Production Controller Job Description
A well‑crafted production controller job description is essential for South African manufacturers, engineering firms and process‑driven businesses that need to coordinate materials, people and machinery efficiently. This role sits at the heart of production planning, scheduling and monitoring to ensure that output targets are met safely, on time and within budget.
Overview of the Production Controller Role
In South Africa, a production controller (often closely aligned with production planner or production coordinator roles) is responsible for planning and controlling manufacturing activities so that customer orders are fulfilled efficiently and cost‑effectively.
According to a manufacturing job profile from Total Recruitment Solutions, production controllers are typically responsible for planning production schedules, tracking work in progress and ensuring the required materials are available to meet delivery deadlines in a factory environment (Total Recruitment Solutions – Production Controller profile).
A job advertisement from Plennegy (Starke Ayres) for a production controller in a seed processing context further shows that the role usually reports to a production or operations manager and focuses on coordinating internal production activities, maintaining records and ensuring compliance with quality standards (Plennegy – Production Controller vacancy).
Across these and similar postings, the core purpose of the position is consistent: the production controller acts as the operational link between production plans, material availability, labour resources and actual output on the shop floor.
Key Responsibilities in a Production Controller Job Description
While specific duties depend on the industry (e.g., food, automotive, FMCG, engineering), South African job listings and role profiles show common responsibility areas.
1. Production Planning and Scheduling
A central aspect of any production controller job description is short‑ to medium‑term planning of production activities.
The Total Recruitment Solutions profile highlights responsibilities such as:
- Planning production schedules based on customer orders and forecasts
- Coordinating with procurement and stores to ensure materials are available when required
- Sequencing jobs to optimise machine utilisation and reduce changeover times
(Total Recruitment Solutions – Production Controller profile)
Similarly, the Plennegy production controller advert notes that the incumbent must coordinate production plans in line with seasonal demand and ensure that processing timelines are met (Plennegy – Production Controller vacancy).
2. Monitoring Production Progress and Performance
Production controllers track actual performance against the plan to identify delays, bottlenecks or quality issues.
A production controller advert from Professional Career Services requires the incumbent to monitor work in progress, ensure on‑time completion of jobs and adjust schedules when disruptions occur (Professional Career Services – Production Controller ad). This typically includes:
- Tracking daily or shift‑based production output
- Following up on late jobs or machine breakdowns
- Escalating issues that affect delivery dates
In a food manufacturing context, a job listing on Careers24 for a production controller in Cape Town also emphasises monitoring line performance, ensuring adherence to production targets and reporting variances to management (Careers24 – Production Controller (Food Manufacturing)).
3. Coordination Between Departments
The production controller serves as a key coordinator between production, stores, procurement, maintenance and sometimes sales or customer service.
According to the Total Recruitment Solutions role description, production controllers liaise with purchasing to confirm material lead times and with production supervisors to align labour allocation with the plan (Total Recruitment Solutions – Production Controller profile). Common coordination tasks include:
- Communicating schedule changes to supervisors and line leaders
- Coordinating with maintenance to plan downtime for repairs or servicing
- Liaising with logistics or dispatch to align completion dates with delivery plans
4. Materials and Inventory Control
Many South African production controller job descriptions include a strong focus on materials planning and inventory control.
The Plennegy vacancy specifies that the production controller must ensure that all raw materials and packaging are available in the correct quantities and at the right time for production runs (Plennegy – Production Controller vacancy). This often involves:
- Checking stock levels against the production plan
- Requesting replenishment or raising internal requisitions
- Minimising wastage and excess inventory through accurate planning
In some engineering and fabrication environments, controllers are also responsible for issuing job cards and ensuring that components are picked from stores as per bill of materials, as seen in manufacturing roles advertised through Professional Career Services (Professional Career Services – Production Controller ad).
5. Quality, Compliance and Documentation
Accurate documentation and adherence to quality or food safety standards are frequently included in production controller roles, especially in regulated industries.
The food manufacturing job posting on Careers24 notes that the production controller must ensure that production processes comply with internal quality standards and external regulations applicable to the facility (Careers24 – Production Controller (Food Manufacturing)). Typical quality‑related responsibilities can include:
- Ensuring batch records, production reports and traceability documents are completed
- Verifying that standard operating procedures (SOPs) are followed on the line
- Supporting audits by providing accurate production data and records
6. Reporting and Continuous Improvement
Production controllers are expected to provide clear, data‑driven information to management and contribute to productivity improvements.
