Operations/Departmental Manager Level 5 Apprenticeship

An Operations or departmental manager is someone who manages teams and/or projects, and achieving operational or departmental goals and objectives, as part of the delivery of the organisations strategy. They are accountable to a more senior manager or business owner.

Working in the private, public or third sector and in all sizes of organisation, specific responsibilities and job titles will vary, but the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed will be the same.

Key responsibilities may include creating and delivering operational plans, managing projects, leading and managing teams, managing change, financial and resource management, talent management, coaching and mentoring. Roles may include: Operations manager, Regional manager, Divisional manager, Department manager and Specialist managers.

The apprentice must receive off-the-job training for a minimum of 6 hours per week. The hours will be pro rata for part time learners. There are many activities that can be calculated towards the off-the-job training hours such as; Shadowing a colleague, Online Learning, Internal Training, Team Meetings and Appraisals/1-2-1 Visits.

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.

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 and 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.

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.

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 values.

The End Point Assessment (EPA) will only commence once the Employer, Apprentice and Smart Training Advisor are confident that the apprentice has developed all the knowledge, skills and behaviours defined in the apprenticeship standard and that these are clearly evidenced through the progress review meetings and records. The independent end point assessment ensures that all Apprentices consistently achieve the industry set professional standard. The EPA can commence at any point once the apprentice is competent and after the twelve-month minimum period of learning and development. Prior to independent end point assessment the functional skills English and maths components of the apprenticeship must be successfully completed.

Knowledge test
The knowledge requirements within the Standard will be tested using a structured series of questions to assess the apprentice’s knowledge to ensure all aspects are given coverage. It should be set at a level which would be expected to be achieved through a Level 5 Diploma (or equivalent) or from training of an equivalent standard, quality and scope.

Structured competency based interview
The knowledge requirements within the Standard will be tested using a structured series of questions to assess the apprentice’s knowledge to ensure all aspects are given coverage.

Assessment of portfolio of evidence
The completed portfolio will be assessed by the Independent Assessor who makes their own judgement on the quality of the work. It will comprise a collection of evidence (preferably in an online portfolio with written, audio and video evidence).