What Does a Line Manager Do?

A line manager is an individual who has control over a certain department in an organization that relates to products or services. Specific job details differ depending on the industry in which the individual is employed but they are generally responsible for ensuring quality of the product or service, managing employees in the department and attempting to meet the organization's goals. Line managers also are responsible for setting policies, under the guidance of upper-level management, that lead to cultural changes within the department.

The main job of the position is to manage the employees working directly under him. This means creating schedules, performing employee evaluations and dealing with any problems that might develop between the employees. It is also the job of the line manager to implement changes that upper-management wants to occur within the organization, which means inspiring the employees to make them happen. The manager has to have leadership qualities to be able to pull these tasks off effectively and with the respect of the employees. When employee discipline occurs in the department, it is the line manager who has to enforce it.

In industrial productions, it is the line manager's job to make sure that the production lines run efficiently. When changes need to be made to make the department run more smoothly, the line manager suggests the changes to upper-level management. He also ensure that production goals are met, shipping occurs smoothly and the equipment is up to par. This position entails being familiar with quality control and enforcing any areas where it is not being met.

Line managers often work with managers in other areas of the company to improve the overall efficiency of the organization. This means spending time in meetings with management as well as performing office tasks and working directly on the production floor. The line manager splits his time between these areas to make sure that budgets and paperwork are completed and that things are running smoothly in the production area. A line manager will often develop budgets for the department and present them to upper-level management.

When the organization determines that cultural changes are needed, such as boosting employee morale or changing the way that an area is run, the line manager makes sure that this happens in his department. This might mean working as a go-between between the employees and upper-level management to create short and long-term goals that ultimately affect the well-being of the company. In this way, the line manager is a mediator.