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Production Supervisor Job Description

Charlie S
Production supervisors are important elements of the production department of a manufacturing company. This write-up aims at explaining their job profile and other important responsibilities.
Production supervisors are involved in every aspect of production and they report to production managers directly.
They may supervise an entire plant or manage a specific division, and multiple tasks like planning, monitoring of work, coaching staff, counseling, bringing in a new working system, hiring and recruiting staff as per the need, and solving production-related problems. Efficient work of these supervisors can assure the smooth functioning of the department.

Duties of Production Supervisors

  • To oversee the process of production and maintain the production costs at a minimum. By doing so, they can reduce their company's manufacturing expenses.
  • Allot duties to junior workers and motivate them so that they deliver a good performance.
  • Ensure that the flow of production activities should be continuous and devoid of any errors.
  • Keep an eye on the available resources, set processing variables, and maintain the quality of products being produced by adhering to the set standards of production.
  • Arranging for quick repair of machinery or equipment damage during the manufacturing process, and servicing of the problematic machines. They are also expected to try to bring in new machinery to make the production process more efficient.
  • To make sure that the quality of raw materials is good so that the output is as per the industry standards. This is because production department has to see a continuous inflow of raw material and essential resources which are to be converted into finished products.
  • To strive to provide a clean environment that is conducive for work.
  • To evaluate the performance of workers and report it to senior production managers.
  • To ensure optimum usage of available resources and technology to get better results.
  • To correct any kind of deviation in production output, which is brought to notice by the auditors.
  • To resolve issues in case of conflicts between workers and ensure work continues in the unit.
  • To develop and maintain documentation for quality systems.
  • To do administrative work along with production monitoring.
  • To be involved in the research and development (R&D) process after attaining a certain level of experience.
  • To maintain employee attendance sheets and prepare a database of the same.

Education Requirement and Salary

While having any bachelor's degree may be helpful in finding employment as a production supervisor, a degree in production management or operations management would be an ideal launch pad for a career in this field.
A background in fields like economics, accounting, finances, manufacturing systems, organizational behavior, or sociology can prove to be advantageous for such aspirants. Though the salary depends largely on your skills, experience, and the employer, the average figure is believed to be around $58,000 per year.
With experience, they can become senior production managers or factory executives and earn between $60,000 to $85,000 per year. From this job description, we can say that being a production supervisor is challenging, requires multitasking skills and high stamina. If you consider yourself fit and qualified for this job, you can consider this as an option.