Production Manager (Manufacturing)
What the work is
Plans, organises, directs, controls and coordinates the production activities of a manufacturing operation including physical, technological and human resources.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Plans and develops manufacturing production or operational strategies, systems, processes, objectives and policies
- Directs and supervises manufacturing operations by monitoring and coordinating production schedules and resources
- Controls the operation of manufacturing plants or procedures through the planning of maintenance, designation of operating hours, and supply of parts and tools
- Analyses production data on logistics, cost, margins, production lead time and personnel
- Identifies areas for improvement and implements quality control procedures
- Liaises with internal and external stakeholders, and works alongside senior management to establish budgets and targets
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional hard-rock quarry that supplies gravel and sand to road and building projects. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A shift ends with every target met, the plant running smoothly and everyone going home safe
- You find a better way to schedule the trucks and the queue at the weighbridge disappears
- A crew who were sceptical about a new plan tell you it was a good idea
Hard days
- Plant breakdown on a day with a big delivery booked
- Dust, noise and early starts that wear down good people over time
- Balancing what a customer needs this week with what the equipment can take
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 132232, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.