| THE WORK:
A production manager is responsible for ensuring goods are produced to the right quality and quantity, on time and are the right price to meet the customer’s satisfaction.
What does a production manager do?
A production manager is responsible for ensuring goods are produced to the right quality and quantity, on time and are the right price to meet the customer’s satisfaction.
As the UK fashion industry operates in a global environment, production managers are increasingly responsible for the management of supply chains across several countries.
Typical responsibilities include:
· overseeing the production process
· liaising with suppliers about the quality, price, delivery times and ethical standards of the items
· planning, monitoring and altering the production schedules
· overcoming production faults and issues
· liaising with in-house design, sales, buying and quality control teams
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| HOURS AND ENVIRONMENT:
Production managers usually work between 37 and 40 hours a week. Many companies work on a shift pattern and early morning and late night work may be required to deal with problems. Production managers are usually based in an office within the production facility. They may also be required to travel both within the UK and overseas to meet suppliers and clients.
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| SKILLS AND INTERESTS:
It may be useful for someone considering a career as a production manager to have some of the following skills and interests: · knowledge of production processes · the ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines · good IT and numeracy skills · willingness to travel – relevant language skills are considered an advantage · good problem solving skills · excellent management skills · the ability to manage a budget |
| ENTRY :
For this role, employers are usually looking for candidates with a relevant degree, including: · textiles production
· fashion and textiles management
· fashion and clothing technology
Increasingly, opportunities in this area are also being made to graduates from a fashion design degree, particularly those with strong technical skills and knowledge of production.
Many universities offer relevant courses, for more information, visit the UCAS website: www.ucas.co.uk
It may also be possible to begin a career in this area by working as a production assistant or technician.
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| TRAINING :
In most cases training is provided on the job under the supervision of a more experienced colleague. For those who wish to continue to develop their skills, The Textile Institute offers a range of professional qualifications in this area. For more information, visit the website: www.texi.org
The Institute of Operations Management (IOM) also offers a variety of qualifications, which are targeted at the production manager role. For more information, visit the website: www.iomnet.org.uk
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| OPPORTUNITIES:
Demand for experienced production managers in the fashion industry is strong. Those who work towards extra qualifications, such as those above can expect to gain internal promotions. Experienced production managers could also look for opportunities in related areas, such as technical textiles. For more information on this area, visit: www.futuretextiles.co.uk
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| ANNUAL INCOME :
The starting salary for a production manager is usually between £18,000 and £20,000 a year. This will increase with experience to between £25,000 and £30,000 a year. Very experienced production managers could earn between £35,000 and £55,000 a year. Qualification information (external sources) Other sites of interest |
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| Skillset Sector Skills Council Registered charity No: 1015324. Registered office: Focus Point, 21 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9GB |
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