Operations/Departmental Manager Apprenticeship Standard

Knowledge

Operational Management

• Understand operational management approaches and models, including creating plans to deliver objectives and setting KPIs. Understand business development tools (eg SWOT), and approaches to continuous improvement
• Understand operational business planning techniques, including how to manage resources, development of sales and marketing plans, setting targets and monitoring performance
• Knowledge of management systems, processes and contingency planning
• Understand how to initiate and manage change by identifying barriers and know how to overcome them
• Understand data security and management, and the effective use of technology in an organisation

Project Management

• Know how to set up and manage a project using relevant tools and techniques, and understand process management
• Understand approaches to risk management

Finance

• Understand business finance: how to manage budgets, and financial forecasting

Leading People

• Understand different leadership styles, how to lead multiple and remote teams and manage team leaders
• Know how to motivate and improve performance, supporting people using coaching and mentoring approaches
• Understand organisational cultures and diversity and their impact on leading and managing change. Know how to delegate effectively

Managing People

• Know how to manage multiple teams, and develop high performing teams
• Understand performance management techniques, talent management models and how to recruit and develop people

Building Relationships

• Understand approaches to partner, stakeholder and supplier relationship management including negotiation, influencing, and effective networking
• Knowledge of collaborative working techniques to enable delivery through others and how to share best practice
• Know how to manage conflict at all levels

Communication

• Understand interpersonal skills and different forms of communication and techniques (verbal, written, non-verbal, digital) and how to apply them appropriately

Self -Awareness

• Understand own impact and emotional intelligence
• Understand different and learning and behaviour styles

Management of Self

• Understand time management techniques and tools, and how to prioritise activities and the use of different approaches to planning, including managing multiple tasks

Decision Making

• Understand problem solving and decision making techniques, including data analysis.
• Understand organisational values and ethics and their impact on decision making

Skills

Operational Management

• Able to input into strategic planning and create plans in line with organisational objectives
• Support, manage and communicate change by identifying barriers and overcoming them
• Demonstrate commercial awareness, and able to identify and shape new opportunities
• Creation and delivery of operational plans, including setting KPIs, monitoring performance against plans
• Producing reports, providing management information based on the collation, analysis and interpretation of data

Project Management

• Plan, organise and manage resources to deliver required outcomes
• Monitor progress, and identify risk and their mitigation
• Able to use relevant project management tools

Finance

• Able to monitor budgets and provide reports, and consider financial implications of decisions and adjust approach/recommendations accordingly

Leading People

• Able to communicate organisational vision and goals and how these to apply to teams
• Support development through coaching and mentoring, and enable and support high performance working
• Able to support the management of change within the organisation

Managing People

• Able to manage talent and performance
• Develop, build and motivate teams by identifying their strengths and enabling development within the workplace
• Able to delegate and enable delivery though others

Building Relationships

• Able to build trust, and use effective negotiation and influencing skills and manage conflict
• Able to identify and share good practice, and work collaboratively with others both inside and outside of the organisation
• Use of specialist advice and support to deliver against plans

Communication

• Able to communicate effectively (verbal, non-verbal, written, digital) and be flexible in communication style
• Able to chair meetings and present using a range of media
• Use of active listening, and able to challenge and give constructive feedback

Self-Awareness

• Able to reflect on own performance, working style and its impact on others

Management of Self

• Able to create a personal development plan.
• Use of time management and prioritisation techniques

Decision Making

• Able to undertake critical analysis and evaluation to support decision making
• Use of effective problem solving techniques

Behaviours

Takes responsibility

• Drive to achieve in all aspects of work
• Demonstrates resilience and accountability.
• Determination when managing difficult situations.
• Seeks new opportunities.

Inclusive

• Open, approachable, authentic, and able to build trust with others
• Seeks the views of others and values diversity

Agile

• Flexible to the needs of the organisation
• Is creative, innovative and enterprising when seeking solutions to business needs
• Positive and adaptable, responding well to feedback and need for change
• Open to new ways of working

Professionalism

• Sets an example, and is fair, consistent and impartial
• Open and honest
• Operates within organisational value