Operations Manager (Non-manufacturing)

An Operations Manager oversees the production of goods in a company and works to increase a business’s production efficiency. 

Duties may vary depending on the organisation, but generally include:

• Managing quality assurance programs
• Hiring and training other employees
• Supervising
• Monitoring and analysing the effectiveness of business processes
• Creating strategies to improve productivity

Operations Managers commonly hold an honours or master’s degree in business administration or a similar subject, and often move on to pursue an MBA. It is possible to start employment in a general role as a graduate through a graduate development programme, and then work your way up to a senior role.  You will be able to obtain a formal qualification through one of the abovementioned institutions.  Here are the programmes that are on offer:

University of Johannesburg

• BCom Marketing Management
• BCom Honours (Marketing Management)
• BCom Economics and Econometrics
• BCom Honours (Financial Management) | Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) (Financial Management)

University of Pretoria

• BCom Marketing Management
• BCom Business Management
• BComHons (Financial Management Sciences)
• Postgraduate Diploma in General Management (PGDip GM)
• Programme for Management Development (PMD)

University of the Witwatersrand

• BCom Marketing
• BCom Economics
• BCom Finance
• Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration
• Postgraduate Diploma in Management

University of Cape Town

• Bachelor of Business Science in Marketing
• Postgraduate Diploma in Management in Entrepreneurship
• Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice

UNISA

• Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing Management
• Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management
• Bachelor of Commerce in Economics
• Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Business Management
• Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Financial Management
• Postgraduate Diploma in Organisational Development
• Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration
• Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management

Top 10 MBA programmes in South Africa:

• University of Cape Town (UCT) – Graduate School of Business
• University of South Africa (UNISA)
• University of Pretoria – Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
• Regent Business School
• University of the Witwatersrand – Wits Business School (WBS)
• Henley Business School – South Africa
• Milpark Education: Milpark Business School
• University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB)
• Tshwane University of Technology
• University of KwaZulu-Natal

Full-time work is the norm, but you may be required to work overtime (on weekends / evenings) if there is an urgent project or change.

Salaries of an Operations Manager will vary depending on the level of education and experience that they have behind them. 

An Operations Manager with:

• 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of between R243 771 – R299 204 per annum
• 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of R419 355 per annum
• Over 10 years of experience earns an average total compensation of R513 039 per annum

There are many things that you’ll like about this career, some of them include:

• Job security through demand for workers
• The potential to work across different sectors (tech, banking, retail, healthcare)
  • Skills transferability
  • Ability to gain experience across multiple business sectors

It will require you to take on a lot of responsibility, because your work will be vital in your company’s success. So, you need to be able to deal with the stress and pressure that comes with those expectations.