Metal production manager

Metal production managers organise and manage the day-to-day and long-term project work in a metal fabrication factory, to process basic metals into fabricated metals. They create and schedule production plans, recruit new staff, enforce safety and company policies, and strive for customer satisfaction through guaranteeing the product’s quality.

The following job titles also refer to metal production manager:

metal development managers
facility manager
metal engineer
operations manager
metal development engineers
development engineer
metal planning engineer
plant manager
metal production manager
metal development experts
site manager

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as metal production manager. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Metal production manager is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to metal production manager.

chemical plant manager
metallurgical manager
foundry manager
industrial production manager
sewerage systems manager

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of metal production manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of metal production manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of metal production manager.

Manufacturing processes: The steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.
Types of metal: Qualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.
Types of metal manufacturing processes: Metal processes linked to the different types of metal, such as casting processes, heat treatment processes, repair processes and other metal manufacturing processes.

These skills are necessary for the role of metal production manager.

Manage supplies: Monitor and control the flow of supplies that includes the purchase, storage and movement of the required quality of raw materials, and also work-in-progress inventory. Manage supply chain activities and synchronise supply with demand of production and customer.
Manage stocked company material: Maintain company material and stocked product inventory by keeping track of stock profiles and locations.
Forecast organisational risks: Analyse the operations and actions of a company in order to assess their repercussions, possible risks for the company, and to develop suitable strategies to address these.
Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
Strive for company growth: Develop strategies and plans aiming at achieving a sustained company growth, be the company self-owned or somebody else’s. Strive with actions to increase revenues and positive cash flows.
Optimise financial performance: Direct and coordinate the organisation’s financial operations and budget activities, in order to optimise financial performance.
Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Create manufacturing guidelines: Draft procedures and guidelines to ensure that government and industry regulations are met by manufacturers in both international and domestic markets.
Define manufacturing quality criteria: Define and describe the criteria by which data quality is measured for manufacturing purposes, such as international standards and manufacturing regulations.
Improve business processes: Optimise the series of operations of an organisation to achieve efficiency. Analyse and adapt existing business operations in order to set new objectives and meet new goals.
Develop manufacturing policies: Develop policies and procedures applied in manufacturing with the aim of improving competitiveness and capabilities of the industry.
Manage commercial risks: Analyse and evaluate commercial risks and develop suitable strategies to resolve these risks.
Procure mechanical machinery: Procure adequate machinery. Research the market to find the best machinery, staying within budget limits, and negotiate the purchase. Maintain records.
Meet deadlines: Ensure operative processes are finished at a previously agreed-upon time.
Adhere to organisational guidelines: Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.
Plan health and safety procedures: Set up procedures for maintaining and improving health and safety in the workplace.
Replace machines: Evaluate when to invest in replacing machines or machine tools and take the necessary actions.
Analyse goal progress: Analyse the steps which have been taken in order to reach the organisation’s goals in order to assess the progress which has been made, the feasibility of the goals, and to ensure the goals can be met according to deadlines.
Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.
Follow company standards: Lead and manage according to the organisation’s code of conduct.
Use it tools: Application of computers, computer networks and other information technologies and equipment to storing, retrieving, transmitting and manipulating data, in the context of a business or enterprise.
Implement strategic planning: Take action on the goals and procedures defined at a strategic level in order to mobilise resources and pursue the established strategies.
Control production: Plan, coordinate, and direct all production activities to insure the goods are made on time, in correct order, of adequate quality and composition, starting from intake goods up to shipping.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of metal production manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Innovation processes: The techniques, models, methods and strategies which contribute to the promotion of steps towards innovation.
Ferrous metal processing: Various processing methods on iron and iron-containing alloys such as steel, stainless steel and pig iron.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of metal production manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Maintain relationship with customers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and services and by supplying after-sales information and service.
Manage emergency procedures: React quickly in case of emergency and set planned emergency procedures in motion.
Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
Ensure quality of final product: Ensure that finished products meet or exceed company specifications.
Manage company transport strategy: Manage the transport strategies of a company; communicate with members of management team; ensure strategies accord with company goals.
Communicate commercial and technical issues in foreign languages: Speak one or more foreign languages in order to communicate commercial and technical issues with various suppliers and clients.
Ensure correct goods labelling: Ensure that goods are labeled with all necessary labeling information (e.g. legal, technological, hazardous and others) regarding the product. Ensure that labels respects the legal requirements and adhere to regulations.
Plan shifts of employees: Plans shifts of employees to ensure completion of all customer orders and satisfactory completion of the production plan.
Negotiate with stakeholders: Negotiate compromises with stakeholders and strive to reach the most beneficial agreements for the company. May involve building relationships with suppliers and customers, as well as ensuring products are profitable.
Measure customer feedback: Evaluate customer’s comments in order to find out whether customers feel satisfied or dissatisfied with the product or service.
File claims with insurance companies: File a factual request to an insurance company in case a problem occurs which is covered under an insurance policy.
Liaise with quality assurance: Work closely with the relevant quality assurance or grading party involved.
Identify market niches: Analyse the composition of the markets, segment these into groups, and highlight the opportunities that each one of these niches represent in terms of new products.
Negotiate supplier arrangements: Reach an agreement with the supplier upon technical, quantity, quality, price, conditions, storage, packaging, send-back and other requirements related to the purchasing and delivering process.
Manage discarded products: Manage production stops due to insufficient product quality and manage associated waste issues within the scope of good manufacturing practices.
Communicate production plan: Communicates production plan to all levels in a way that targets, processes, and requirements are clear. Ensures that information is passed to everyone involved in the process assuming their responsibility for overall success.
Apply control process statistical methods: Apply statistical methods from Design of Experiments (DOE) and Statistical Process Control (SPC) in order to control manufacturing processes.
Analyse production processes for improvement: Analyse production processes leading toward improvement. Analyse in order to reduce production losses and overall manufacturing costs.
Perform market research: Gather, assess and represent data about target market and customers in order to facilitate strategic development and feasibility studies. Identify market trends.

1321 – Manufacturing managers

 

 

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References

1. Metal production manager – ESCO