Management Occupations
People in management occupations oversee the work being done by others to ensure that it is done on time, within the budget, and in compliance with any regulatory requirements. Depending on how high up the manager is, their focus may shift from overeeing day-to-day operations to planning and strategizing the direction and goals of the company or organization.
Chief Executives - A chief executive is the top official in an organization and is generally in charge of managing the direction and vision for the organization. The chief executive should have a goal or strategy for the future of the company, and his/her duties revolve around ensuring the organization achieves the goals.
General and Operations Managers - General and operations managers oversee the day-to-day operations of a company or organization, the income statement, and help plan the focus and direction of the company. Chief executive officers, managing directors, senior partners, and executive directors are some examples of other positions that can encompass general and operations manager duties.
Legislators - Legislators are people who are elected to the legislature to develop, create and pass laws. Legislators can be in the senate or the house of representatives at the state or federal level.
Advertising and promotions managers - Advertising and promotions managers develop and oversee ad campaigns and promotional material and events to create brand or product awareness with the intention of ultimately increasing sales and product/brand loyalty. Advertising and promotions managers can handle the ads and promotions for an entire company or organization, or can work on an account-basis, where they are hired to do one group of ads or one promotion.
Public relations managers - Public relations managers organize and direct public relations campaigns for companies or organizations to promote a positive image of the company to the public. Increasingly, this role requires the use of social media to interact with the public.
Administrative service managers - Administrative service managers coordinate the administrative and operational functions of a company or organization, including things such as procurement, mail, space usage, records, and facility maintenance.
Computer and information systems managers - Computer and information systems managers help organizations and businesses implement technology solutions to achieve organizational goals. This includes managing networks, databases and Internet connectivity, developing software, and securing the network.
Financial managers - Financial managers direct the investment strategies of their organizations, manage financial reporting requirements, and oversee cash usage. Controllers, finance officers, credit managers, cash manages, risk and insurance managers, and managers of international banking are all considered financial managers.
Human resource managers - Human resource managers work to attract and maintain talent for their organization by promoting job openings, performing interviews, recommending candidates, and ensuring the pay and benefits are competitive. They also need to deal with the day-to-day organizational problems, such as salary negotiations and benefits questions.
Industrial production managers - Industrial production managers ensure that organizations such as manufacturing facilities meet production goals while maintaining quality specifications and keeping under budget. They manage and oversee several areas of the business to optimize efficiencies.
Purchasing managers - Purchasing managers oversee the purchase of goods and services necessary for the functioning of an organization. Wholesale and retail trade merchandising managers as well as procurement managers are considered purchasing managers.
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers - Transportation, storage, and distribution managers oversee and plan the transportation, storage and distribution of goods and materials to ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations and to optimize the movement of goods to meet requirements while staying within the budget.
Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers - Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers may establish contracts with farmers or producers, supervise planting, growing and harvesting, manage expenses while meeing production figures, and oversee day-to-day operations of farms, ranches, or other agricultural establishments.
Marketing managers - Marketing managers develop advertising campaigns to publicize new products, goods or services and evaluate the effectiveness of the campaigns. They also work to maintain a positive public image for the company and identify markets for new products.
Sales managers - Sales managers determine sales areas, quotas and distribution of sales and analyze sales data to figure out customer preferences and set the sales quotas.
Compensation and benefits managers - Compensation and benefits managers develop and manage the salary and benefits packages offered to employees of a business or organization.
Training and development managers - Training and development managers identify the training needs of an organization and then develop and organize the necessary training. They also work to enhance employee development by establishing or running things such as mentoring programs.
Construction managers - Construction managers oversee the work necessary to implement a construction project. This includes hiring and managing contractors, developing and implementing a project schedule and developing a budget and ensuring that the project activities do not cause an exceedance of the budget.
Engineering managers - Engineering managers supervise engineers and other technical personnel to ensure projects are completed on-time, within budget, and according to engineering and safety standards. They also work to identify new products to develop, plan new projects and improve manufacturing processes.
Food service managers - Food service managers oversee the operations of restaurants, catering services, and other food-service businesses. They coordinate the actions of the kitchen and wait staff while ensuring customers have a pleasurable experiences and are in charge of inventories, maintenance of equipment and facilities, and supervising employees.
Funeral directors - Funeral directors oversee the care and preparation of the body of the deceased and help the family of the deceased plan the funeral service in accordance with religious or cultural customs and procedures.
Gaming managers - Gaming managers oversee the gambling operations at casinos and develop and enforce gambling policies.
Lodging managers - Lodging managers work in hotels, motels, inns, boardinghouses, hostels, campsites and RV parks to ensure that visitors and guests enjoy their accommodations and amenities. They also have to oversee the lodging staff, such as the chefs, waiters and housekeeping to make sure that everything runs smoothly and profitably.
Medical and Health Services managers - Medical and health services managers oversee the care given to patients at hospitals or other healthcare institutions. They work with doctors, nurses and technicians to deliver quality care while ensuring compliance with regulations, optimizing healthcare delivery systems, staying up-to-date on technological innovations, and making sure all the part of the healthcare institution run efficiently and effectively.
Natural Sciences managers - Natural sciences managers direct and coordinate research, development and funding in the natural sciences, which include physics, biology, chemistry, math and statistics.
Postmasters and mail superintendents - Postmasters and mail superintendents oversee the activities at a U.S. post office or other mail establishment to ensure that all mail gets delivered properly and on time. They manage other post office workers to make sure that the operation runs as efficiently as possible.
Property, real estate, and community association managers - Property, real estate, and community association managers oversee the operations of a real estate property, such as landscaping, building repairs, getting building codes, and other maintenance activities. Property and real estate managers ensure that the property meets or exceeds the expected revenue of the investment, whereas community association managers oversee condos, co-ops and planned communities for the benefit of the homeowners.
Social and community service managers - Social and community service managers organize and oversee social service and community outreach programs. They often work with social workers, probation officers, and counselors to define the scope of the program, improve outreach, develop requirements for participation, and determine benefits.
Managers, All Other - Generally, managers are in charge of overseeing projects, logistics, operations, and business dealings in their fields. They also have to ensure that their work is done under budget and in compliance with any regulatory requirements.