How to hire industrial production managers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Develop or implement production tracking or quality control systems, analyzing production, quality control, maintenance, or other operational reports to detect production problems. • Direct or coordinate production, processing, distribution, or marketing activities of industrial organizations. • Hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances. • Prepare and maintain production reports or personnel records. • Review operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems. • Review plans and confer with research or support staff to develop new products or processes. • Review processing schedules or production orders to make decisions concerning inventory requirements, staffing requirements, work procedures, or duty assignments, considering budgetary limitations and time constraints. • Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active listening, speaking, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension and writing skills • Working knowledge of production and processing, mechanical, administration and management and engineering and technology • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $60.61 an hour ($126,060 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for industrial production managers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to develop or implement production tracking or quality control systems, analyzing production, quality control, maintenance, or other operational reports to detect production problems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to direct or coordinate production, processing, distribution, or marketing activities of industrial organizations. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to prepare and maintain production reports or personnel records. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What industrial production managers do
- Develop or implement production tracking or quality control systems, analyzing production, quality control, maintenance, or other operational reports to detect production problems.
- Direct or coordinate production, processing, distribution, or marketing activities of industrial organizations.
- Hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances.
- Prepare and maintain production reports or personnel records.
- Review operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems.
- Review plans and confer with research or support staff to develop new products or processes.
- Review processing schedules or production orders to make decisions concerning inventory requirements, staffing requirements, work procedures, or duty assignments, considering budgetary limitations and time constraints.
- Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for industrial production managers
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Experience usually needed to start: 5 years or more (BLS)
- Job outlook: +2.6% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 17,000 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay industrial production managers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $148,050 |
| New Jersey | $147,260 |
| New Hampshire | $146,590 |
| Washington | $145,210 |
| Colorado | $141,020 |
| Idaho | $107,340 |
| Nebraska | $107,200 |
| Iowa | $106,510 |
See industrial production managers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Administrative Services Managers
- Facilities Managers
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Financial Managers
- Purchasing Managers
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
- Compensation and Benefits Managers
- Human Resources Managers
- Training and Development Managers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.