The 21st century is both a daunting and an exciting time to be a jobseeker. Sure, the job market is tough, but there are also incredibly interesting career options to explore, such as operations and supply chain management.
So why would someone study supply chain management via a short course? To get ahead in their career of course! Sometimes it does help to upskill yourself in a certain direction in order to place yourself ahead of the competition. Stick around ﹘ we’re about to dish the inside information on operation management career opportunities.
Common Job Titles for Operations & Supply Chain Management Graduates
Let’s start with this important fact ﹘ the kind of jobs you can get with an operations management degree differ from those you can get if you take a simple short course. However, adding to your diploma or degree by taking a short course to pivot your career in the direction of your choosing may help you bag your dream job.
Here are a few of the jobs that could become a possibility if you educate yourself further in operations and supply chain management:
1. Storage & distribution manager
This career option entails overseeing the storage or distribution operations of a given facility, or those of a company that stores or distributes materials and/or products on behalf of others.
It’s quite a senior role, and will definitely require more than a short course in this field, but when you grow in the industry, you will later be able to develop and implement warehouse safety and security protocols, as well as interviewing, employing and training a team of warehouse employees.
2. Production, planning & expediting clerk
This type of role calls for someone who is an exceptional communicator and keeps track of various streams of information without dropping the ball.
A production, planning and expediting clerk stands at the crossroads in an organisation to organise and expedite the flow of work and materials between departments in order to coordinate a production schedule for optimal efficiency.
This includes the distribution of production schedules and work orders across departments, as well as all the finer details of accelerating the flow of materials and supplies within a given company.
3. Logistics manager
This is also a fairly senior role that will likely call for a degree-level qualification or extensive experience in the field.
Logistics managers stand at the helm of coordinating a company’s logistics as it pertains to their purchasing, warehousing, distribution, forecasting, as well as customer service and planning. This may include the management of personnel, as well as systems involved in the day-to-day operations of the business.
4. Logistician
A logistician is responsible for analysing and coordinating a company’s logistical functions and bringing together all the personnel in a given company who are involved in logistics. They are also required to review the business’ operational and logistical performance at the hand of best-practice KPIs.
5. Supply chain manager
A supply chain manager is required to direct and coordinate supply chain processes in order to keep costs at an acceptable limit and improve operational accuracy, safety and customer service when and wherever possible. They monitor business forecasts and projected quotas to determine the effects on supply chain operations, and make changes accordingly.
6. Purchasing manager
Whenever a company has a group of personnel working to purchase materials, products and services from different suppliers and companies, they also require a very talented purchasing manager. This individual negotiates contracts, formulates policies, interviews and hires staff, and also oversees the training and development of existing personnel within their department.
7. Logistics analyst
An analyst of this kind keeps a close eye on a company’s supply-chain processes in order to determine where it can be improved and optimised for cost- and operational efficiency. This requires the establishment and maintenance of logistical information databases, as well as ongoing analyses of line items like transport costs, delivery processes and so much more.
8. Operations manager
This is quite a senior position that normally calls for a degree or extensive experience in the field as well. Operations managers work across various industries and are essentially responsible for the overall operations of a given company or organisation. This includes directing and coordinating activities pertaining to production, sales, distribution and more.
9. Purchasing agent
A purchasing agent is in charge of buying equipment, parts or services that are required for the day-to-day workings of a business in the manufacturing field. Their duties extend to the preparation of purchase orders, negotiating contracts with suppliers and vendors, as well as reviewing and approving bid proposals, etc.
Takeaway
Operations & supply chain management short courses can unlock a variety of new possibilities in your career. This includes storage and distribution management, logistics management, purchasing, ops, and so much more.
Sound good? Great! Go out there and upskill yourself. The world is your oyster!
