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Bespoke Recruitment - Securing The Future of Agriculture Since 2000

Operations Manager

Position Overview

Operations managers are charged with the responsibility of overseeing the operations of the company they work for. Operations managers try to increase efficiency where they can and find methods to reduce tasks within production if possible. Planning is a major aspect of their role; this allows them to determine how much productivity can be increased or decreased with profit in mind. Operations managers in agriculture spend time planning crop rotations, forming budgets, profit and loss management, hiring and monitoring workers, oversight of equipment repair, disease and pest management, and many other tasks. Agricultural operations managers will spend their off seasons (winters) planning and organising for the farm to increase profits and efficiency while reducing costs and crop loss. During planting and harvesting season, they spend their time implementing and maintaining their plans on the farm. Operations managers are found in many industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, food and beverage processing, logistics, transportation, and many others.

Operations Manager Duties

As there are many industries that operations managers operate in, some general duties are listed below:

  • Strategic planning to reduce product loss and costs
  • Resource management
  • Financial management (budgeting, cost control)
  • Inventory management
  • Managing the production floor
  • Organise and oversee equipment repairs
  • Goal setting for production
  • Implementing strategies to increase or maintain efficiency
  • Development of health and safety policies
  • Analyse data to determine inefficiencies, losses, production levels, and other information that can help to improve operations
  • Troubleshoot technical errors during production to manage and reduce losses
  • Determining labour requirements
  • Supervise production floor employees
  • Develop organisation wide process and procedure standards

Typical Employers

  • Food and beverage manufacturers
  • Agricultural companies
  • Farms / estates
  • Manufacturing industry
  • Construction industry
  • Pharmacutical industry
  • Logistics companies
  • Transportation industry
  • Any company in production, sales, service, and more

Required Education and Training

To become an operations manager, it is important to have a degree in business management, administration, accounting or another business related degree. Taking courses in a related industry of practice can help increase candidacy. For example, an operations manager on a farm will have an increased chance of success if they take courses related to agriculture to better understand the practices in-the-field. Depending on the technicality of the field, getting a post-graduate degree can prove to be beneficial as well. This can help you stick out from the other candidates.

Key Skills and Qualities

  • Excellent analytical skills
  • Strong organisation and planning skills
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills
  • Conflict management
  • Superb decision-making skills
  • Problem solving and critical thinking abilities
  • Task delegation
  • Leadership and inspirational skills

Average Salary

The average salary of an operations manager is £34,102 annually. Salaries can range from £21,360 - £56,402. Operations managers can be given bonuses depending on the company, industry, cost and loss savings the operations manager produces, sales and profit made throughout the year.

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