How to hire a production controller

How to hire a production controller, step by step

Here's a step-by-step production controller hiring guide:

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

What does a production controller do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your production controller 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 production controller 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a production controller to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a production controller that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of production controllers.

   Type of Production Controller	Description	Hourly rate
   Production Controller	Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. They ensure proper scheduling, recordkeeping, and inventory control.	$17-35
   Expeditor	The role of expeditors is to ensure the timely and efficient preparation and delivery of food. To accomplish this task, they also perform other duties, including managing inventory levels, managing supply requisition, and coordinating with subcontractors... Show more	$13-25
   Materials Planner	Usually working in a manufacturing setting, a materials planner's role is to manage the supply flow and inventory of materials. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with vendors and other external agencies, processing purchase orders, monitoring the quality of supplies to ensure it is according to the standards, and coordinating with various teams to learn their needs... Show more	$21-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Production Control
   • Production Planning
   • Logistics
   • Control Procedures
   • Production Schedules
   • MRP
   • Electronic Equipment
   • Shop Space
   • Technical Guidance
   • Data Entry
   • Maintenance Operations
   • Status Changes
   • Unscheduled Maintenance
   • Production Problems

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage multiple windows to access accurate inventory, P.O numbers and job numbers.
   • Schedule production and manage inventory of raw materials and finish products using the MRP inventory control system.
   • Manage production order releases base on space, capacity, man power and indenture BOM build schemes.
   • Provide management with visibility of material shortages, backlogs, manage WIP variances and other potential schedule conflicts.
   • Manage warehouse and shipping departments, responsible for outsourcing secondary machining of materials, purchasing MRO supplies and logistics.
   • Flight line expediter ensures maintenance accomplishment and sortie production by managing, controlling and directing allocate resources and personnel.

   More production controller duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your production controller job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A production controller can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, production controllers' average salary in wyoming is 48% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level production controllers 50% less than senior-level production controllers.
   • Certifications. A production controller with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a production controller's salary.

   Average production controller salary

   $53,125yearly

   $25.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level production controller salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average production controller salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$65,812	$32
   2	Connecticut	$60,843	$29
   3	Washington	$60,436	$29
   4	Massachusetts	$57,610	$28
   5	Michigan	$56,963	$27
   6	Texas	$56,382	$27
   7	New York	$55,951	$27
   8	Pennsylvania	$54,264	$26
   9	Minnesota	$51,801	$25
   10	Montana	$49,084	$24
   11	Indiana	$47,768	$23
   12	Illinois	$46,121	$22
   13	North Carolina	$45,654	$22
   14	Florida	$42,789	$21
   15	Utah	$42,593	$20
   16	Alabama	$41,975	$20
   17	Mississippi	$41,677	$20
   18	Tennessee	$39,613	$19

   Average production controller salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Intuitive Surgical	$87,880	$42.25	5
   2	Astronics	$83,792	$40.28	18
   3	Cirrus Aircraft	$63,992	$30.77	3
   4	General Electric	$62,224	$29.92	203
   5	Sanmina	$59,895	$28.80	22
   6	Tesla	$59,663	$28.68	6
   7	Teledyne Technologies Incorporated	$59,383	$28.55	25
   8	Dexcom	$59,306	$28.51
   9	Lockheed Martin	$59,300	$28.51	165
   10	Northrop Grumman	$58,583	$28.16	17
   11	Precision Castparts	$58,449	$28.10	42
   12	Raytheon Technologies	$58,275	$28.02	47
   13	FormFactor	$57,457	$27.62
   14	Oldcastle Infrastructure	$55,692	$26.77	123
   15	Sierra Nevada	$55,453	$26.66	7
   16	Belcan	$55,430	$26.65	15
   17	Ecs Federal	$55,213	$26.54
   18	Stratasys	$55,196	$26.54
   19	Catalent Pharma Solutions	$54,909	$26.40	17
   20	Parker Hannifin	$54,061	$25.99	43

4. Writing a production controller job description

   A good production controller job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a production controller job description:

   Production controller job description example

   The Virtual Production TD operates the LED screen playback for in-camera VFX. This position is the primary user responsible for operating real-time stage playback, ensuring scenes are fully working, and aligning to on-set setups. This position is responsible for manipulating / aligning digital scenes to match with physical set builds in order to create a seamless blend between the live-action and the virtual world in camera.
   Job Functions In conjunction with the live action unit, participate in the setup and running of in-camera visual effects; operate scene playback, fine tune color and lighting, trigger events, and advise on environment usage during LED volume shoots. Prep environments, pre-comps, and associated data for optimized real-time performance; participate in multi-disciplinary team reviews for work under development. Match look and placement of digital environments, characters and set dressing to real world counterparts. Troubleshoot creative and technical issues. Troubleshoot routine issues with virtual production systems and platforms; participates in the setup, upkeep, calibration and/or maintenance of virtual production equipment. Identify technology needs and coordinate with the development team to implement them effectively. Work closely with VFX, IT, Production Technology, and other leads/supervisors to help engineer solutions (tools and workflow) for pipeline enhancements and fixes; develop tools to streamline workflows. Advise on pre-shoot prep and set data to be wrangled. Support a variety of members on the team, through process explanations, hands-on training, and documentation.
   Qualifications 3-5 years' VFX production / CG pipeline experience (preferably as a Generalist, Layout Artist, Lighting TD, Compositor, or Pipeline Engineer). 1-2+ years' experience with Unreal, real-time Virtual Production, and a film stage environment. Understanding the full capabilities of Unreal Engine for the creation of cinematic sequences, high-end assets, and extensive landscape environments (terrain sculpting, manual layout placement, procedural scattering, lighting); experience building with Blueprint and Sequencer. Basic understanding of plate and image-based lighting, as well as full CG lighting, preferred. Proficient Look Development, R&D, and Lighting skills from both an artistic and technical perspective. Strong aesthetic sense and keen eye for detail, with a technical understanding of color space. Ability to take direction and implement feedback with a productive attitude; strong diplomatic communication, organizational, and time management skills to balance priorities under the pressure of a deadline-driven live-action production. A strong understanding of production processes and artist workflows within film and television visual effects pipelines. A strong understanding of on-set capture workflows within film and television production. Creative technical problem solver that must be able to execute technically difficult work and ability to improvise solutions in pressure situations.
   
   Physical Demands and Work Environment
   The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to walk; stand; sit; use hands to operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; talk or hear both in person and by telephone. The employee must lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee works under typical stage conditions and is exposed to variable indoor temperatures. The noise level is usually quiet or moderate.
   
   Location
   On-site in Hillsboro, OR
   
   Salary
   Salary is commensurate with skills and experience.
   Disclaimer
   The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.
   
   Please review our Employment Disclaimer and Materials Submission Agreement.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right production controller 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 production controllers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit production controllers 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 production controller job on Zippia to find and recruit production controller candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with production controller candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 production controller

   Once you've found the production controller candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new production controller first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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