First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

Description

Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairers.

Tasks

  • Determine schedules, sequences, and assignments for work activities, based on work priority, quantity of equipment, and skill of personnel.
  • Monitor employees' work levels and review work performance.
  • Monitor tool and part inventories and the condition and maintenance of shops to ensure adequate working conditions.
  • Investigate accidents or injuries and prepare reports of findings.
  • Recommend or initiate personnel actions, such as hires, promotions, transfers, discharges, or disciplinary measures.
  • Compile operational or personnel records, such as time and production records, inventory data, repair or maintenance statistics, or test results.
  • Develop, implement, or evaluate maintenance policies and procedures.
  • Counsel employees about work-related issues and assist employees to correct job-skill deficiencies.
  • Examine objects, systems, or facilities and analyze information to determine needed installations, services, or repairs.
  • Conduct or arrange for worker training in safety, repair, or maintenance techniques, operational procedures, or equipment use.
  • Inspect and monitor work areas, examine tools and equipment, and provide employee safety training to prevent, detect, and correct unsafe conditions or violations of procedures and safety rules.
  • Inspect, test, and measure completed work, using devices such as hand tools or gauges to verify conformance to standards or repair requirements.
  • Requisition materials and supplies, such as tools, equipment, or replacement parts.
  • Participate in budget preparation and administration, coordinating purchasing and documentation and monitoring departmental expenditures.
  • Perform skilled repair or maintenance operations, using equipment such as hand or power tools, hydraulic presses or shears, or welding equipment.
  • Meet with vendors or suppliers to discuss products used in repair work.
  • Compute estimates and actual costs of factors such as materials, labor, or outside contractors.
  • Review, evaluate, accept, and coordinate completion of work bid from contractors.
  • Confer with personnel, such as management, engineering, quality control, customer, or union workers' representatives, to coordinate work activities, resolve employee grievances, or identify and review resource needs.
  • Develop or implement electronic maintenance programs or computer information management systems.
  • Interpret specifications, blueprints, or job orders to construct templates and lay out reference points for workers.
  • Design equipment configurations to meet personnel needs.

Knowledge

Mechanical
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Personnel and Human Resources
Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Clerical
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Production and Processing
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Skills

Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Management of Financial Resources
Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Written Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Work Activities

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
Coaching and Developing Others
Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Monitoring and Controlling Resources
Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.

Work Context

Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
Structured versus Unstructured Work
To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

Interests

Enterprising
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Social
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Work Style

Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Leadership
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Self Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Work Values

Independence
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Recognition
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Lay Titles

Air Conditioning Supervisor
Air-Conditioning Installer Supervisor
Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor
Airport Maintenance Chief
Airport Skilled Maintenance Supervisor
Apartment Maintenance Supervisor
Appliance Service Supervisor
Artillery Maintenance Supervisor
Assistant Director of Plant Operations
Auto Fleet Maintenance Manager
Auto Mechanic Supervisor
Auto Repair Shop Manager
Auto Specialty Services Manager
Automated Teller Manager
Automobile Body Repair Supervisor
Avionics Shop Supervisor
Bakery Machine Mechanic Supervisor
Body Shop Supervisor
Boiler Repair Supervisor
Boilermaking Supervisor
Brake Repair Supervisor
Buildings and Grounds Superintendent
Bus Repair Supervisor
Cabin Equipment Supervisor
Cable Installation Maintenance and Repair Manager
Cable Supervisor
Canal Equipment Maintenance Supervisor
Car and Yard Supervisor
Car Repair Supervisor
Central Office Repairer Supervisor
Chief Power Dispatcher
Collision Center Manager
Communications Electrician Supervisor
Cooler Service Supervisor
Crew Chief
Crew Leader
Customer Facilities Supervisor
Distribution Superintendent
Dock Supervisor
Electric Distribution Department Manager
Electric Motor Repair Supervisor
Electric Motor Repairing Supervisor
Electrical & Instrumentation Supervisor (E&I Supervisor)
Electrical Appliance Servicer Supervisor
Electrical Foreman
Electrical Installation Supervisor
Electrical Maintenance Supervisor
Electrical Repair and Telephone Line Maintenance Supervisor
Electrical Supervisor
Electrician Substation Supervisor
Electronic Controls Repairer Supervisor
Electronic Maintenance Supervisor
Electronics Systems Maintenance Supervisor
Elevator Constructor Supervisor
Endless Track Vehicle Supervisor
Engine Repair Supervisor
Engine Testing Supervisor
Equipment Maintenance Manager
Equipment Maintenance Supervisor
Equipment Superintendent
Facilities Maintenance Supervisor
Facilities Manager
Facilities Services Director
Facility Maintenance Supervisor
Facility Manager
Facility Services Manager
Farm Equipment Maintenance Supervisor
Fire Fighting Equipment Maintenance Supervisor
Fleet Maintenance Foreman
Fleet Maintenance Supervisor
Flight Test Supervisor
Fuel System Maintenance Supervisor
Garage Manager
Garage Supervisor
Garage Worker

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):
$28.97 hourly, $60,250 annual.
Employment (2008):
421,650 employees