Mid Green occupationEngineering and manufacturing
Manufacturing manager
Overseeing manufacturing processes to ensure that performance output meets customer expectations.
Summary
This occupation is found in manufacturing sectors including food and drink, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automotive and aeronautical.
The broad purpose of the occupation is oversee the manufacturing process to make sure that performance output meets customer expectations and is cost-effective. This will include planning manufacturing schedules, monitoring operations and quality assurance. Manufacturing Managers may work for organisations of all sizes, overseeing an entire manufacturing plant or a specific area of production; producing one or multiple products, products of high or low value, bespoke items or items produced at scale. Production may be within a fast-paced environment, for example production of sandwiches with a short shelf life. Products may be sold to consumers in the UK and/or exported abroad. The manufacturing industry is increasing becoming more automated, making it an innovative environment to work in.
Manufacturing managers will spend time in the production area and an office. Manufacturing managers may be required to work shifts over a 24-hour basis, weekend shifts and be on call to deal with emergencies.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with manufacturing personnel and managers from other departments, for example, commercial, marketing, research and design, technical, quality, human resources and engineering. They may also interact with customers.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for management of manufacturing personnel, budgets, manufacturing equipment and the manufacturing facility – quantity and value of which will vary depending on the size and type of manufacturing. They are ultimately responsible for the manufacture of safe goods in a safe environment. They will typically report to a senior manager, for example the Operations Director or General Manager.
Manufacturing managers will complete core duties and duties relating to one option specific to the manufacturing sector.
Typical job titles include
- Business Unit Manager and Site General Manager | Factory Manager | Manufacturing Manager | Operations Manager | Production Manager
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Product and Employment Legislation – including Equal Opportunities, Employment Rights Act, Modern Slavery, Competition Law, Bribery and Corruption
K2:
Product Supply Chain – the relationship between the supplier and customer; how to accurately forecast and schedule product demand; the impact of fraud and how traceability systems can be used to identify criminal activity
K3:
Quality Assurance – Total Quality Management, how product safety and product safety management systems are used to meet legal requirements and codes of practice to produce safe products of the required specification
K4:
Principles of Processing Controls and Factory Design – construction of factories including segregation, drainage, construction of walls and floors and utilisation of equipment and its impact on process control; linear workflow
K5:
Principles of Engineering – the impact of machinery design on safety, compliance and routing of services and work in progress; use of automation and its impact on resource and profitability
K6:
Health & Safety – Health & Safety at Work Act, health and safety risks and risk assessment practices, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
K7:
Environmental – environmental controls, Safe Disposal of Waste regulations, recycling, emissions (noise and smell)
K8:
Markets – domestic and international dimensions which impact on the manufacture of goods, for example exchange rates, border controls, movement of goods
K9:
Business and Financial Awareness – organisation ‘big picture’; how key functions interact; key business systems, performance data, financial statements, principles of costing and budgeting
K10:
Managing People and Change – leadership and management tools, including delegation, motivation, union consultation and negotiation, communication, persuading and influencing, change management, time management and leadership skills
K11:
Customer Relationship Management – tools and techniques, including product management techniques, customer requirements/value perception, customer segmentation, customer insights, complaint management in order to achieve customer excellence and ensure adherence to customer/industry standards
K12:
Critical Thinking and Analysis – how to research, evaluate and present business information; utilising statistical/analytical skills to interpret primary/complex data which will include a diverse range from overall equipment efficiency and financial key performance indicators to customer complaints
K13:
Problem solving techniques – for example mind mapping, root cause analysis, six thinking hats
K14:
Continuous Improvement (CI) techniques – 6 Sigma, LEAN, Kaizen
K15:
Crisis Management and Continuity Planning – how to lead and manage site incidents
K16:
Management Information Systems – knowledge of management information systems to store and record data, present information and identify trends
K17:
