The project supervisor is responsible for overseeing all aspects of a project from its inception to completion. These individuals work in a variety of industries, perform a variety of administrative functions, and are expected to meet or exceed the goals set for the specified project. Typically, larger companies require a project manager to execute a more specified set of duties while smaller companies will require their supervisors to perform under a broader spectrum. They coordinate the duties of employment teams, create lines of communication about the project from lower level to senior level tiers within the company, and ensure the timely delivery of materials needed to complete the project. A project supervisor is responsible for delivering the end product to the client and handling all customer service issues.
One of the most essential functions of a project supervisor is hiring and training of employees. They are responsible for interviewing qualified candidates to perform the necessary jobs to complete the project. They may also need to develop and implement training seminars to ensure that new hires are working in a manner conducive to budget concerns. They oversee and review employee performance on a periodic basis, are available to provide constructive feedback based on their observations of employee performance, and report findings to superiors when necessary.
A project supervisor is also responsible for budgets, responding to labor requests, product development, and establishing department goals and objectives. They ensure that labor, materials, and equipment requests are properly filled out and are within the project budget. They work closely with product development teams to produce an end product that can be sold and that is conducive to customer and market needs. These individuals also manage and analyze all the records of the product development center and report regularly to superiors on the progress of product development. Based on input from all levels, a supervisor must make suggestions and implement changes to products or services.
In addition to the various in-house duties, a project supervisor is responsible for customer service issues. Project supervisors work closely with account management teams to assess client needs and create project budgets. They ensure that all requests by customers and account teams are completed within an accurate, timely and reasonable manner. Supervisors may develop and coordinate product training sessions, which enable the customer to understand how the product fits their needs and how to use it. They receive feedback from the customer on product performance and devise innovative solutions to improve product functionality.