Definition: An assistant manager is a job position intended to support a key manager of a given organization. It is also a leadership position but it is subordinated to the guidelines established by the top manager being assisted.
What Does Assistant Manager Mean?
This occupation was established to provide assistance to key executives in order to keep work and activities flowing according to expectations. These assistants have authority and leadership over other staff and they normally delegate and follow up the fulfillment of the pending tasks within the department, office or business. They commonly serve as a substitute figure when the Senior Manager is out of town, sick or just physically unavailable. Since these individuals are often closely trained by Senior Manager they are often promoted to more complex positions within the corporate structure due to the skills and training obtained in their previous position.
Candidates aiming to fulfill such positions must possess proper interpersonal skills, they should be goal-oriented, highly capable and should have the academic background and experience to satisfy the demanding requirements of replacing the manager temporarily. In the U.S. Assistant Managers earn an average of $35,000 a year and the position frequently include sales incentives, health benefits and other non-monetary benefits offered by companies.
What Does an Assistant Manager Do? – Example
Mary is currently looking for a full-time job position, as she recently graduated from a renowned business school. She describes herself as an entrepreneurial kind of person and it is obvious to her teachers that she possesses leadership skills. Her college mentor advised her to pursue a career as a business executive, but in order to do so she needs to start training in the work field in a subordinate position.
She identified the Assistant Manager position as the one that suits this path the best. She started looking for similar jobs and found one in a local mattresses’ factory. There’s an available position for an Assistant Manager to the Marketing Vice President. Since she had awesome grades, college recommendations and a few years of experience working as a Store Manager she was able to secure the job position. Mary is now learning management skills in a dynamic work environment and she is developing her abilities to become a highly effective Senior Manager.
