Plant Supervisor Job Description

Plant Supervisors: A Career in Manufacturing

Plant supervisors are responsible for overseeing all operations of a plant, including managing employees, meeting projections and ensuring quality. If you enjoy the plant environment and have a good mind for business management, you could be a plant supervisor. The plant supervisor role earns more generous pay than other positions in the manufacturing industry.

Plant supervisors need to be problem solvers with good problem-solving skills. Time-management skills help ensure that the most pressing needs are handled in a timely fashion in a bustling plant environment. Plant supervisors can keep up production numbers with healthy leadership skills.

A bachelor's degree in engineering, business or a related field is a requirement for supervisor job qualifications. Employers give preference to applicants with a master's degree in business when they are looking to hire new employees. Many plant supervisors have experience working in the field.

Working in a production role can give supervisors a first-hand look at what it's like to work on the line. A first-line supervisor who manages a small crew is the first step into management that leads to higher level management positions and eventually to a plant supervisor. Plant supervisors work in both plant and office environments.

Many employees work some evenings and weekends in order to be accessible to all and meet deadlines, even though some employees enjoy daytime hours. It is common for plant supervisors to be on call in order to help or help out. Income projection can be different depending on the industry and plant size.

A Manufacturing Supervisor Position at PayScale

The production areas of the organization need supervisors to direct the actions of employees. The supervisor is responsible for making sure that employees follow company policies and procedures. Some manufacturing employees can get to a supervisor position with experience.

The supervisor in the manufacturing organization is in charge of the production work. A manufacturing supervisor makes sure the safety of workers in the organization is ensured. Continuous improvement activities such as quality improvement teams are implemented by supervisors.

A manufacturing supervisor watches the budget and makes sure resources are allocated correctly. Production reports are prepared for upper management staff. Reports on safety issues in the department are required by management.

A supervisor needs to have leadership skills. A familiarity with office software is also required for the successful manufacturing supervisor. Manufacturing supervisors need to be familiar with the methods of production used in the department.

Some employers only require a high school education for a supervisor, while others only require a bachelor's degree. Experience in a production or manufacturing environment is required for a supervisor role. PayScale says that manufacturing supervisors can expect to make between $46,735 and $71,560 in June of 2010.

Supervisors in Management

Managing a team is one of the most important responsibilities of a supervisor. Supervisors often create and oversee the tasks required to complete a job. Supervisors must communicate objectives and monitor team performance.

In some cases, organizations have set hours for their entire workforce, and supervisors don't need to adjust them. When team members work in shifts, supervisors are usually responsible for scheduling. You will often be responsible for reporting team and individual performance to human resources and senior management.

You may need to evaluate each member of your team and record their performance on a number of different levels. You may be required to administer performance improvement plans. Supervisors often help decide who is eligible for promotions.

In some cases, supervisors may give promotions. Senior management professionals often consult their supervisors during the promotion process when supervisors don't have the authority to directly promote employees. Employees who are unhappy with their work experience may approach their supervisor.

Active listening skills are needed by supervisors to understand employee complaints and to work with them to reach a solution. If an employee complains that another employee has broken company policies, the supervisor will need to report the issue to HR for an investigation. In the case of disagreements between employees, supervisors may help the two parties come to a resolution.

Writing a Job Description: A Case Study

You have to balance a personal and professional tone in order to write a great job description. It is only fitting that your job description contains engaging and dynamic language because it is important for your company to attract new employees. There are certain steps that you can take to increase your chances of success, even though writing the right type of description may seem like a complex task.

If you need help writing a description, use the sample below as a guide. You will be responsible for managing a diverse manufacturing team. Your main goal is to organize staff members and get a reasonable work flow.

The Plant Manager: A Key Accountable Person for the Operation of a Nuclear Reactor

A plant manager is in charge of the plant operation. Assures that the plant's production objectives are achieved at the lowest cost consistent with quality requirements while maintaining compliance to Federal, State, and Local Safety and Environmental regulations and laws. The delegates responsibility is to work with the key managers in production, production control, industrial engineering, cost accounting, maintenance, and other related operations to achieve the objectives set forth in the corporate business plan.

The Plant Manager wants to win and takes complete ownership of the plant operations. Through subordinates, supervisors and managers, the objectives of safety, quality, customer service, continuous improvement, cost, and production are met or exceeded. The team's performance is elevated by coaching and leadership in the areas of employee engagement, safety, quality, customer service, continuous improvement, cost, and equipment reliability.

Success depends on being able to build relationships with employees. The plant manager will be responsible for providing leadership and management. You will provide oversight for the day-to-day operations and proper functioning of the facility through hands-on leadership.

Plant Managers

You are expected to deal with a lot of finances as a plant manager. Financial management is one of the top skills a plant manager should have. They should be able to allocate the funds in a way that will allow them to use them as effectively as possible.

Being able to monitor their team's performance on a day-to-day basis one of the skills plant managers need to be successful. It will be possible to make necessary adjustments so that performance and productivity can continue to improve. Plant managers should take the time to ensure that their workers are doing the essential work, rather than allowing staff members to waste their time on less important things.

Sometimes a plant manager's team needs some extra motivation to get things done. A plant manager should help the team by lifting their spirits and making them feel better. Plant managers are faced with difficult decisions.

A plant manager needs to be able to assess a situation and come up with the best course of action. Plant managers need a system in place to review production processes. They should be familiar with the daily workings in their field.

Quality control checks are important to ensure the plant's success. Conflict can arise and come in many forms. A successful plant manager should be able to take control of any situation and find a solution to any conflict before serious issues arise.

Supervision Skills Questionnaire

Communication skills are important for a good supervisor. They need to communicate important information to their staff. Supervisors should strive to keep an open door for employees to approach them with their needs or issues.

The supervisor should be an example to their staff. They must make their employees want to follow them as they take their organization through normal business changes. A strong leader will encourage their team.

There are some tasks that a supervisor needs to deal with that require good critical thinking skills. There are more responsibilities and decisions to be made in a high-level position. Critical thinking skills make the decision process simpler.

Time management is important in a business. Being able to juggle timelines and meet goals regularly means supervisors must have both the awareness of when things need to be completed and how long it takes to do them. Supervisors should use their skills to deal with issues in the workplace.

A manager can use great problem solving skills to assess the situation and develop a plan to tackle it. The overall work of their employees needs to be directed by their supervisors. Their view of work is different than that of their employees.