How Do I Become a Marketing Operations Manager?

A marketing operations manager is responsible for developing strategies to promote and market a range of products or services. Someone wishing to become a marketing operations manager must have prior sales or marketing experience. Additionally, most employers require these individuals to have completed a college degree program.

Generally, anyone wishing to become a marketing operations manager must successfully complete high school and enroll in a college or university. Marketing companies typically hire managers who have completed degree programs in topics such as business administration, management, advertising or marketing. Additionally, major firms sometimes prefer job applicants to have also completed a postgraduate degree in marketing or a related subject. Since degree programs are composed of numerous modules, an individual wishing to become a marketing operations manager within a particular industry should take some courses that relates directly to that field. Someone working as a financial firm's marketing manager may need to have taken undergraduate courses in finance while a television firm's marketing manager may need to have taken courses in broadcasting.

Aside from academic credentials, marketing firms normally require applicants for managerial positions to have on-the-job marketing experience. Consequently, many managers join marketing firms in junior positions in which they are tasked with administrative duties such as preparing documents or arranging meetings with business partners. College graduates are often able to quickly transition to more senior positions in which they are assigned greater levels of responsibility. These individuals may be asked to promote specific products or to negotiate marketing deals with business partners such as television companies or newspapers. People who perform well in these positions are sometimes promoted into departmental supervisor positions or assistant manager roles.

In most instances, major firms require someone wishing to become a marketing operations manager to spend a certain number of years working in a variety of different roles within the marketing department. Many firms specialize in promoting certain goods and services. Consequently, these firms typically require applicants for managerial roles to have prior experience marketing these kinds of products. Additionally, since managers have to liaise with outside business partners, many firms prefer to hire individuals who have experience working within the local market rather than candidates who previously worked elsewhere.

Some firms only operate domestically but many companies have operations within numerous different nations. In some instances, marketing managers are responsible for overseeing the firm’s expansion efforts in several different countries. For logistical reasons, such managers typically need to have second language skills. Therefore, someone wishing to become a marketing operations manager with responsibility for overseas locations may have to take an undergraduate degree program in a foreign language or a short-term language course at a community college.