| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Production |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Production Manager |
| Direct reports | Production Supervisor, Production Executive, Line Leader |
| Experience | 6 to 10 years on the shop floor with 2 years supervising |
Shift In-Charge job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Shift In-Charge
Department: Production
Reports to: Production Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Shift In-Charge owns a full production shift across several lines or sections. They plan manning for the whole shift, set section targets, coordinate maintenance, stores and quality, and answer for total shift output, rejection and safety. Supervisors report to them. The role reports to the Production Manager. A good shift in-charge starts every line on time with the right crew, holds output and quality across the shift, and hands over a clean, accurate picture to the next shift.
Key responsibilities
- Plan manning for the whole shift across all lines, and redeploy operators to cover absentees and bottlenecks.
- Set section targets from the day's plan and review progress with supervisors at fixed points in the shift.
- Coordinate maintenance, stores, quality and utilities so no line is held up during the shift.
- Decide the response to a major breakdown or quality hold, and keep the Production Manager informed.
- Review hourly output across sections, find the shift's biggest loss, and act on it before it repeats.
- Enforce safety and discipline for the whole shift, and investigate any incident or near miss on the spot.
- Approve overtime for the shift within the plan, and make sure it is recorded for payroll.
- Chair the shift start-up meeting and set priorities for despatch, rework and pending work orders.
- Verify production, rejection and downtime entries for all sections before the shift closes.
- Complete a written shift handover covering output, open issues, machine status and safety events.
Requirements
- Diploma or degree in Mechanical or Production Engineering
- ITI with long shop floor experience is accepted
- Safety or fire training is an advantage
- 6 to 10 years on the shop floor with 2 years supervising
KRAs and KPIs for a Shift In-Charge
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Shift output | Total shift output meets plan on at least 95 percent of shifts each month |
| Line uptime | Combined line downtime across the shift held below 4 percent of running time |
| Quality | Shift-level rejection within target with defect trends acted on the same shift |
| Manpower cover | Every line started on time with a full crew on at least 98 percent of shifts |
| Safety | Zero lost-time incidents and every near miss recorded and closed in the shift |
| Handover | Accurate written handover completed at the end of every shift with no disputed entries |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: ERP production module, Shift dashboard, Vernier and gauges, Two-way radio, Attendance punch device.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Production Engineer, Assistant Production Manager, Production Manager
Interview questions for a Shift In-Charge
- How do you plan manning for a shift when three lines run at once and two people are absent?
- A key machine breaks down at the start of the night shift. Walk me through your response.
- How do you decide when to authorise overtime and when to hold the work for the next shift?
- A near miss happens on your shift. What do you do in the first thirty minutes?
- How do you make sure the handover to the next shift is complete and honest?
- Tell me about a shift where output collapsed. What was the root cause and your fix?
Managing a Shift In-Charge in ZeniaHR
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What does a shift in-charge do?
A shift in-charge runs a complete production shift across all its lines. They plan manning, set section targets, coordinate maintenance, stores and quality, decide the response to breakdowns, control overtime, enforce safety and hand over the shift. They answer to the Production Manager for the shift's total output, rejection and safety record.
Is a shift in-charge higher than a supervisor?
Yes. A supervisor looks after one line or section, while a shift in-charge is responsible for the whole shift and usually has several supervisors reporting to them. The shift in-charge plans across lines, handles major breakdowns and represents the shift to the Production Manager.
What experience does a shift in-charge need?
Most shift in-charge roles need several years on the shop floor, including time as a supervisor. Employers look for people who can plan manning across lines, take quick decisions during breakdowns, control overtime and lead a full shift safely. A diploma or degree in engineering helps for growth into management.