Do you enjoy leading teams and meeting results? Or are you involved in management and looking to expand your knowledge and skill set? If so, the Operations or Departmental Manager apprenticeship may be ideal for you. Sound appealing? Continue reading to learn more and determine if this is the right path for you.
Introduction to the role
An operations/departmental manager is in charge of contributing to the planning process, developing and implementing operational plans, overseeing projects, leading and managing teams, handling change, financial and resource management, talent acquisition, and providing employees support through guidance and coaching.
You would report to a higher-level manager or business owner. This position could be an operations manager, a regional manager, a divisional manager, a department manager, or a specialist manager.
Entry Requirements
Each business will determine the entry criteria for this apprenticeship, however normally five GCSEs at Grade C or above are required.
Knowledge and Skill
Additionally, there are a few other knowledge, skills, and behaviours that might be useful for this profession; however, the majority of them will be acquired through structured education and put to use in the workplace.
Organisational Performance
Knowledge | Skills | |
Operational Management | – Understanding the concepts and models, such as developing plans, which build up operational management. – Understanding different tools and strategies for company growth. – Understanding the technique used for business planning, including resource management, sales and marketing plan development, goal setting and assessing performance. – Knowledge of the management procedures, tools and planning for contingency. – Understanding how to manage chance by recognising and dealing with hurdles. – Know how to handle and secure data and how to use technology effectively. | – Able to contribute to strategic planning and develop plans that correspond with organisational goals. – Assist, manage, and communicate change by recognizing and removing obstacles. – Show that you are commercially aware and are able to spot and seize fresh possibilities. – Making and executing operational plans, which includes establishing KPIs and tracking performance against them. – Putting together reports and giving management information based on the collection, evaluation, and interpretation of data |
Project Management | – Understand process management and be able to set up and manage a project using the appropriate tools and approaches. – Recognize the various risk management strategies. | – Plan, coordinate, and manage resources to produce desired results. – Follow developments, identify risks, and take steps to mitigate them. – Be able to use the appropriate project management tools. |
Finance | – Know how to handle budgets and perform financial forecasting. | – Capable of monitoring budgets and reporting on them, as well as considering the financial implications of decisions and adjusting approach and recommendations accordingly. |
Interpersonal Excellence
Knowledge | Skills | |
Leading People | – Recognize various leadership styles, how to manage team leaders and lead various remote teams. – Be able to inspire individuals and help them do better by helping them through coaching and mentoring techniques. – Recognize the impact of organisational diversity and cultures on initiating and managing change. – Understand effective delegation methods. | – Capable of communicating the organization’s vision and goals, as well as how these apply to teams. – Encourage development by coaching and mentoring and enable and support high-performance work. – Capable of assisting with the management of organisational development. |
Managing People | – Understand how to lead and grow productive teams. – Learn how to recruit and develop people, as well as performance management strategies and talent management frameworks. | – Capable of managing talent and performance – Create, build, and encourage teams by recognising and facilitating development within the workplace. – Capable of delegating and aiding delivery through others. |
Building Relationships | – Recognize strategies for managing relationships with partners, stakeholders, and suppliers, including negotiation, influence, and successful networking. – Having an understanding of how to share best practises and collaborate in a way that allows for delivery through others – Understand how to resolve disputes at all levels. | – Capable of establishing trust, negotiating and influencing effectively, and managing conflict. – Capable of identifying and sharing best practises, as well as working collaboratively with others both inside and outside the organisation. – To meet goals, use specialised advice and support. |
Communication | – Recognize interpersonal skills, various communication methods (verbal, written, non-verbal, and digital), and how to use them effectively. | – Able to communicate clearly and using a variety of styles (verbal, nonverbal, written, and digital). – Capable of running meetings and giving presentations utilising a variety of media. – Use of active listening skills, being able to challenge and offer helpful criticism. |
Personal Effectiveness
Knowledge | Skills | |
Self Awareness | – Know your personal impact and emotional capacity. – Recognize various behavioural and learning styles. | – Capable of reflecting on one’s own efficiency, work manner, and its effect on others. |
Management of Self | – Learn time management strategies and tools, how to set priorities for your work, and how to apply a variety of planning tactics, including handling numerous projects. | – Able to design a plan for personal growth. – The application of time management and prioritisation strategies. |
Decision Making | – Know how to solve problems and make decisions, including how to analyse data. – Recognize the influence of organisational ethics and values on decision-making. | – Able to conduct evaluation and critical analysis to assist decision-making – Application of efficient problem-solving methods |
Behaviours
Behaviour | Description |
Takes Responsibility | – Motivation to succeed in all aspects of job. – Shows resiliency and responsibility. – Perseverance in handling challenging circumstances. – Seeks out fresh possibilities. |
Inclusive | – Being approachable, genuine, and able to develop connections with others. – Seeks out and values diversity in opinions. |
Agile | – Adaptable to the organization’s demands. – Is inventive, imaginative, and persistent when looking for answers to business problems. – Positive and flexible, able to adjust well to criticism and the need for change. – Open to new approaches to work. |
Professionalism | – Fair, dependable, and unbiased; sets an example. – Honest and upfront. – Maintains organisational values |
Additional Information
- Usually, this apprenticeship lasts for two and a half years.
- Before undertaking the end-point assessment, apprentices without level 2 English and math will need to obtain it.
- After completing the programme, apprentices can become full members of the Chartered Management Institute and/or the Institute of Leadership and Management. Those with three years of management experience can also apply to the CMI for Chartered Manager status.
Conclusion
The Level 5 Operations or Departmental Management apprenticeship, in summary, is a terrific way to advance your knowledge and abilities alongside gaining access to a wide range of opportunities with the CMI chartered manager title.
If all of this sounds interesting to you, check out our other blogs to learn how to find and apply for an apprenticeship. On the other hand, if this wasn’t your cup of tea, sign up for our email list to learn about alternative apprenticeships in this field that could be of interest to you in addition to a number of tips and tricks to support you during your apprenticeship.