Careers > First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

$63.51K Median Salary 63.4K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 3.7% Job Growth

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About This Career

Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of production and operating workers, such as inspectors, precision workers, machine setters and operators, assemblers, fabricators, and plant and system operators. Excludes team or work leaders.

Reported Job Titles

Assembly Supervisor, Line Supervisor, Manufacturing Supervisor, Molding Supervisor, Plant Supervisor, Production Manager, Production Supervisor, Quality Assurance Supervisor (QA Supervisor)

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Problem Sensitivity

Deductive Reasoning

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Written Comprehension

Inductive Reasoning

Written Expression

Category Flexibility

Information Ordering

Near Vision

Fluency of Ideas

Originality

Perceptual Speed

Visualization

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Far Vision

Flexibility of Closure

Manual Dexterity

Mathematical Reasoning

Selective Attention

Knowledge

Production and Processing

Administration and Management

Personnel and Human Resources

English Language

Administrative

Computers and Electronics

Mathematics

Education and Training

Mechanical

Engineering and Technology

Skills

Active Listening

Management of Personnel Resources

Speaking

Time Management

Coordination

Critical Thinking

Monitoring

Social Perceptiveness

Judgment and Decision Making

Reading Comprehension

Active Learning

Complex Problem Solving

Learning Strategies

Operations Monitoring

Systems Analysis

Writing

Instructing

Negotiation

Persuasion

Quality Control Analysis

Service Orientation

Systems Evaluation

Technology Skills

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Presentation software

Electronic mail software

Internet browser software

Data base user interface and query software

Time accounting software

Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software

Project management software

Word processing software

Spreadsheet software

Enterprise application integration software

Office suite software

Cloud-based data access and sharing software

Financial analysis software

Computer aided design CAD software

Human resources software

Analytical or scientific software

Industrial control software

Computer aided manufacturing CAM software

Operating system software

Inventory management software

Tools

Hard hats

Scanners

Hazardous material protective apparel

Touch screen monitors

Notebook computers

Safety glasses

Laser printers

Safety shoes

Desktop computers

Personal computers

Respirators

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Knowledge

Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Administrative: Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Skills

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

Technology Skills

Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Internet browser software: Web browser software
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Time accounting software: Timekeeping software
Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software: Production scheduling software
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Enterprise application integration software: Electronic Data Interchange EDI systems
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Dropbox; Google Drive; Microsoft SharePoint
Financial analysis software: Delphi Technology
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit
Human resources software: ADP Workforce Now
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Industrial control software: Industrial Scientific iNET; QuestSuite Professional
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software: 1CadCam Unigraphics; Geometric CAMWorks; Siemens NX
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Inventory management software: Assisi Software Assisi Inventory