What does a plant and production manager do?
Plant and production managers must have a high school diploma or GED, but a master's degree would be helpful for this field. With a salary averaging $137K per year, this career choice requires expertise in plant operations, understanding of regulatory requirements, aptitude for root cause analysis, proficiency with Microsoft applications, and a grasp of computer technology. Those who choose this as a career oversee day-to-day production operations such as using inputs, clearing bottlenecks, and ensuring smooth and on-target production.
Plant and production manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real plant and production manager resumes:
- Manage supervisory personnel in GMP production environment.
- Manage all shipping & receiving logistics before creating position of shipping supervisor.
- Enforce company safety policies and practices, HACCP procedures, GMP's /SSOP's and other company policies.
- Assist safety manager with the implementation of company safety program according to OSHA requirements.
- Maintain a good working relationship with USDA.
- Review FDA paperwork and quality records on daily basis.
- Oversee design and start-up of FDA compliant production areas.
- Monitor adherence to GMP s. Enforce compliance with AIB consolidate standards.
- Work collaboratively with USDA inspectors to ensure plant compliance with state regulations.
- Core responsibilities include: safety, quality control, HACCP, maintenance, and departmental budgets.
- Secure state funding through the local community college to send eight employees through a 180 hour CNC programming course.
- Collaborate on formulations, process performance, regulatory labeling, quality assurance, supply chain, logistics, and temporary employment.
- Implement continued improvement in CNC machining equipment and methods for maximum productivity.
- Hire and train manufacturing personnel; incorporate safety guidelines and work closely with OSHA.
- Monitor control plans, troubleshoot workmanship problems and supervise production activities to ensure manufacture products meet or exceed establish quality requirements.
Plant and production manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Plant And Production Managers are proficient in Quality Standards, Safety Committee, and Lean Manufacturing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Management skills, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Plant And Production Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Quality Standards, 8%
Maintained the highest level of safety and quality standards while maximizing production objectives.
- Safety Committee, 8%
Voted by peers to be the president of the safety committee and get it off the ground.
- Lean Manufacturing, 7%
Initiated and supervised process improvement, lean manufacturing, and capital acquisition projects increasing efficiency, output, and safety.
- Production Supervisors, 6%
Fostered production supervisors to ensure employee safety and adhered to company safety policies and OSHA requirements.
- Production Facility, 5%
Initiated Activity Based Costing model for greater transparency and refinement in the production facility.
- OSHA, 4%
Assisted safety manager with the implementation of company safety program according to OSHA requirements.
"quality standards," "safety committee," and "lean manufacturing" are among the most common skills that plant and production managers use at work. You can find even more plant and production manager responsibilities below, including:
Leadership skills. plant and production managers are also known for leadership skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to plant and production manager responsibilities, because "to keep the production process running smoothly, industrial production managers must motivate and direct employees." A plant and production manager resume example shows how leadership skills is used in the workplace: "provided leadership directed at continuous improvement in safety, quality, and productivity. "
Problem-solving skills. For certain plant and production manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "problem-solving skills." The day-to-day duties of a plant and production manager rely on this skill, as "production managers must identify and address problems that arise." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what plant and production managers do: "introduced capa program to ensure timely completion/resolution of qa ncm's. "
Interpersonal skills. Lastly, "interpersonal skills" is an important element of what a plant and production manager does. Plant and production manager responsibilities require this skill because "industrial production managers must have excellent communication skills to work well other managers and with staff." This resume example highlights how plant and production manager duties rely on this skill: "demonstrated exemplary interpersonal skills in motivating and supervising 125 hourly employees and seven salaried direct reports, constantly ensuring safety compliance. "
The three companies that hire the most plant and production managers are:
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Compare different plant and production managers
Plant and production manager 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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a plant and production manager are more likely to require skills like "safety committee," "production supervisors," "production facility," and "osha." On the other hand, a job as an assembly supervisor requires skills like "safety procedures," "assembly line," "assembly operations," and "delivery dates." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Assembly supervisors really shine in the automotive industry with an average salary of $79,821. Comparatively, plant and production managers tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $48,228.On average, assembly supervisors reach similar levels of education than plant and production managers. Assembly supervisors are 4.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Plant and production manager vs. Manufacturing supervisor
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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, plant and production manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "safety committee," "production supervisors," "production facility," and "plant operations." Meanwhile, a manufacturing supervisor has duties that require skills in areas such as "safety regulations," "safety procedures," "direct supervision," and "lean six sigma." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Manufacturing supervisors earn a higher average salary than plant and production managers. But manufacturing supervisors earn the highest pay in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $85,664. Additionally, plant and production managers earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $48,228 annually.manufacturing supervisors earn similar levels of education than plant and production managers in general. They're 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Plant and production 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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from plant and production manager resumes include skills like "safety committee," "production facility," "logistics," and "production control," whereas a plant superintendent is more likely to list skills in "plant safety," "asphalt," "safety training," and "preventative maintenance. "
Plant superintendents make a very good living in the finance industry with an average annual salary of $116,194. On the other hand, plant and production managers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $48,228.When it comes to education, plant superintendents tend to earn similar degree levels compared to plant and production managers. In fact, they're 1.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Plant and production manager vs. Planting supervisor
Planting Supervisors are responsible for administering the operations of cultivating and growing plants, be it for food, materials, comfort, or decorative beauty. Their duties include monitoring plants' health, ensuring proper feeding and watering of plants, supervising the mowing, trimming, fertilizing, mulching, edging, and weeding gardens, and facilitating trees and bushes pruning and trimming. Planting Supervisors are also involved in husbandry, managing disease and pest programs, budgeting, and updating work progress reports. They must keep abreast of the current horticulture developments in their area of specialty.
Types of plant and production manager
Updated January 8, 2025
