Basic Facts about Industrial Production Manager Jobs
If you are interested in pursuing this line of work, be prepared to move. Unless you are already located in an area with a heavy concentration of manufacturing, such as the Midwest, you are unlikely to find many positions available. You may also need to be willing to work for a foreign company, such as Toyota, which has built some of its factories in the United States.
Another factor you need to understand is that most industrial production managers do not work 9 to 5. Because of their vital role in the manufacturing process, they are going to have to stay at work for long hours to meet production deadlines. They may also be called into work when there is an emergency on the floor, too. Because of the deadlines and the tension between workers and management in which you would be placed in the middle, industrial production manager jobs can be very stressful.
Although most manufacturing sectors make use of these positions, you will find the most profitable jobs available in large corporate manufacturing facilities and, in particular, the auto industry. However, you may want to accept a job at a smaller facility in order to gain the experience necessary to advance higher or to move onto a larger company.
Training Requirements
Industrial production managers do not have any set requirements that need to be met in order to gain employment. However, college degrees are becoming more commonly requested. The most popular degrees for people in this profession would include industrial technology, management, or business administration. Basically, you want a degree program that is going to provide you with skills or experiences which will be useful in some capacity in your job. However, if you are already working as a supervisor in a manufacturing facility, you may be eligible for employer-provided training to train you in becoming an industrial production manager.
While having a bachelor’s degree and some manufacturing experience (or a willingness to learn) is a good start, some companies are actually looking for advanced training in industrial management or similar management training. If you do not have a graduate degree yet, be sure to express a desire to continue your education.
Interpersonal skills are also an important component of the qualifications looked for by employers. You need to be comfortable in a leadership position and must be able to give orders. Firing people may also be an important part of your responsibilities.
If you are hired but you lack manufacturing experience, you may go through training provided by the company. Even after your initial training is completed, you will probably be expected to continue learning and staying up-to-date on the latest technologies. Once you’ve gained more experience and knowledge about the process, advancement to higher management positions or larger companies are possible.
Because manufacturing jobs are in decline throughout the United States, the demand for industrial production managers is also expected to grow more slowly up through at least 2014. Besides the already slumping manufacturing segment of the economy, other factors have negatively affected industrial production manager jobs, such as computerized machinery that does more of the work and more companies moving their manufacturing operations overseas. In some companies, management has been streamlined and these positions have been combined with other roles within the company. Today, the average industrial production manager has more responsibility than ever before as a result of some of these changes but fewer managers are needed within companies and within the industry itself.
Despite these issues, there will be industrial production manager jobs becoming available. Many of the people who currently hold these positions will be retiring and that will leave openings for a new batch of individuals. However, competition for these limited spots will be intense. If you want to have a good chance of securing one of them, you should be sure to gain as much education as possible that would be useful to your future employer (remember a graduate degree in industrial management or business administration would be a wise career investment). You do not necessarily need any past manufacturing experience to be hired, although having some will help you more effectively work with your staff and may give you an advantage.
You will also need to have strong and demonstrated communication skills, so take every opportunity during your education to fine tune both your written and verbal communication abilities. Having past experience in management or leadership positions is a good idea, too.
Anticipated Salary for Industrial Production Managers
While these positions are hard to come by in today’s changing economy, they can be very lucrative for those fortunate enough to be hired. The average salary in 2004 for this position was $74,000. However, the pay ranged from the low end of around $43,000 (more common for less experienced managers and positions in printing and plastics) and a high end of more than $123,000 (for larger corporations and the auto industry). Additionally, most industrial production manager jobs also come with good benefits, including health care and retirement packages.
