Career & application guide

Industrial Production Managers

Get to know the work, the skills that matter, and how to prepare your next application.

Explore this guide

What do industrial production managers do?

Plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications.

This describes a U.S. occupation, not a live vacancy. Individual employers may use different titles and requirements.

Job titles to recognize in your search

O*NET reports these titles for this occupation. Compare the responsibilities in each posting before treating titles as equivalent.

  • Area Plant Manager
  • Assembly Manager
  • General Production Manager
  • Manufacturing Coordinator
  • Manufacturing Manager
  • Plant Manager
  • Product Line Manager
  • Production Control Manager

Core tasks to compare with a job posting

  • Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality.
  • Direct or coordinate production, processing, distribution, or marketing activities of industrial organizations.
  • Review processing schedules or production orders to make decisions concerning inventory requirements, staffing requirements, work procedures, or duty assignments, considering budgetary limitations and time constraints.
  • Review operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems.
  • Hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances.
  • Develop or implement production tracking or quality control systems, analyzing production, quality control, maintenance, or other operational reports to detect production problems.
  • Prepare and maintain production reports or personnel records.
  • Review plans and confer with research or support staff to develop new products or processes.
  • Develop budgets or approve expenditures for supplies, materials, or human resources, ensuring that materials, labor, or equipment are used efficiently to meet production targets.
  • Maintain current knowledge of the quality control field, relying on current literature pertaining to materials use, technological advances, or statistical studies.

Prepare an application for this occupation

  1. Check the employer’s requirements, location, schedule and any licenses against your situation.
  2. Choose two or three tasks above that match the posting and your actual experience.
  3. Build a resume evidence worksheet using the skills and software relevant to that employer.
  4. Practice explaining your contribution, decisions and results before an interview.

Ready to plan your search?

Start with industrial production managers as your target. You can change your role in the quiz and tell us your location and work preferences.

Explore related occupations