An essential but invisible gear
At the heart of every industrial plant—between assembly lines, rotating shifts, and production schedules—there’s a role that rarely gets highlighted in strategic reports but without which nothing works: the production manager.
These middle managers, who combine operational supervision with team leadership, are the link between executive planning and the shop floor reality. And yet, they are seldom recognized as the strategic assets they truly are.
Balancing deadlines and operational precision
A production manager must deliver measurable results—efficiency, quality, safety, on-time targets—while leading teams, solving incidents, and adapting production to changing demand. They do this with limited resources, tight deadlines, and often without a seat at the strategic table.
Added to that is growing complexity: digital transformation, environmental compliance, labor safety regulations, supply chain disruptions, and staff turnover. This role demands increasing versatility, technical knowledge, communication skills, and resilience.
The paradox of a technical profile with leadership potential
At onhunters, we’ve seen a growing demand for professionals who not only have technical training but also leadership skills, team management experience, and a mindset for continuous improvement. Production engineers, plant supervisors, shift managers, or manufacturing coordinators who can handle daily operations without losing sight of KPIs.
Industry needs leaders who understand operational reality and know how to anticipate issues, implement solutions, motivate teams, and communicate across functions. However, these profiles are becoming harder to find—whether due to a generational gap, lack of soft skills training, or limited internal development.
How to attract and retain these key professionals
At onhunters, we work with industrial companies that understand talent doesn’t just sit at the executive level. A large part of industrial performance lies in its middle management. We help to:
- Clearly define strategic production profiles
- Assess soft skills and operational leadership
- Redesign job offers to retain key production talent
- Strengthen industrial employer branding from within
Having the right production manager means control, adaptability, and efficiency. It means fewer errors, improved shift planning, faster responses, and cost optimization. In short: it means making industry work.
