Industrial production managers are high level professionals, often in the manufacturing industry, who are responsible for overseeing all operations that occur in a production process. Larger companies might hire industrial production managers who oversee certain plants or the production of certain items, while smaller companies might require production managers who are able to oversee all operations. These professionals generally are responsible for designing and implementing processes and performing continual quality control in order to fully optimize operations so that organizations can cut cost and improve profit margins. To become an industrial production manager, it normally is important that you have a college degree in a field such as business administration, management, or engineering. A person who wants to become an industrial production manager should plan on starting out as a production worker then move up into supervisory and management positions.
To become an industrial production manager, it might also be important to earn a graduate degree in a field such as engineering or logistics. Many aspiring industrial production managers, however, start working in production immediately after earning their undergraduate degrees. They might then pursue graduate degrees while they are getting work experience. Employers who are interested in bringing up dedicated employees might even offer programs that help ambitious workers to move up in their careers. Starting in an entry level position prior to entering a graduate program actually can be beneficial since this path allows you to gain firsthand knowledge of industrial production before you acquire more technical knowledge.
A person who wants to become an industrial production manager should be comfortable learning new computer programs. Many businesses are highly dependent on computer software for recording, storing, and sharing production data. Research regarding demand and market and competitor behavior might also be accessed through the use of complex business intelligence systems. Many people learn about these programs while in college and graduate programs. If you feel that you are not yet prepared to learn these programs and you already have earned degrees, you might want to enroll in some professional development courses that do not offer academic credit, but which can help you to keep up with current technological trends.
It also is common for a person who would like to become an industrial production manager to have excellent communication skills. In most cases, this kind of professional works in groups with other leaders, such as financial managers. It is important that you are able to write and speak clearly and concisely.
