Production Manager
Production managers work in a variety of settings within agriculture, including animal production, seed production, chemical manufacturing and the food sector. They are responsible for overseeing day-to-day activities as they relate to the successful production of product for the company they work for. The scope of their responsibilities will be dependent on the size of the company.
Future Job Market
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Fair
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Good
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Excellent
Typical Employers:
Production managers work in any facility that manufactures finished products. For example, they work in food processing facilities ranging from meat to dry packaged goods. They also work in live-animal production settings and in the chemical and biotechnology sector.
Suggested Professional Organizations and Associations:
- National Association of Manufacturers
- American Society of Animal Science
- American Poultry Association
Salary:
$123,000?
SAE Connections:
What Responsibilities Will I Have?
- Schedule, prepare and administer work tasks to production crews
- Ensure work orders are completed on time and within budget
- Ensure production crew is trained in the proper use and handling of chemicals and equipment
- Interview, hire, evaluate performance and administer disciplinary actions for employees
- Determine and implement best practices and efficiency of production
- Work with other departments to establish processing and quality control standards
- Plan and direct processing activities based on available resources
- Set and enforce health and safety procedures and guidelines for operation
- Help resolve production issues as they arise
- Create, analyze and submit reports for production numbers, downtime, attendance, overtime and quality checks to management
- Plan and supervise the design and implementation of new production projects
- Participate in upper management meetings
- Identify production bottlenecks and implement solutions to improve them
- Learn the operation, adjustment and minor repairs of all production equipment
- Coordinate processing activities with the procurement and maintenance departments
- Assign employees jobs based on their skills
- Consult with the maintenance and engineering departments relative to the modification of machines
Recommended High School Courses:
- agricultural education
- agricultural mechanics
- animal science
- mathematics
- Spanish
- biology
- chemistry
Education/Training Required:
A bachelor’s degree in agricultural business, food science, animal science or a field related to the product being produced is needed to become a production manager. Some roles may also be obtainable with an associate degree. However, experience working in a manufacturing environment for multiple years is a requirement before taking on a managerial role.
