Manufacturing is a booming industry. Some would even say it is the core of the United States’ economy. In fact, the majority do. Over 70 percent of Americans today view manufacturing as the most important industry for a strong economy and national defense. The technological and green energy advances our nation has made over the years are continuously encouraging businesses to bring their manufacturing operations to the United States, stirring many opportunities for manufacturing students.

If you are interested in pursuing manufacturing training, there is no doubt that many doors will open for you as you begin your search for a manufacturing career. The demand for trained, educated workers is now high. As the industry grows, so will the need for qualified manufacturing professionals.

There are several manufacturing degrees and certifications you can earn in order to score a career in this thriving industry. From supply chain to logistics, production to machining, engineering to management, the possibilities are truly endless. How will you know which is the right path for you?

If you have leadership skills, people skills, and are interested in managing how products are built, you may be interested in manufacturing management. Manufacturing management is a bachelor’s degree program aimed to provide students with hands-on manufacturing and management experiences. At the end of this degree program, manufacturing students can:

• Supervise manufacturing processes
• Manage human and mechanical resources within budgetary and schedule constraints
• Oversee lean manufacturing processes and confirm high quality products
• Govern green manufacturing processes
• Ensure industrial safety, team dynamics, purchasing, and excellent customer service

Similarly to supply chain management​, manufacturing management relies on managing the production of high quality products, ensuring efficiencies and quick delivery to consumers. As a four-year degree, however, manufacturing management stands tall. Those with a manufacturing management degree can obtain higher-paying management positions and promotions than those without a college education.

In-demand manufacturing manager jobs include:

Logistician – Students with a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing are qualified to become a logistician. Logisticians are involved with the analytics and coordination of a company’s supply chain. They are responsible for overseeing the entire life cycle of a given product, from creation to distribution to delivery. Logisticians manage the efficiencies of manufacturing companies. As the need to move products quickly grows, so will the need for those in this career.

Quality Manager – Quality managers in the manufacturing industry are focused primarily on improving the quality of a product. They ensure that products meet minimum standards of quality, examining for defects or deviations, to guarantee customer satisfaction. They research customer feedback, marketplace trends, and competition, in addition to monitoring quality performance and conducting audits, to fuel business decisions regarding quality control.

Safety Supervisor – In manufacturing, a safety supervisor will inspect plants and educate workers on safety policies to ensure that both people and property are protected on the job. Safety supervisors evaluate machinery as well as the safety gear of employees to identify any hazardous areas of the workplace. Otherwise known as occupational health and safety specialists, safety supervisors typically require a bachelor’s degree.

Production Controller or Planner – Production controllers can manage the entirety of a manufacturing company’s production plant, or a single aspect of the production process. Production planners organize the production and manufacturing modules of a company. The two positions often overlap, as they each involve execution planning, optimizing manufacturing processes, and managing production either on or off field. According to the BLS, professionals in manufacturing production need a bachelor’s degree as well as related work experience in the manufacturing management field.

The jobs above are just a handful of manufacturing manager positions you can pursue with a bachelor’s degree from Goodwin College. Here, we encourage students to explore the many manufacturing careers obtainable through our manufacturing management degree program, such as facilities supervisors, field service representatives, first-line supervisors, human resources administrators, inspection supervisors, inventory managers, purchasing agents, shipping supervisors, and more.

For more information on our manufacturing degree and certificate programs, please visit Goodwin.edu/majors/manufacturing today!