Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) Job Description
A ready-to-customise job description template for hiring a Production Supervisor in UK manufacturing or light-industrial operations. Use this template to describe the role, responsibilities, essential skills and desirable extras so you attract experienced supervisors who can manage shifts, quality and safety on the shop floor.
What does a Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) professional do?
A Production Supervisor leads a team on the shop floor to meet production targets while maintaining quality, safety and on-time delivery.
Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Production Supervisor
About the role
[Company name] is seeking a reliable Production Supervisor to oversee day-to-day manufacturing operations at our [Location] facility. You will lead a team of production operatives, manage shift schedules, monitor quality and performance, and drive continuous improvements to meet output targets. This is a [permanent/temporary] role working [hours/shifts] reporting to the Production Manager. Salary: [insert salary or band].
Key responsibilities
- Supervise and coordinate daily production activities across assigned shifts to meet output targets and delivery deadlines.
- Allocate tasks, roster staff and manage shift handovers to maintain consistent production flow.
- Monitor production quality and implement corrective actions when defects or non-conformances occur.
- Maintain accurate production records, including output, downtime and scrap, and report key metrics to management.
- Enforce health, safety and housekeeping standards on the floor and ensure team compliance with site procedures.
- Identify process bottlenecks and drive small-scale continuous improvement initiatives (5S, waste reduction, minor process adjustments).
- Support training and onboarding for new operatives and provide regular performance feedback to direct reports.
- Coordinate with maintenance, quality and supply teams to resolve machine, tooling or material issues promptly.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience supervising a production team in a manufacturing, packing or assembly environment.
- Ability to read basic production paperwork, follow procedures and interpret simple production metrics.
- Effective team leadership and communication skills, with experience giving direction on shift.
- Practical understanding of health & safety requirements in a manufacturing environment.
- Hands-on approach and ability to work on the shop floor for extended periods during shifts.
- Right to work in the UK and willingness to work the rota/shifts required by the role.
Desirable
- Experience with lean manufacturing tools (e.g. 5S, Kaizen) or involvement in continuous improvement projects.
- Formal training or certification in health & safety (IOSH/NEBOSH) or supervision (e.g. team leader course).
- Forklift truck licence / materials handling certificate.
- Familiarity with an ERP/MRP system or production scheduling software.
- Level 2 or 3 vocational qualification in manufacturing, engineering or production (NVQ, BTEC or equivalent).
What we offer
- Salary/band: [insert salary or band]
- Pension scheme: [insert employer contribution details]
- Annual leave: [insert entitlement] + bank holidays
- Shift allowance / unsocial hours premium where applicable
- Training and development: [details or budget]
- Employee support: [e.g. health scheme, EAP, or on-site facilities]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) role?
A Production Supervisor manages a team of production operatives to deliver daily manufacturing targets while maintaining product quality and safe working conditions. They coordinate staff rotas, monitor machine performance and material availability, resolve immediate production issues and feed performance data to senior production staff. The role combines hands-on shop-floor supervision with basic record-keeping and continuous improvement activity.
Core focus
Lead shop-floor activity to meet production, quality and safety targets across assigned shifts.
People management
Supervise, train and develop operatives; manage daily task allocation and shift handovers.
Shifts & hours
Most roles require shift work or flexible hours; clearly state rota and overtime expectations in the advert.
Process improvement
Identify minor process improvements and work with maintenance and quality teams on fixes.
Typical Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Supervise
Supervise and coordinate daily production activities across assigned shifts to meet output targets and delivery deadlines.
Allocate tasks
Allocate tasks, roster staff and manage shift handovers to maintain consistent production flow.
Monitor production quality
Monitor production quality and implement corrective actions when defects or non-conformances occur.
Maintain accurate production records
Maintain accurate production records, including output, downtime and scrap, and report key metrics to management.
Enforce health
Enforce health, safety and housekeeping standards on the floor and ensure team compliance with site procedures.
Identify process bottlenecks
Identify process bottlenecks and drive small-scale continuous improvement initiatives (5S, waste reduction, minor process adjustments).
Support training
Support training and onboarding for new operatives and provide regular performance feedback to direct reports.
