What is administration & operations and what does it involve?

Administration and operations are the core of what makes a business operate efficiently in the day-to-day. Administration and operations are often put together as professionals looking after the administrative side of the business, and are also considered to keep the operational side running, and vice versa. The responsibilities do differ slightly, however. Administration involves focusing on a specific area of running a business, looking after budgeting, spreadsheet and document creation, office projects and tasks, filing, running administrative software systems and much more.

Operations, on the other hand, has a more overall management approach, with professionals in business operations being across multiple facets. Operations managers are closely involved with the administrative functions, and often manage this department but are also involved with other department’s activities, ensuring they align with the business’s goals. This means being across the activities of finance, customer service, sales, marketing and others.

WHAT SKILLS ARE EMPLOYERS LOOKING FOR IN ADMINISTRATION & OPERATIONS?

Professionals with administration and operations skillsets are in extremely high demand, particularly professionals with a qualification. Talented administration and operations professionals are needed in many industries, particularly retail, service, manufacturing and technology. Given the wide variety of responsibilities, employers are looking for reliable, time-efficient professionals who can work well on their own and with various stakeholders. Being able to think critically in a fast-paced environment is crucial, as is the ability to solve problems that arise and keep the business functioning successfully. Administrative and operational roles have a technical aspect to them, and professionals who can budget well and work with numbers are attractive candidates to employers. Operational roles within an organisation also require excellent soft skills such as communication, personnel management and mediation.

HARD SKILLS

  • Financial and budgeting skills
  • Ability to confidently understand and use new technology
  • Ability to train others in technical processes and software
  • Data analysis

SOFT SKILLS

  • Mediation skills
  • Critical thinking abilities
  • Ability to multitask
  • Strong communication skills

TRAITS

  • Time-efficient
  • Process driven
  • Analytical
  • Calm under pressure
  • Natural leadership abilities

JOB ROLES

Strategic Planning Manager

Average Salary
$129,000

Professionals in this role look at long-term goals and strategic business direction to form proposals and more detailed plans to achieve these goals. Strategic planning managers focus more on the overall operations of the business rather than the day-to-day activities.

Chief Operating Officer

Average Salary
$162,000

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) oversee all operations of the business from start to finish. COO’s have a hand in strategic operations, and working with all department heads to ensure alignment with business objectives.

Chief Information Officer

Average Salary
$204,000

Manages the entire information management of an organisation, including IT departments and related employees. Oversees strategic decisions regarding records and information and is responsible for high-quality, efficient and secure information systems within the business to ensure peak performance.

Business Operations Manager

Average Salary
$100,000

Professionals in these management roles ensure the successful overall and day-to-day running of a business by managing both people and business processes. Duties can include managing budgets, implementing WHS policies, recruiting and training staff, developing operations strategies, managing business payroll, and managing any business-wide changes.

Payroll Officer

Average Salary
$65,000

Professionals in this role are responsible for more financial operational tasks, such as processing payroll, tax calculations, and bookkeeping responsibilities.

Operations Team Leader

Average Salary
$78,000

Professionals in this role have a management capacity, overseeing a department or select team within an organisation. Primary duties vary depending on the industry, but championing process improvements, overseeing facility management and compliance, and being the go-between communicator with higher and lower levels of staff are all general duties of an operations team leader.

Operations Officer

Average Salary
$60,000

Operations Officers coordinate daily organisational administrative processes, report to and help the Chief Operating Officer, assist in managing projects and inter-departmental collaboration to meet business objectives.

Operations Administrator

Average Salary
$70,000

Similar to operations officers, professionals in this role handle most of the project administration and communication within the operations department. They can also have a hand in customer service and dealing with enquiries, maintaining inventory and overseeing daily administrative duties for the organisation.

Office Manager

Average Salary
$67,000

Working as an office manager can see you working in a range of industries. From managing the day-to-day operations of an office to managing people and tasks, they are responsible for making the office run efficiently.

Operations Assistant

Average Salary
$65,000

Operations assistants have administrative, customer service and basic operational duties. They can assist the Operations Manager directly, or be a support to an entire operations department.

Strategic Planning Manager

Average Salary
$129,000

Professionals in this role look at long-term goals and strategic business direction to form proposals and more detailed plans to achieve these goals. Strategic planning managers focus more on the overall operations of the business rather than the day-to-day activities.

Chief Operating Officer

Average Salary
$162,000

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) oversee all operations of the business from start to finish. COO’s have a hand in strategic operations, and working with all department heads to ensure alignment with business objectives.

Chief Information Officer

Average Salary
$204,000

Manages the entire information management of an organisation, including IT departments and related employees. Oversees strategic decisions regarding records and information and is responsible for high-quality, efficient and secure information systems within the business to ensure peak performance.

