Introduction to the role of IT operations manager:
IT companies have several departments with a large number of resources. The resources can be employees working on software and hardware-related deliverable or components such as the devices, servers, networks, etc. IT operations manager is that of a leader who looks over all the people working individually on different resources. Every department working with IT systems and components faces hardware failures, network issues, server problems, etc. All these issues are reported in the form of tickets and assigned to respective IT departments. Even though there are dedicated personnel working on these tickets, an IT operations manager makes sure that each work is addressed and completed within stipulated time. It ensures that the IT system of the company continues to function without any disruption. IT operations manager is also responsible for managing and tracking progress, monthly updates, etc., and providing the data to internal teams or clients. Operations managers also interact with clients to understand their requirements and take feedback. Progress reporting and tracking of other updates are also some of the responsibilities of this job role.
What are the responsibilities of the IT operations job?
IT operations cover a lot of duties in the IT department of a company, such as:
i. Interact and manage relationships with customers, business teams, partners, and other corporate teams.
ii. Identify and address issues of customers and ensure timely closure of the same.
iii. Conduct governance meetings with customer and business teams.
iv. Actively involved in risk analysis and mitigation.
v. Guide and monitor IT technicians.
vi. Report performance metrics, updates, tracker, issue identification and closure, etc.
vii. Conduct audits throughout the department.
What are the skills required by an IT operations manager?
IT operations manager, being responsible for the functioning of the IT department, is held responsible for a lot of functionalities of the company. Thus, someone with such huge duties needs some specific skill sets, such as:
- Interpersonal skills: An IT operations manager should be skilled in communication and interaction. Should be comfortable in working in a team as well as individually.
- Leadership skills: Should be good at working and guiding people.
- IT skills: Should have good computer skills. Should have knowledge and experience of both hardware and software.
- Analytical skills: Should have the ability to analyze situations and take prompt actions to solve issues. Should be able to analyze risks and threats.
- Financial and budget management skills: should be aware of financial status and updates of the IT department. Should be able to manage finances and budgets for the department as well as resources.
What is the average salary offered to an IT operations manager?
The average salary for IT operations managers in the Gulf region can vary significantly based on the country, level of experience, and specific employer. Here’s an overview based on data from high-quality sources.
General Salary Overview
- Entry-Level (0-2 years of experience): Approximately AED 70,000 - AED 100,000 per annum in the UAE; QAR 60,000 - QAR 85,000 in Qatar.
- Mid-Level (3-5 years of experience): Approximately AED 100,000 - AED 150,000 per annum in the UAE; QAR 85,000 - QAR 120,000 in Qatar.
- Senior-Level (5+ years of experience): Approximately AED 150,000 - AED 250,000 per annum in the UAE; QAR 120,000 - QAR 200,000 in Qatar.
Salary by Gulf Countries
| Country | Average Annual Salary (Entry-Level) | Average Annual Salary (Mid-Level) | Average Annual Salary (Senior-Level) |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | AED 70,000 - AED 100,000 | AED 100,000 - AED 150,000 | AED 150,000 - AED 250,000 |
| Qatar | QAR 60,000 - QAR 85,000 | QAR 85,000 - QAR 120,000 | QAR 120,000 - QAR 200,000 |
| Saudi Arabia | SAR 80,000 - SAR 110,000 | SAR 110,000 - SAR 150,000 | SAR 150,000 - SAR 250,000 |
| Kuwait | KWD 12,500 - KWD 18,500 | KWD 18,500 - KWD 25,500 | KWD 25,500 - KWD 40,500 |
| Bahrain | BHD 10,500 - BHD 15,500 | BHD 15,500 - BHD 25,500 | BHD 25,500 - BHD 35,500 |
Salary by Industry
| Industry | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Information Technology | AED 120,000 |
| Telecommunications | AED 110,000 |
| Financial Services | AED 100,000 |
| E-commerce | AED 95,000 |
This overview indicates that IT operations managers in the Gulf region can expect varying salaries based on their experience and the type of employer. The demand for skilled IT operations managers is significant as organizations continue to optimize their IT infrastructure and operations.
Why should one pursue a career as an IT operations manager?
IT operations managers are responsible for supervising all functionalities of an IT department. Thus, anybody with great leadership skills who can manage resources, make important decisions, work under pressure, etc., is a perfect match for this role. Almost all companies now are extensively dependent on IT and, most of its functionalities are driven by IT-based resources such as networks, servers, and hardware. Thus, the IT operations job plays a leading role in big companies and brings the IT professionals great exposure and a vast platform to prove their abilities. In addition, working directly with clients and managing crucial IT deliverables make this role very critical to the company. Thus, anyone who is looking for a challenging yet rewarding career could opt for this role.
How to become an IT operations manager?
As IT operations job involves supervision and critical managerial tasks to be done, it requires specific qualifications and experiences, such as:
Educational Qualification:
Must-haves:
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, management (information systems) or related fields
Desirable:
Master’s degree in similar fields
Experience:
5+ years of experience in the IT sector
2+ years of experience in management
Additional knowledge:
Practical knowledge of ITSM tools, operating systems (Windows, Linux, iOS), Frameworks, CISCO networking, VMWare, server systems, MS office suite.
Skill-set:
- Communication skills are a must
- Working independently as well as in teams
- Detail-oriented
- Analytical
- Problem-solving
- Troubleshooting
- Leading teams and mentoring
Now that all the basic ideas of the IT operations manager job role are covered, it is also very important to know what to expect while appearing for a job interview for this role. Managerial roles often face knowledge-based questions that test very detailed and complex ideas of the subject. It is to test the candidates’ ability to work in crucial roles.
What IT operations manager interview questions can be expected?
The questions asked during an IT operations job interview can test several traits and abilities of the candidate.
Situational questions:
- What are the responsibilities of an IT operations manager on a day-to-day basis?
- Which are the Management Information Systems used previously?
- What are the financial and operational management best practices?
- What is the best approach to negotiating with vendors?
- How is budget planning done?
- How to ensure the storage and security of confidential data?
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Behavior-based questions:
- What was the maximum strength of teams handled in former organizations?
- What is the approach to conducting a one-to-one meeting?
- How to keep updated and implement industry changes to a company?
8. How to prepare for IT operations job interviews?
Before appearing for an interview, one must do the following:
- Summarize past experiences and lessons.
- What were the scenarios faced in the past projects?
- How were the issues identified, analyzed, and addressed?
- How many resources were managed?
- How many teams were monitored?
- What was the strength of the teams?
- How were clients approached and communicated with?
- List down accomplishments.
- Highlight the achievements
- Showcase the awards and recognition
Always retrospect on the previous situations, the tasks completed, the course of action taken, and the results. Only through practical experiences can one be prepared to answer questions for a managerial role.
Thus, IT operations managers are leaders and supervisors of the IT departments. They look after all IT deliverables and monitor the timely closure of the same. They also work on other managerial tasks such as budget and finance of the department, communicating with clients, taking feedback from the clients, and, understanding the requirements. Operations managers also plan out approaches to meet the customers’ requirements, uninterrupted IT functionalities involving software and hardware. They also work with IT technicians while addressing and resolving tickets and analyzing critical situations that require quick and efficient responses. It is a highly-skilled, technical and crucial role for any company that has a dependency on information technology.
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