Management is the most popular job category in the United States, according to Indeed Job Trends, with a total 445,546 job postings on the site. Finding a good manager isn’t easy, and choosing the right title for your management positions can help you attract better candidates and even help anticipate demand for different types of management level jobs.
Where We Got This Data: Indeed, the largest online job board in the US, ranks every job category based on the number of job postings published on their site. Indeed then tallies the number of clicks for job postings in each category during the current month to come up with the 10 most popular job titles in each category.
10 Most Popular Management Job Titles
1. Manager (1.99 million monthly clicks)
What they do
A manager is someone who oversees a team or a department. The person is responsible for monitoring problems, offering solutions, managing employees, and implementing necessary adjustments to achieve goals within a given timeframe.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate
The candidate must have extensive project management experience with high level of professionalism and outstanding work habits. The person must also possess excellent problem solving, decision-making, and communication, and interpersonal skills to motivate and educate employees as well as gain the confidence of upper management. In addition, the idea project manager must have a track record of coming up with creative and out of the box solutions to achieve goals within a given timeframe.
2. General Manager (1.46 million monthly clicks)
What they do
General Managers possess leadership traits to oversee business operations and keep teams engaged and motivated.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate
The candidate must have several years of management experience in accordance with company requirements and a record of successfully leading teams. The individual must be able to demonstrate solid problem solving, customer service, and communication skills. The person should also possess excellent mentoring skills to effectively develop personnel. Depending on the field, general managers may also be required to have strong financial and profit & loss experience.
3. Director/Executive Director (1.37 million monthly clicks)
What they do
Directors lead and manage personnel to achieve company wide objectives. They perform various executive tasks, including development and management of operations, human resources, finances, risk, and community relations. While managers are concerned with implementing procedures and solving day-to-day issues, directors focus on more high level tasks and company-wide objectives.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate
The ideal candidate must have extensive experience in operations management with a history of successfully achieving productivity and sales goals. Directors must possess outstanding performance management and communication skills to sufficiently convey performance expectations, issues, and process improvements. Lastly, the person must have recruiting and coaching experience.
4. Operations Manager (1.35 million monthly clicks)
What they do
Operations Managers oversee production of goods and/or services. In addition to maintaining product and/or service quality and quantity, they are in-charge of day to day operations, personnel safety, budget, and sales goals.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate
The candidate must possess strong communication, administrative, and organizational skills with the ability to break down large ideas into bite-size procedures. An ideal operations manager must embody the culture of the company and must be willing to roll up their sleeves and do legwork to foster a collaborative environment and inspire employees to step up and perform.
5. Supervisor/Operation Supervisor (1.33 million monthly clicks)
What they do
While both managers and supervisors tend to day-to-day issues, the former focus on the business side of management while the latter specialize on the functional side of management. Supervisors ensure that all employees on their team perform their assigned jobs. Moreover, supervisors strictly implement the latest company policies and safety protocols.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate
The ideal supervisor must have effective employee management skills with a demonstrated ability to develop plans and meet objectives. The person must have an arsenal of tools and methods to help management identify resources that would expedite the achievement of goals. The candidate should possess solid communication and interpersonal skills to cultivate positive relationships with team members and upper management.
6. Assistant Manager (1.31 million monthly clicks)
What they do
The position gains popularity because it is used in many industries including healthcare, restaurant, and retail. An assistant manager is the jack of all trades, typically possessing multiple skills such as leadership, customer service, communication, and recruitment to help address almost any issue that may arise in day-to-day operations. Companies expect assistant managers to serve as good examples and hold employees accountable.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate
Assistant managers must have prior experience in leading and managing teams, especially in the retail industry. The candidate must also possess excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills to be able to motivate team members and resolve employee and customer issues.
7. Trainee Manager/Management Trainee (946,074 monthly clicks)
What they do
Manager trainees acquire leadership skills and learn usual day-to-day activities on the way to becoming an officer or manager. The trainee may also be asked to work with clients and/or customers to improve communication and customer assistance skills.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate
The ideal candidate must possess the mentality of an eager student to be able to learn and work in a fast-paced environment. Professional communication and interpersonal skills are required to effectively work with teams and communicate with colleagues and superiors. The person should also possess good business acumen to facilitate achievement of business goals.
8. Team Leader (836,986 monthly clicks)
What they do
In a nutshell, a team leader provides the team with instructions and direction to facilitate the achievement of a goal or a project. The person may also provide technical leadership and may be asked to incrementally improve processes.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate
The ideal team leader possesses strong technical, communication, and interpersonal skills to provide technical and thought guidance and effectively communicate various authority levels. The candidate must be a role model and provide constructive feedback to improve the team’s performance. Lastly, the person must have a solid work ethic and proven ability to work independently.
9. Business Development Manager (796,629 monthly clicks)
What they do
Business development managers are in charge of increasing company revenues by identifying opportunities and forging business relationships. They get in touch with potential partners to explore mutually beneficial business opportunities.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate
The ideal business development manager must possess high level interpersonal and communication skills to able to establish rapport with colleagues, superiors, employees, candidates, clients, and external personnel. The person must also be a self-starter with a demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks to meet individual and company goals. Also important, the candidate must have a track record of showing strong negotiation skills and the aptitude to make sound business decisions in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
10. Director of Operations (634,922 monthly clicks)
What they do
The Director of Operations is in charge employee management. In some companies, the individual oversees productivity of hundreds of employees. The person may also be tasked to purchase equipment or services to increase employee productivity.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate
The ideal candidate must have at least five years of operations experience with a history of successful oversight between departmental and cross-functional projects. The person must also have a record of constructing and overseeing teams with an aptitude to analyze information, reach conclusions, and offer significant recommendations. The Director of Operations must also possess exceptional leadership, communication, management, and decision-making skills to help multiple teams meet business objectives and effectively interact with executive management.
Bottom Line: Most Popular Management Job Titles
First-line and executive roles are popular among job seekers looking for work in management. What are your thoughts about the most popular management job titles? Feel free to write your comments below.
