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Manufacturing team leader skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

8 min read

Quoted experts

Lonnie Shea,

Dr. Kamran Abedini

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical manufacturing team leader skills. We ranked the top skills for manufacturing team leaders based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 12.6% of manufacturing team leader resumes contained continuous improvement as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a manufacturing team leader needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 manufacturing team leader 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 team leaders use continuous improvement:

Participated and advised in review of team production performance and provided suggestions to drive continuous improvement.
Utilize continuous improvement and lean management discipline to improve our daily work performance.

2. Lean Manufacturing

Here's how manufacturing team leaders use lean manufacturing:

Support Lean manufacturing by performing equipment setup and change-overs in a timely and efficient manner.
Supervised shift and hourly employees to ensure maximum productivity following the lean manufacturing guidelines.

3. 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 team leaders use gmp:

Supervised and received recognition for GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) manufacturing.
Performed duties assigned by supervisor, thorough knowledge of procedures and operations following SOI, GMP's and SOP's.

4. Process Improvement

Here's how manufacturing team leaders use process improvement:

Managed daily manufacturing and logistics activities and implemented process improvement projects in a syrup packaging plant.
Participated in many manpower studies, product capability analysis and process improvement teams.

5. ISO

Here's how manufacturing team leaders use iso:

Recognized by management in creating processes for achieving ISO certification at our facility.
Leveraged ISO methodology simplifying program requirements influencing skills to lead change process.

6. 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 team leaders use quality standards:

Machined parts to specific tolerances meeting targeted production rates and quality standards.
Assured adherence to Quality standards and customer specifications which reduced scrap dollars.

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7. Safety Standards

Here's how manufacturing team leaders use safety standards:

Facilitated and Conducted assembly start up meetings and go over production, quality and the safety standards.
Ensured 100% compliance with safety standards across site and 100% reporting of accidents or near-misses.

8. 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 team leaders use sigma:

Facilitated Six Sigma project meetings; guided and directed technical process evaluation.
Led Six Sigma Green Belt team that identified 62% cycle time reduction (material receipt to stocking).

9. Corrective Action

Here's how manufacturing team leaders use corrective action:

Handle safety issues by investigating, determining root cause/corrective action, and documenting any safety incidents.
Communicate effectively complex problems, deviations, and recommendations for corrective actions with manufacturing process.

10. 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 team leaders use production schedules:

Managed production schedule daily to make educated decisions concerning inventory requirements, staffing requirements, work procedures, and duty assignments.
Reviewed and implemented production schedules to meet customer daily requirements.

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 team leaders use fda:

Worked with Engineering Department to update documents that are FDA regulated.
Supported the Quality Engineering team to successfully pass FDA audit.

12. Troubleshoot

Troubleshooting is the process of analyzing and fixing any kind of problem in a system or a machine. Troubleshooting is the detailed yet quick search in the system for the main source of an issue and solving it.

Here's how manufacturing team leaders use troubleshoot:

Trained operators to run and troubleshoot machinery efficiently and effectively.
Worked closely with engineering and manufacturing to troubleshoot equipment issues.

13. Product Quality

Product quality is the basic element of a business. It means to add features in a product or service in such a way that it meets the needs and wants of the customers. Enhancing the product quality also means improve the goods from any existing defects to ensure customer satisfaction.

Here's how manufacturing team leaders use product quality:

Directed improvements in safety, product quality and cost efficiency.
Recommended and implement measures to improve production methods, equipment performance, production floors layouts, yields, and product quality.

14. Kaizen

Kaizen is a Japanese term derived from the words "kai-" which means "Change" and "zen" for good. In short, Kaizen means "change for the better," or it could also mean "continuous improvement." It is a term used for the process that continuously improves all employees. Kaizen believes in the improvement in productivity in a gradual and methodological approach. This improvement could happen by making the workplace more efficient and effective by improving team atmosphere, making the job less tiring and fulfilling and safer for the employees. Members of a company are expected to suggest an improvement when they encounter a problem.

Here's how manufacturing team leaders use kaizen:

Evaluated processes and recommended Continual Improvement strategies to upper management; assisted in leading Kaizen events.
Led and supported Lean initiatives including Kaizen, 5S, Never Pass A Mistake, Training Within Industry.

15. Value Stream

A value stream applies to any of the phases or stages that a buyer has the willingness to pay to transport a product or service across the main flows needed to manufacture the product or service.

