If you are a natural leader and a great coordinator, a career as a Manufacturing Production Manager could be for you.
Career Overview
Endeavouring to produce as much as possible, with as little cost to the company as possible, this is one of the main roles of a Manufacturing Production Manager. This role is head of a manufacturing facility, they will oversee the production of a product, or different lines of product ranges. Entailing everything from planning, organising, coordination and control over production facilities.
Required School Subjects
You will need to have taken the following subjects at high school:
- Pure Mathematics
- Physical Science
Recommended subjects:
- Design or technical drawing
- Business Studeies
- Economics
- Computer Applications Technology (CAT)
Institution and APS
In general, you will need an APS of between 30-34+, in order to get in at one of these institutions:
- University of Johannesburg (UJ): APS of 30
- University of Pretoria (UP): APS of 32
- University of Witwatersrand (WITS): APS of 42+
- Tshwane University of Technology (TUT): APS of 28+
Required Qualification/s
You will need to study a BSc Industrial Engineering or you can get a BA or BCom in Industrial Psychology and Economics. A Diploma in Production is also an option.
Required Skills
You will need to have the following skills to succeed as a Manufacturing Production Manager:
- problem-solving skills
- active listening
- attention to detail
- the ability to work under pressure
- an aptitude for maths and science
- ability to think critically
- an interest in software design and development
Where you can work
As a Manufacturing Production Manager, you could work in the following environments:
- Heavy engineering companies
- Pharmaceutical production companies
- Printing and textile related production facilities
- Production of motor vehicles, and other modes of transport
- Chemical and electronic engineering plants
- Food processing companies
Working Hours
Regular working hours for are between 40 – 45 hours per week, however as a Production Manager, you may be expected to manage shift work or after hours work. You’re in charge of the running of a facility that could potentially be producing a lot of product and stock for various big companies.
Expected Salary
The average salary per year as a Manufacturing Production Manager, in South Africa, is around R369 420 with an hourly rate of about R115, according to PayScale.
As you gain experience as a Production Manager, there would be potential for opportunities to walk up the corporate ladder and you can earn a really good income from being a Manufacturing Production Manager.
What to expect
Here are a few things you can expect from a career as a Manufacturing Production Manager:
- You will be expected to manage not only material, machinery and production systems well, you’ll also be responsible for staff welfare and ensuring people are doing what they are being paid to do
- Expect to manage multiple production lines at the same time, some can be very complex and some not as complex
- Expect to occasionally work after hours, there are some manufacturing plants that will be open 24 hours a day and, as the manager, you might be expected to run with meetings, or shift work even after regular working hours, it all depends on the company culture and regulations
- You may need to manage staff conflict from time to time, the pressures of leading people within a production environment can be heavy, but also rewarding
- Ensuring health and safety standards as well as the quality of production
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