In the Total Recruitment Solutions profile, the position requires compiling daily or weekly production reports, highlighting variances from plan and proposing corrective actions (Total Recruitment Solutions – Production Controller profile). Similar responsibilities appear in multiple manufacturing adverts that call for:
- Generating KPIs such as output, scrap, downtime and on‑time delivery
- Identifying bottlenecks and suggesting improvements to processes or layouts
- Participating in continuous improvement or lean manufacturing initiatives
Skills, Requirements and Typical Qualifications
A production controller job description in South Africa generally combines technical production knowledge with strong coordination and administrative skills.
1. Educational Background
Job advertisements show that employers commonly look for technical or operations‑related qualifications:
- The Professional Career Services production controller ad specifies a technical qualification in engineering or a related field as advantageous, along with experience in a manufacturing environment (Professional Career Services – Production Controller ad).
- In agricultural and seed processing, Plennegy lists a relevant diploma or degree (for example, agriculture, production or logistics) as a typical requirement for their production controller role (Plennegy – Production Controller vacancy).
Many employers also consider substantial practical experience in place of formal tertiary study, especially in smaller manufacturing operations.
2. Experience in Production or Manufacturing
Practical experience is a key part of most production controller job descriptions:
- The Careers24 food manufacturing vacancy requires prior experience in a similar production coordination or controller role in a fast‑moving consumer goods (FMCG) environment (Careers24 – Production Controller (Food Manufacturing)).
- The Total Recruitment Solutions profile emphasises experience in planning and controlling factory production, often with specific industry exposure (such as engineering, packaging or automotive) (Total Recruitment Solutions – Production Controller profile).
Employers typically value candidates who understand shop‑floor processes, machine capabilities and production constraints.
3. Technical and Systems Skills
Because the role is heavily data‑ and schedule‑driven, strong systems skills are essential:
- The Professional Career Services advert highlights proficiency in production planning systems and Microsoft Excel for tracking jobs and compiling reports (Professional Career Services – Production Controller ad).
- In some environments, exposure to ERP or MRP systems is specifically mentioned, particularly where production orders, bills of materials and inventory are integrated digitally, as suggested by broader South African manufacturing job postings on platforms like Careers24 (Careers24 – Production Controller (Food Manufacturing)).
Typical technical capabilities include:
- Understanding of production planning principles (e.g., capacity planning, sequencing)
- Ability to interpret bills of materials and routings
- Competence in generating and analysing production performance reports
4. Soft Skills and Behavioural Competencies
Across multiple adverts, consistent behavioural requirements emerge:
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills to coordinate with supervisors, operators and support departments are mentioned in the Total Recruitment Solutions and Professional Career Services profiles (Total Recruitment Solutions – Production Controller profile; Professional Career Services – Production Controller ad).
- The Careers24 listing emphasises attention to detail, the ability to work under pressure and strong organisational skills for managing multiple production lines and tight deadlines (Careers24 – Production Controller (Food Manufacturing)).
Commonly sought soft skills include:
- Problem‑solving and decision‑making when plans are disrupted
- Time management and prioritisation
- Teamwork and the ability to influence without direct authority
5. Knowledge of Health, Safety and Quality Standards
In manufacturing and processing environments, production controllers must be aware of applicable health, safety and quality frameworks.
For example, the food manufacturing vacancy on Careers24 notes that the controller must ensure that line operations comply with company standards and any relevant food safety requirements (Careers24 – Production Controller (Food Manufacturing)). In other industries, controllers may need familiarity with ISO standards or specific customer quality requirements, as reflected in engineering‑focused adverts summarised by Professional Career Services (Professional Career Services – Production Controller ad).
Conclusion
A comprehensive production controller job description helps South African organisations define a role that is critical to efficient, reliable manufacturing operations. Drawing on recent local job profiles from providers such as Total Recruitment Solutions, Plennegy, Professional Career Services and Careers24, a clear pattern emerges:
- The role centres on production planning, scheduling and coordination.
- It requires close monitoring of output and proactive resolution of delays.
- Effective controllers balance materials, labour and machine capacity, while maintaining quality, safety and accurate documentation.
By clearly setting out these responsibilities, required skills and experience, employers can attract suitably qualified production controllers who can optimise production performance and support sustainable growth in their operations.