At every stage of the manufacturing process, companies that manufacture products have a wide range of employee positions. Manufacturing jobs include everything from management to building maintenance. Engineers, technicians, and assemblers may be required in the production area, though each company has its own unique needs. Many businesses have an R&D or design department, as well as sales representatives or other specialty departments. Jobs can be permanent with benefits, temporary with benefits, contract work without benefits, or otherwise negotiated.
Production workers make up the majority of manufacturing employees. Depending on the type of product and the company’s needs, these manufacturing jobs may be done on an assembly line or by workers in individual cells or workstations. Entry-level employees, with the help of other departments such as technicians, material handlers, and supervisors, typically create the product.
The type of technical support required is determined by the company’s manufacturing process. Electronics manufacturers require technicians with skills that are distinct from those required by clothing manufacturers. Calibration technician, repair technician, and quality technician are just a few of the technician jobs available in the manufacturing industry. Workers in small businesses may do multiple jobs, and a technician may double as a department supervisor or perform other essential tasks.
Another manufacturing job that varies depending on the needs of the company is supervision. A supervisor, also known as a leader, is a worker who accepts the responsibility of leading a group of people. Most technical colleges offer supervision courses leading to certificates or associate degrees. Supervisors in larger companies do not work on the product and instead focus on ensuring that production runs smoothly and that the company’s objectives are met.
Maintenance, material handling, quality, and other departments all require support personnel. The material handler is part of the shipping and receiving department in some facilities, but it is also assigned to the line supervisor or a worker in others. Several factors influence the size and scope of a quality department, as well as whether or not a company requires one. The quality department may require a large number of highly trained employees in large companies or companies whose products are heavily regulated by a government or other authority. Many small businesses lack a quality assurance department.
Employee training is another type of specialty manufacturing job. Many businesses do not hire a trainer and instead rely on one of their employees to serve as a trainer. Other businesses have trainers on staff. Workers are typically taught proper manufacturing processes, such as techniques and special requirements, as well as safety issues, such as general safety concerns and proper equipment usage, and manufacturing techniques, such as LEAN manufacturing and ISO requirements, by trainers.
Office personnel, managerial staff, engineering and product development personnel, and others make up the other support departments. In some manufacturing jobs, the sales department collaborates closely with the line workers, while in others, the two departments are separate. Support staff may work within a department at times. A CNC machine operator, for example, who relies on a setup person to set up the machine and a CNC programmer to write the machine code is an example of this.
Manufacturing jobs can be found in any industry that creates a product. The food industry, plastics, automobile, marine, or aerospace equipment, and recreational equipment, such as game, sporting, or hobby equipment, are just a few examples of this diverse range of industries. A person looking for a manufacturing job should look for a job in an industry that interests him or her, as well as a job process in which he or she is proficient. A person’s physical abilities often determine which job he or she can do. A job that requires a person to lift heavy objects, for example, may be impossible for some people.