line manager 
noun chiefly British
1A person with direct managerial responsibility for a particular employee.I always think the line manager should take direct responsibility for keeping an individual officer informed about the progress....
- Instead of contacting their line manager, an employee calling in sick must now speak to a nurse from private health care organisation Active Health.
- A few years ago, working for my ex employer, I was bullied and picked on by my line manager and one of his friends who worked with us.
1.1A manager involved in running the main business activities of a company.The manager must be a hands-on line manager who has gone through the firm's work routines and processes, and knows first-hand the product, market, business environment, and industry....
- It's likely that Sun beat out IBM for the win, but Ken O'Berry, product line manager for Access Manager at Sun, declined to say whether or not IBM was involved.
- The book is intended to be read and used by first and second line managers, middle managers, those with or without formal training in management, and potential supervisors.
Derivatives
line management
- Where possible, staff positions such as personnel and marketing are integrated with line management.
- The company gradually became characterised as having a very good line management, but the top executives, who were supposed to be delivering large acquisitions, repeatedly failed to deliver.
- As a bridging measure, line management is in the process of being recruited in South Africa for the short term to train Namibians to take up managerial position within the new company.