Plant manager jobs vary in their scope of responsibility, from receiving products to shipping manufactured goods to customers. A plant manager operates in a supervisory capacity, either supervising a group of employees or supervising a particular aspect of manufacturing. Plant manager jobs can specialize in any number of functions, such as inventory, shipping and receiving, quality control or employee supervision.
The word “plant” in plant manager refers to a factory where goods are produced. In an office environment, managers are referred to by different titles. On the manufacturing floor, plant manager jobs can also be referred to as operations or facilities managers. The smaller the factory, the more hats the plant manager has to wear, and the wider the scope of responsibility.
Most importantly, a plant manager is responsible for the everyday operations of the warehouse, overseeing employees in the manufacturing process as well as warehouse workers. Additionally, a plant manager ensures that all aspects of the product are made to the customer’s expectations. The byproduct of a good plant manager is positive employee morale and a high-quality, efficiently-made product to sell.
One aspect of plant manager jobs is inventory management. There must be a system in place to count inventory as it is depleted so that purchase orders can be placed for new goods. One late shipment can hold up an entire manufacturing line. In addition, stock must be rotated to make sure goods are used in the order in which they arrived at the facility.
Another aspect of plant manager jobs is shipping and receiving. When goods arrive at the warehouse, the plant manager may log inventory, coordinate truck deliveries, sign receipts and even unload trailers. The shipping aspect can be much more confusing. Manufactured goods can be shipped via boxes and common carriers or palletized and shipped via trucks or containers.
Plant managers may also be responsible for employees, either through direct supervision or the supervision of assistant managers. The primary responsibility is to keep the workers safe while on the job, as there are frequently machines or equipment on a plant floor that are capable of seriously injuring operators or bystanders. Another duty may be the hiring or firing of workers, which entails its own list of responsibilities, especially following applicable local and federal laws that pertain to each.
Some warehouses have to meet certification standards established by various quality control management agencies, and this responsibility would be that of a plant manager. In the US, one of the most common is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and one of the most common certification standards is ISO 9000. Qualification for ISO 9000 certification includes exceptional record-keeping, ways to measure the quality of output, the ability to take corrective actions, and thorough procedures for all aspects of production.