F&D. Food Safety – allergen management and labelling; food safety standards: Food Safety Act, Animal Welfare Standards, European Food Regulations, Food Hygiene England Regulations; contamination and cross contamination of food by physical, chemical, micro-biological and allergenic materials and substances
K18:
F&D. Environment – food waste reduction, recycling, safe water source and disposal
K19:
F&D. Principles of Processing Controls and Factory Design – hygienic design of food manufacturing machinery and premises
K20:
F&D. Food processing techniques – for example thermal processing, chilling, canning, irradiation
K21:
F&D. Maintenance in food manufacturing environment – requirements including food grade oils, captive tools
K22:
F&D. Safe cleaning in a food manufacturing environment – separate storage of cleaning materials, cleaning in place procedures
K23:
F&D. Third party food safety audits – for example Food Standards Agency, retailer, British Retail Consortium (BRC); underpinning standards, when and how they are conducted
K24:
F&D. Food planning considerations and implications – including seasonal needs, shelf life requirements, cancellations, promotions, consumer trends, healthy eating
K25:
F&D. Organoleptic quality testing – five senses to check quality of product: smell, sight, taste, hearing, texture; customer specifications
K26:
F&D. Food supply chain – supplier assurance and integrity of raw materials: origin of raw materials; food fraud and raw materials vulnerability
Technical Educational Products
- ST0515: Manufacturing manager (integrated degree) (Level 6) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0515
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £51,597 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 1121 Production managers and directors in manufacturing
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 1121/00 Production managers and directors in manufacturing
S1:
Identifying, forecasting, planning and scheduling resource requirements
S2:
Identifying data requirements; data analysis and interpretation
S3:
Using information technology
S4:
Reporting, for example manufacturing performance data
S5:
Communicating using different techniques, for example verbal, written, visual
S6:
Building and sustaining collaborative relationships to influence internal and external stakeholders
S7:
Presenting information, for example in staff briefings, customer meetings, management meetings
S8:
Managing people, for example recruiting, leading, coaching and motivating a team
S9:
Partnership working with local and/or regional union representation
S10:
Driving compliance with legal, customer and product standards on site
S11:
Devising, implementing and maintaining health & safety and environmental standards to achieve a harm free culture
S12:
Producing budget proposals; negotiating budgets with senior managers
S13:
Planning site based projects, for example for new capital investment, construction on site, new product lines and new equipment
S14:
Managing change
S15:
Conducting Continuous Improvement techniques within manufacturing environment
S16:
Problem solving/trouble shooting within manufacturing environment
S17:
Crisis management; agreeing, leading and implementing a site based disaster recovery plan
S18:
Responding to third party audits; managing relationships with audit personnel
S19:
F&D. Analysing food safety data, for example cooking/chilling temperatures, metal detection checks, storage and segregation
S20:
F&D. Responsive production planning to adjust to customer orders
S21:
F&D. Organoleptic testing of food and drink products
S22:
F&D. Promoting food safety culture
Technical Educational Products
- ST0515: Manufacturing manager (integrated degree) (Level 6) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0515
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £51,597 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 1121 Production managers and directors in manufacturing
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 1121/00 Production managers and directors in manufacturing
B1:
Ownership of work: decisive; effectively balances short term requirements with long term objectives to achieve goals; puts the customer at the heart of the decision making process to achieve ‘win-win’ commercial deals; plans and prioritises effectively
B2:
Integrity and respect: listens to others and seeks to build understanding; embraces the diversity of colleagues and makes complex issues easy for others to understand
B3:
Influence and persuasion: inspires others to achieve business goals; adapts language and communication medium to effectively win others over; proactively communicates clearly, concisely and on a timely basis; effectively influences key decision makers
B4:
Responsiveness to change: flexible to changing demands; resilient under pressure
B5:
Innovation: demonstrates curiosity to foster new ways of thinking and working; seeks out opportunities to drive forward change and improvements for the business
Technical Educational Products
- ST0515: Manufacturing manager (integrated degree) (Level 6) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0515
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £51,597 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 1121 Production managers and directors in manufacturing
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 1121/00 Production managers and directors in manufacturing
