These busy professionals work in a variety of industries in businesses of all sizes, managing teams, optimising processes and implementing strategies to achieve organisational goals. It’s an important role.
Whether you already work in operations and want to refine and enhance your skill set or you’re looking to move into operations management, an MBA may help you achieve your goals.
What is an operations manager?
You’ll find operations managers in government and private sector businesses in almost every industry, including finance, insurance, retail, manufacturing, healthcare and education. Operations manager roles vary depending on the industry and organisation. Generally, they’re responsible for managing staff and resources, business finances, communications and marketing, risk management and quality control.
What does an operations manager do?
As talented professionals, operations managers provide leadership and support in a range of ways. Operations manager duties can include:
- hiring, training and managing employees
- developing process improvement strategies
- managing quality assurance plans
- establishing and reviewing budgets
- administering health and safety plans and procedures
- preparing and managing organisational changes
- running day-to-day operations
Glenn De Jong, a member of MBAus, is an operations manager at the food and beverage business NON. “My job as an operations manager involves working with the team to successfully execute the business plan,” he says. “This includes building an understanding of the business to facilitate an environment where the operational team can flourish.
“Whether working with upstream suppliers, the internal manufacturing processes or the downstream supply chain and customers, my goal is to minimise friction in the organisation’s operations.”
How to become an operations manager
A typical path to become an operations manager might look like the following:
1. Pursue an undergraduate degree
Higher education can give you the formal knowledge and skills you need to start a career in operations. Complete a bachelor’s degree in business, business administration, commerce or supply chain management. The units in these courses allow you to learn various business areas that are relevant to your career aspirations, such as the principles of operations management, business strategy and project management.
A bachelor's degree can also set you apart from other candidates who don't have this qualification when you apply for roles in operations as a fresh graduate. If you're a working professional aiming to make a career switch in operations, acquiring an undergraduate degree in this field can help you transition more smoothly.
2. Obtain work experience
Operations managers are expected to have extensive industry experience. Your career may begin in entry-level or junior operations roles. The specific responsibilities you have at work may differ according to your role, organisation and the industry you work in. You may assist senior team members in administrative tasks, manage customer queries or process sales orders.
You can choose to work your way up the ladder or gain experience working in various roles in different companies. The more experience you gather, the higher the chances for you to advance into more senior roles that may involve leading projects and teams. Not only will you be able to develop your expertise in operations, but you will also gain leadership experience, which is a requirement for many operations manager roles.
3. Acquire a postgraduate degree
Furthering your studies with a postgraduate qualification, such as an MBA, can improve your career prospects, especially when you're aiming for a managerial role in operations. An MBA degree equips you with the necessary skills to become a versatile leader along with an advanced understanding of various business areas like human resources, entrepreneurship and finance. These skills and knowledge are vital as operations managers need to make important judgements that can enhance business operations.
You can also build a strong network during your studies by connecting with classmates, faculty members and even industry professionals. Obtaining this postgraduate degree can complement your work experience, improve your credibility and open doors to more career opportunities.
Depending on the industry, an employer might also require qualifications in a particular field, such as engineering.
Before becoming an operations manager, Glenn earned a Bachelor of Engineering. “I worked in several operational sites (in manufacturing and industrial maintenance) in a variety of positions during my career.
“In each role, I was fortunate to be exposed to different business projects that expanded my range of experiences. This helped me grow my skill set beyond my immediate area of expertise and allowed me to appreciate other people’s roles and the problems they’re facing. Coupled with my MBA, this has enabled me to elevate to my current role as operations manager.”
Operations manager salary and jobs
According to SEEK, the average annual salary for an operations manager is at least $110,000 to $130,000 a year. Salary is affected by job location and industry – higher-paid industries include consulting, banking and financial services, construction and accounting. Postgraduate qualifications can also lead to more senior and advanced roles.
A look at the operations manager jobs available in Australia reveals there are a range of positions in industries such as manufacturing, transport and logistics, civil construction and healthcare. Employers in these industries offer attractive salary packages of about $110,000 to $150,000 a year with various benefits to attract skilled and qualified staff.
More experienced operations managers can become heads of operations, where average salaries offered range from $150,000 to $170,000 a year.
The operations manager skills employers are seeking
When filling operations manager roles, employers are consistently calling for professionals with a range of soft skills. They are looking for:
- excellent written and verbal communicators
- critical thinkers
- proven collaborators
- self-motivated professionals
- great time managers
Depending on the role, the industry and the company, operations managers might also be required to have:
- stock control experience
- proven experience implementing new systems
- working knowledge of Lean principles (which include defining value, mapping the value stream, creating flow, using a pull system and pursuing perfection) and tools for streamlining processes
- competency in relevant tech and software
- digital system development experience
- knowledge of health and safety regulations
How an MBA can give you the skills and qualifications you need
An MBA equips current and aspiring operations managers with a range of skills for career success. MBA units are generally developed to deepen students’ knowledge of how organisations work and the best ways to guide and lead teams. MBA skills include problem-solving and strategic thinking as well as financial literacy. Students learn about collaborative approaches to working, negotiation and communication and often graduate with an enhanced network.
Glenn says he applied for an MBA course to develop a deeper understanding of how businesses work. “I had a technical background, and while I knew finance and marketing were important, I didn’t understand how they fully integrated into the business. After completing my MBA, it’s much clearer how these factors can drive a business to overachieve targets.”
Glenn says his MBA helped him develop a range of skills.
“I am now able to appreciate various stakeholders, negotiate better outcomes and deal with uncertainty. I have also developed my soft skills. Most importantly, the MBA has given me the stable foundation to work with people from all walks of life to achieve great results.
"An MBA is the greatest investment in my career I’ve made to date, as it has compelled me to reevaluate how I see the world. An MBA will develop not only your business knowledge but also your soft skills and ability to work with diverse teams. This cannot be understated as it will enable greater business outcomes for the rest of your career.”
Take the next step in your career
Operations managers are crucial to the success of many Australian businesses, and a range of industries and business types are calling for skilled and qualified professionals to fill operation management roles. Pursuing an MBA degree can help you upskill and advance your career. Discover various postgraduate business courses available in Australia that can propel your career in operations.