Here's how manufacturing team leaders use value stream:

Led operation of a $50M+ value stream operating 7 days/week across two plant locations.
Used value stream mapping to create short and long-term improvement plans.

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What skills help Manufacturing Team Leaders find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on manufacturing team leader resumes?

Lonnie Shea

William and Valerie Hall Chair, Steven A. Goldstein Collegiate Professor, University of Michigan

-It has always been the case, and continues to be, that communication skills are among the most important. Presumably, the rise in remote work caused by the pandemic will put an emphasis on this skill. We expect almost everyone asked will say this, but it is probably also true for BMEs.

-Remote communication, electronic whiteboarding, skills with remote platforms, training etc.

-A working knowledge of the medical device product development process gained through student design projects is a plus. Intern/co-op experience is a true differentiator.

-For BMEs, we think an understanding of digital healthcare, telemedicine, cybersecurity, and human factors will continue to become more important, even if that is not your direct job function.

-This skill may be too nitty-gritty, but an awareness of how healthcare is shifting to value-based models is important for BMEs, i.e. that they know a bit more about the business trends that affect their field.

What manufacturing team leader skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Kamran Abedini

Professor and Chairman, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

First of all, I do not recommend a gap year or any interruptions in education as it could require additional warm-up and setup for starting it again in the future. However, if they "need" to do so, I recommend they at least take one course so that they understand the trend and the expectations of students in an educational environment. For example, in the last couple of semesters, both faculty and students have learned and experienced new methods of virtual learning and assessment. If you just plan on coming to school after a few semesters, you would be highly surprised by the changes, taking you much time to prepare, and it would cause falling behind your coursework.

What type of skills will young manufacturing team leaders need?

Dr. Gianna McMillan

Research Ethics Faculty and Program Administrator, Loyola Marymount University

They will need to have computer skills and be willing to adapt creatively to work remotely. Bioethics is a changing field with three main categories: medical ethics, public health ethics, and research ethics. Young graduates will need to be up to date in all three areas since they overlap, but with particular attention to their field of interest. The legal landscape continues to evolve, in all areas, and is different from state to state, so basic knowledge of current issues is needed. I tell my students they might have to do some things for free to prove their commitment and skill set. Volunteering and unpaid internships are a great way to build a resume and network within the field. Creativity is important. Sometimes a couple of hours of service at a local health clinic or writing for a blog can turn into a job or generate ideas for where bioethics is needed.

What soft skills should all manufacturing team leaders possess?

Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.

Associate Provost - Innovation and Partnerships, Program Director/Professor, Ed.D. Leadership in Higher Education, Bethel University

With the rapid rate of change, accelerating information turnover, and boundless access to knowledge, certain new soft skills may now be prioritized in our current society. So we all have to be learners, seeking new information, anticipating that we will need to change our mind, and striving for a disposition of curiosity. The specific skill of asking good questions cannot be underestimated.

Employers may be seeking skills like imaginative bridging, humbly and curiously connecting dots. Or the skills of facilitation and curation, with so many different perspectives and lived experiences, and an overabundance of information, an educational leader, must manage people, perspectives, and content like never before.

Employers are looking for skills that relate to not only the day-to-day tactical aspects of educational leadership but also imaginative problem-solving for a thriving future.

What hard/technical skills are most important for manufacturing team leaders?

Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.

Associate Provost - Innovation and Partnerships, Program Director/Professor, Ed.D. Leadership in Higher Education, Bethel University

Many hard/technical skills are incredibly context-specific, so importance varies by role and/or industry. But for educational leaders, generally applicable skills might be related to teaching and learning constructs, finance and budgeting, and basic legal issues awareness. Perhaps familiarity with specific content management systems or learning management systems, but again, this use varies by institution.

Do you want to know more?

List of manufacturing team leader skills to add to your resume

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

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

Direct Reports
Inventory Control
OSHA
Performance Reviews
PPE
Production Control
On-Time Delivery
MRP
Manufacturing Management
Production Equipment
Production Lines
OEE
EHS
Management System
WIP
Cost Reduction

Production Operations
Catheter
QA
Quality Checks
Production Process
TPM
Cost Savings
Quality Issues
Material Flow
SPC
CNC
Medical Devices
Customer Orders
Assembly Line

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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