Coordinate with maintenance
Coordinate with maintenance, quality and supply teams to resolve machine, tooling or material issues promptly.
Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven experience supervising a production team in a manufacturing, packing or assembly environment.
- Ability to read basic production paperwork, follow procedures and interpret simple production metrics.
- Effective team leadership and communication skills, with experience giving direction on shift.
- Practical understanding of health & safety requirements in a manufacturing environment.
- Hands-on approach and ability to work on the shop floor for extended periods during shifts.
- Right to work in the UK and willingness to work the rota/shifts required by the role.
Useful where relevant
- Experience with lean manufacturing tools (e.g. 5S, Kaizen) or involvement in continuous improvement projects.
- Formal training or certification in health & safety (IOSH/NEBOSH) or supervision (e.g. team leader course).
- Forklift truck licence / materials handling certificate.
- Familiarity with an ERP/MRP system or production scheduling software.
- Level 2 or 3 vocational qualification in manufacturing, engineering or production (NVQ, BTEC or equivalent).
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be explicit about shift pattern
State exact hours, shift rota and overtime expectations — many production candidates filter roles by shift type.
List measurable responsibilities
Include typical team size, daily targets, KPIs and reporting lines so applicants understand the scale of the role.
Highlight safety and training
Emphasise a strong safety record and available training or development pathways to attract experienced supervisors.
Use clear placeholders for employer details
Insert location, salary band and contract type using simple placeholders so the advert is easy to adapt for different sites.
Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) salary considerations
Pay for a Production Supervisor varies by location, industry and the hours required. Rather than a single market figure, consider the factors below when setting your salary band.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What are the shift patterns and working hours?
Candidates need to know start/finish times, whether shifts rotate, frequency of weekend work and overtime expectations.
How is pay structured and are there shift premiums?
Clarify hourly rate or salary band, any unsocial hours allowance, overtime rates and frequency of pay reviews.
What health & safety measures are in place?
Applicants will want to know about PPE, training, incident rates and how the employer enforces safety on site.
Is training and progression available?
Describe on-the-job training, recognised qualifications offered and typical career pathways from the supervisory role.
What machinery, systems or software will I work with?
List key equipment, any specific certifications needed and whether an ERP/MRP system is used for scheduling.
Where is the site and what are commuting options?
Provide the exact site location, parking availability and nearby public transport where relevant.
Where to post a Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) job
For a Production Supervisor role, combine broad UK job boards with sector-specific channels such as manufacturing or engineering job sites and specialist recruitment groups. Use LinkedIn and local industry networks to reach candidates with supervisory experience, and consider targeted outreach to local colleges, apprenticeships alumni and recruitment agencies if you need candidates with specific machine or shift experience. When choosing channels, prioritise those that reach candidates who are willing to work the rota and commute to your site.
Related manufacturing & operations job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Production Supervisor Job Description Template (Example) job description FAQs
Do Production Supervisors need formal qualifications?
Formal qualifications are helpful but not always essential. Employers typically prioritise hands-on supervisory experience, a sound understanding of production processes and health & safety awareness. Relevant vocational qualifications or accredited safety training are a plus.
How should I set the essential requirements?
Make only non-negotiable items essential: supervisory experience, right to work in the UK and the ability to work required hours. Put skills such as forklift licence, NEBOSH or ERP experience in the desirable section unless they are genuinely required for the role.
What is the best way to attract experienced supervisors?
Be clear about shift patterns, team size, required skills and opportunities for training or progression. Competitive shift premiums and transparent pay bands also improve response rates.
Are health checks or medical screenings necessary?
Some roles with heavy manual handling or safety-sensitive machinery may require a medical or fitness-for-work assessment. Check whether a pre-employment health check is appropriate for the duties you set in the advert.
What checks should I run before hiring?
Standard checks include right-to-work verification and references. Additional checks such as driving licence validation or role-specific certifications can be requested where relevant.
Ready to customise and post?
Use this template to tailor the job description to your site, insert the correct location, salary band and shift details, then publish across the recruitment channels that best reach supervisory talent in your area.