Business Operations Manager

Average Salary
$100,000

Professionals in these management roles ensure the successful overall and day-to-day running of a business by managing both people and business processes. Duties can include managing budgets, implementing WHS policies, recruiting and training staff, developing operations strategies, managing business payroll, and managing any business-wide changes.

Payroll Officer

Average Salary
$65,000

Professionals in this role are responsible for more financial operational tasks, such as processing payroll, tax calculations, and bookkeeping responsibilities.

Operations Team Leader

Average Salary
$78,000

Professionals in this role have a management capacity, overseeing a department or select team within an organisation. Primary duties vary depending on the industry, but championing process improvements, overseeing facility management and compliance, and being the go-between communicator with higher and lower levels of staff are all general duties of an operations team leader.

Operations Officer

Average Salary
$60,000

Operations Officers coordinate daily organisational administrative processes, report to and help the Chief Operating Officer, assist in managing projects and inter-departmental collaboration to meet business objectives.

Operations Administrator

Average Salary
$70,000

Similar to operations officers, professionals in this role handle most of the project administration and communication within the operations department. They can also have a hand in customer service and dealing with enquiries, maintaining inventory and overseeing daily administrative duties for the organisation.

Office Manager

Average Salary
$67,000

Working as an office manager can see you working in a range of industries. From managing the day-to-day operations of an office to managing people and tasks, they are responsible for making the office run efficiently.

Operations Assistant

Average Salary
$65,000

Operations assistants have administrative, customer service and basic operational duties. They can assist the Operations Manager directly, or be a support to an entire operations department.

What does an average day look like as an administrations & operations professional?

The variety in an administration and operational role is unparalleled, with each day bringing new challenges, collaborations, problems to solve and more. Your role in operations is to improve the efficiency and running of a business. Operations roles are multi-faceted, with a people, process and strategy focus. Depending on your role within your organisation and how large that organisation is, as an operations administrator or manager you will be communicating with different departments regarding larger-scale projects, confirming or estimating departmental budgets to ensure it lines up with the business spending plans, as well as discussing projects and finer details with relevant stakeholders. You will also potentially be approving costs and departmental spending proposals, helping to solve problems with IT and improving technology systems and processes within the workplace.

What kind of operational leaders are needed post-COVID?

Navigating the post-COVID world as a business of any size has seen the demand for skilled leaders soar beyond usual numbers. With labour markets severely disrupted, operations leaders are faced with the unique challenges of managing people processes and even supply chain management remotely or with limited access. Ensuring continued productivity is potentially more difficult, but not impossible. Leaders who can think critically, innovate and pivot to take advantage of new opportunities such as streamlining and digitalising more processes can save businesses time and money where it matters most. Industries, where operational leaders are needed most, often have the highest physical proximity (in-person interaction and work environment), such as:

  • Retail stores
  • Hospitality
  • Production
  • Warehousing
  • Transportation

These industries with increased levels of physical proximity are more likely to see a significant transformation after COVID (McKinsey&Company, 2020). E-Commerce has grown 2 – 5 times faster than before the pandemic in year-on-year growth worldwide, reiterating the need for operational professionals to have operational skills and knowledge translatable to online capabilities (McKinsey&Company, 2020).

Salary Insights

SEEK alone currently advertises over 18,000 operations management job openings (July, 2021). The average salary for operations professionals varies completely dependent on experience, given the versatility of the role. An operations manager with less than 2 years of experience can earn around $100,000 AUD per year, however, an operations manager with 2 – 5 years of experience can demand a 26% increase in pay, to around $125,000 – 128,000 AUD per year. (Salary Explorer, 2021).

Public or Private sector?

Operations professionals working in the public sector earn approximately 5% more than professionals in private sectors.

Industry Insight

Why study business operations?

The Diploma of Business (Operations) (BSB50120) is the ideal qualification to develop the skills and knowledge that are needed in any business role. Understanding how a business operates and how to improve processes, people management and strategies are some of the most vital skills to have in any business managerial position. Studying business operations allows you to take core business functions to the next level, and to work your way up the ladder to rewarding management roles such as Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Operations, Business Operations Manager, Business Operations Specialist and more.

The versatility of this qualification also allows for smooth transitions when changing industries. Skilled operations professionals who have completed a diploma-level qualification like the Diploma of Business (Operations) (BSB50120) earn on average 13% more than those without, with an average salary of $139,000. (Salary Explorer, 2021). Operations managers in Australia also enjoy a 13% salary increase rate every 15 months, which is far beyond the general profession salary increase rate of 8% every 16 months (Salary Explorer, 2021).

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Our team, assessments and feedback are all focused on helping you in your career, not just completing your course. As the only RTO offering this, our guarantee is part of our ongoing work to go beyond just a piece of paper.

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My experience with Jenni the career counsellor was exceptional…The feedback was so helpful. She was encouraging too, and made me feel more sure about how to ‘sell myself’ to the target employers. I am very impressed with CAL’s careers hub – many resources that I will use. Thank you very much for your help.

– Samantha M.

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