Production Supervisor job description
A Production Supervisor leads a shift or line on the shop floor and makes sure the day's output is made safely, to the right quality and on time. The role links the plant manager to the operators.
Why the role exists
The Production Supervisor leads operators and helpers on a line or shift in a factory. In Indian small and medium plants the role reports to the production manager and is the first person the team goes to for materials, machine problems and manpower gaps.
What the person does
- Collect the shift plan from the production manager and brief operators on targets, priorities and any changes.
- Assign operators to machines and stations each shift, covering absentees by moving people or arranging overtime.
- Check that raw material, tools and fixtures are ready at the line before the shift starts.
- Monitor output through the shift and record hourly production, rejections and stoppage reasons.
- Call maintenance and quality at once when a machine fails or a defect repeats, and note the time lost.
- Enforce safe work habits, such as protective equipment, guards in place and tidy walkways, every shift.
- Complete the shift report and hand over clearly to the next supervisor, including open issues and pending jobs.
- Train new operators on the job and report attendance, discipline and performance concerns to the manager.
Skills and tools
- Shift planning and manpower allocation on a line
- Reading job cards, drawings and work instructions
- Production tracking in registers, Excel or a plant ERP
- Basic knowledge of lean tools such as 5S and Kaizen
- Understanding of common machine downtime and quick fixes
- Quality awareness, including inspection points and rejection handling
- Shop floor communication in Hindi, Kannada or the local language and English
- Leading and correcting a team without conflict
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- ITI, diploma in mechanical, production or related field preferred, or equivalent shop floor experience.
- Experience as a senior operator or line leader in a manufacturing unit preferred.
- Working knowledge of production records and basic Excel preferred, or equivalent experience.
- Training in workplace safety and 5S is useful; specific requirements depend on the employer and should be confirmed with its own adviser.
How the work is judged
- Output against the shift plan, with fewer unplanned stops.
- Rejection and rework rates for the line over time.
- Safety discipline, judged by observations, near misses and housekeeping.
- Quality of shift reports and handovers to the next shift.
- Team attendance, skill growth and relationships with operators.
Where the role can lead
- Senior Production Supervisor or Shift In-charge handling multiple lines.
- Assistant Production Manager, then Production Manager.
- Move into planning, quality or lean roles with added training.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- A machine stops one hour into the shift with a customer order due. Walk us through what you do.
- Two of your best operators are absent today. How do you cover the line?
- Tell us about a time you found a repeated defect. How did you trace it and stop it?
- An operator refuses to wear protective equipment, saying it slows him down. How do you handle it?
- How do you hand over a shift so the next supervisor starts without surprises?
- What do you record each hour, and what do you do with that information?
Hiring tips for this role
- Ask the candidate to describe a bad shift in detail. Real supervisors give names of machines, jobs and fixes, while weak ones stay general.
- Visit the floor with the candidate and ask what they see. A good supervisor spots hazards, idle machines and stock piled in wrong places.
- Check how they speak to operators in an informal talk. Supervisors who shout or avoid conflict often lose control of the line.
- Verify the scale of past work, such as number of operators led and type of machines. Titles vary widely between plants.
Questions about hiring a production supervisor
A supervisor runs a line or shift and works close to operators. A manager plans across lines, handles targets, cost and people issues, and usually manages several supervisors.
Not always. Many good supervisors are experienced operators with a strong track record. A diploma or ITI is helpful but is stated as preferred, or equivalent experience, in the job description.
It depends on the plant. Many run two or three shifts, and supervisors may rotate. State the shift pattern and overtime expectations in the job description so candidates know what to expect.
GullyHR works on permanent hiring. We agree the job description with you, screen candidates for floor experience and leadership, and support the offer. You decide who joins your plant.
Hiring a production supervisor?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.