/or advanced laboratory automation.Track record of development and delivery of complex robotic solutions that deliver business value Experienced in leading teams and establishing new and high performing teams Self-motivated with ability to motivate teams to deliver results at high pace through clarity of vision, empowerment and accountability, productive collaboration, recognition and support.Creative approach to problem solving for complex problems Active learning mindset and up to date knowledge of cutting-edge robotic solutions Collaborates effectively internally and with cross-functional teams and key stakeholders with an open attitude towards partnership and fast learning Communicate effectively at multiple levels covering project technical details or progress and impact updates to key stakeholders This is a people manager role.
   
   Nice To Have
   Experience with Industry 4.0 concepts and passion for transforming manufacturing through innovation Knowledge and experience of machine learning and role of AI to enable high performance and agile advanced robotics systems Familiarity with industrial process control, and laboratory data management and instrument control systems Good knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturing and related unit operations, and knowledge of pharmaceutical regulations and GMP manufacturing requirements
   
   ADDITIONAL POSITION DETAILS
   Location - Remote, but should have proximity to a Global PGS or GTE location
   
   Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.
   
   Pfizer requires all U.S. new hires to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to the first date of employment. As required by applicable law, Pfizer will consider requests for Reasonable Accommodations.
   
   Sunshine ActPfizer reports payments and other transfers of value to health care providers as required by federal and state transparency laws and implementing regulations. These laws and regulations require Pfizer to provide government agencies with information such as a health care provider's name, address and the type of payments or other value received, generally for public disclosure. Subject to further legal review and statutory or regulatory clarification, which Pfizer intends to pursue, reimbursement of recruiting expenses for licensed physicians may constitute a reportable transfer of value under the federal transparency law commonly known as the Sunshine Act. Therefore, if you are a licensed physician who incurs recruiting expenses as a result of interviewing with Pfizer that we pay or reimburse, your name, address and the amount of payments made currently will be reported to the government. If you have questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact your Talent Acquisition representative.
   
   EEO & Employment EligibilityPfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Pfizer is an E-Verify employer.
   
   Continuous Imprv and Proj Mgmt

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5. Post your job

   To find the right manufacturing team leader for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with manufacturing team leaders they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit manufacturing team leaders who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your manufacturing team leader job on Zippia to find and recruit manufacturing team leader candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting manufacturing team leaders requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new manufacturing team leader

   Once you've selected the best manufacturing team leader candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new manufacturing team leader. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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