About This Career

Directly supervises and coordinates the activities of production and operating workers, such as inspectors, precision workers, machine setters and operators, assemblers, fabricators, and plant and system operators.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway, Manufacturing Production Process Development pathway.

A person in this career:

• Enforces safety and sanitation regulations.
• Keeps records of employees' attendance and hours worked.
• Inspects materials, products, or equipment to detect defects or malfunctions.
• Reads and analyzes charts, work orders, production schedules, and other records and reports to determine production requirements and to evaluate current production estimates and outputs.
• Plans and establishes work schedules, assignments, and production sequences to meet production goals.
• Confers with other supervisors to coordinate operations and activities within or between departments.
• Interprets specifications, blueprints, job orders, and company policies and procedures for workers.
• Directs and coordinates the activities of employees engaged in the production or processing of goods, such as inspectors, machine setters, or fabricators.
• Observes work and monitors gauges, dials, and other indicators to ensure that operators conform to production or processing standards.
• Conducts employee training in equipment operations or work and safety procedures, or assigns employee training to experienced workers.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Rotating shift work
• Weekend work