Resource manager

Resource managers manage resources for all potential and assigned projects. They liaise with the different departments to see that all various resources are met, in a timely manner, and communicate any resourcing issues that may impact scheduled deadlines.

The following job titles also refer to resource manager:

resource specialist
resource managers
resource coordinator
resources manager
resource administrator

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as resource manager. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Resource manager is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to resource manager.

forecast manager
purchasing manager
supply chain manager
manufacturing cost estimator
ICT vendor relationship manager

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of resource manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of resource manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of resource manager.

Corporate social responsibility: The handling or managing of business processes in a responsible and ethical manner considering the economic responsibility towards shareholders as equally important as the responsibility towards environmental and social stakeholders.
Project management: Understand project management and the activities which comprise this area. Know the variables implied in project management such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.
Business strategy concepts: The terminology related to the design and implementation of major trends and aims which are taken by an organisation’s executives, while keeping in mind its resources, competition and environments.
Supply chain principles: Characteristics, operations and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to the customer.
Supply chain management: The flow of goods in the supply chain, movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption.
Supplier management: The methods and techniques to ensure that external services and configuration items, which are necessary for the service delivery, are available as requested and as agreed at the service level.

These skills are necessary for the role of resource manager.

Identify suppliers: Determine potential suppliers for further negotiation. Take into consideration aspects such as product quality, sustainability, local sourcing, seasonality and coverage of the area. Evaluate the likelihood of obtaining beneficial contracts and agreements with them.
Order supplies: Command products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.
Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
Maintain relationship with customers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and services and by supplying after-sales information and service.
Strive for company growth: Develop strategies and plans aiming at achieving a sustained company growth, be the company self-owned or somebody else’s. Strive with actions to increase revenues and positive cash flows.
Maintain relationship with suppliers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.
Analyse business objectives: Study data according to business strategies and objectives and make both short-term and long-term strategic plans.
Analyse logistic changes: Assess the financial impact of possible logistics changes such as shipping modes, product mixes or volumes, carriers and means of product transportation.
Forecast workload: Predict and define the workload that needs to be done in a certain amount of time and the time it would take to perform related tasks.
Analyse supply chain strategies: Examine an organisation’s planning details of production, their expected output units, quality, quantity, cost, time available and labour requirements. Provide suggestions in order to improve products, service quality and reduce costs.
Assess supplier risks: Evaluate supplier performance in order to assess which suppliers do or may not perform adequately, stick to the agreed contracts, meet the standard requirements and desired quality at all times or who may pose future risks.
Manage inventory: Control product inventory in balance of availability and storage costs.
Analyse supply chain trends: Analyse and make predictions about trends and evolutions in supply chain operations in relation to technology, efficiency systems, types of products shipped, and logistical requirements for shipments, in order to remain at the forefront of supply chain methodologies.
Perform project management: Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project’s progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
Estimate costs of required supplies: Try to value the amounts and costs of required supplies such as of food items and ingredients.
Assess financial viability: Revise and analyse financial information and requirements of projects such as their budget appraisal, expected turnover, and risk assessment for determining the benefits and costs of the project. Assess if the agreement or project will redeem its investment, and whether the potential profit is worth the financial risk.
Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.
Perform resource planning: Estimate the expected input in terms of time, human and financial resources necessary to achieve the project objectives.
Follow company standards: Lead and manage according to the organisation’s code of conduct.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of resource manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Labour legislation: Legislation, on a national or international level, that governs labour conditions in various fields between labour parties such as the government, employees, employers, and trade unions.
Financial forecasting: The tool used in performing fiscal financial management to identify revenue trends and estimated financial conditions.
Risk management: The process of identifying, assessing, and prioritising of all types of risks and where they could come from, such as natural causes, legal changes, or uncertainty in any given context, and the methods on dealing with risks effectively.
Conflict management: The practices concerning the resolution of conflicts or disputes in an organisation or institution. It encompasses reducing the negative aspects of a conflict and increasing the positive outcomes of it by learning from the errors made.
Human resource management: The function in an organisation concerned with the recruitment of employees and the optimisation of employee performance.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of resource manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Manage supplies: Monitor and control the flow of supplies that includes the purchase, storage and movement of the required quality of raw materials, and also work-in-progress inventory. Manage supply chain activities and synchronise supply with demand of production and customer.
Advise on risk management: Provide advice on risk management policies and prevention strategies and their implementation, being aware of different kinds of risks to a specific organisation.
Manage human resources: Conduct employee recruitment, helping employees to develop their personal and organisational skills, knowledge, and competencies as well as providing feedback and performance appraisals. It includes motivating employees, by implementing rewarding systems (managing pay and benefit systems) in order to maximise employee performance with regard to employer’s strategic objectives.
Control financial resources: Monitor and control budgets and financial resources providing capable stewardship in company management.
Calculate purchasing levels of raw materials: Estimate the adequate quantities of raw materials to be purchased and required to meet the production objectives based on the prospects and forecasts.
Programme work according to incoming orders: Schedule tasks based on incoming work; anticipate the total amount of resources required to complete the work and assign them accordingly. Assess the required working hours, pieces of equipment, and workforce needed taking into account the available resources.
Estimate profitability: Take various factors into account to calculate the cost and potential revenues or savings gained from a product in order to evaluate the profit that could be generated by the new acquisition or by a new project.
Ensure equipment availability: Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.
Handle conflicts: Mediate in conflicts and tense situations by acting between parties, such as service users, important others like families, and institutions, striving to effect an agreement, reconciliate, and resolve problems.
Manage sub-contract labour: Oversee work and the labourers hired to carry out part or all of the responsibilities of someone else’s contract.
Ensure cross-department cooperation: Guarantee communication and cooperation with all the entities and teams in a given organisation, according to the company strategy.
Accurately estimate work hours: Assess the necessary work hours, equipment, and skills required to successfully complete a task.;
Apply for government funding: Gather information on and apply for subsidies, grants, and other financing programmes provided by the government to small- and large-scale projects or organisations in various fields.
Estimate duration of work: Produce accurate calculations on time necessary to fulfil future technical tasks based on past and present information and observations or plan the estimated duration of individual tasks in a given project.

1324 – Supply, distribution and related managers

 

 

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References

1. Resource manager – ESCO