Last Updated On 06 Aug, 2020
A Functional Manager is a person who manages a certain functional area of an organisation which could be a team, a department, a unit etc. Functional managers are responsible for providing instructions and handle the resources of a team that is working on a particular area of a larger project or organisation. Hence, Functional Managers are required to have expertise in a particular area and help an organisation achieve its goals in a target area.
Functional Manager is basically a broad term that can be used to describe many different job roles in an organisation. There can be many Functional Managers in a project. Functional Managers are essential for an organisation to be able to provide proper instructions as well as oversee the progress and growth of divisions. Functional Managers also report the statistics, requirements and feedback of the team to the higher management.
There are no particular criteria for becoming a functional manager. It is a broad term that can apply for roles in different departments of a company. These departments may or may not be working on similar products. Hence, the various Functional Managers in an organisation may have different key result areas.
The education and expertise of a Functional Manager will be defined by which type of post they wish to take up. Depending upon their chosen area of work, their job requirements will change. Their education requirements will also change accordingly. Given below are some details of the eligibility or requirements of Functional Managers.
Education Required |
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Work Experience Required | Around 5 years of work experience is usually required. |
Skill Required |
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Given below are some of the most common courses that are good for future Functional Managers.
Course | Colleges |
Functional Managers are the heads of their respective teams. Various positions can, thus, be defined as Functional Managers. Given below are some of the job positions that come under the definition of Functional Manager.
Functional Managers are required by almost every organisation. They provide leadership at a divisional scale and help the core management in ensuring proper utilisation of resources and keeping an eye on the progress of targets given to a team. The job of a Functional Manager cannot be limited to a particular sector or company. Since it is a blanket term, it applies to many different job posts in a variety of sectors. However, you will not find job postings for 'Functional Managers' in many sectors. The requirement for Functional Managers is also not limited just to the private sector. Many government sector organisations and NGOs also hire candidates for Functional Management roles.
Given below are some common areas where the role of a Functional Manager is required.
Project Management Firms
Project Consultancies
Public Service Commissions
Financial Service Providers
Tech Consultants etc.
The salary details of various Functional Manager job positions can be found given in the table below.
Job Role | Annual Entry-Level Salary p.a | Annual Average / Mid-Career Salary | Annual Senior-Level Salary |
Computer / IT Manager | Rs. 4.98 lakhs | Rs. 12.87 lakhs | Rs. 15.36 lakhs |
Customer Service Manager | Rs. 2.54 lakhs | Rs. 6.70 lakhs | Rs. 10.25 lakhs |
Sales Manager | Rs. 3.33 lakhs | Rs. 4.89 lakhs | Rs. 6.00 lakhs |
Functional Consultant | Rs. 2.50 lakhs | Rs. 8.90 lakhs | Rs. 16.36 lakhs |
Project Safety Manager | Rs. 6.92 lakhs | Rs. 7.73 lakhs | Rs. 11.56 lakhs |
Functional Managers have to be good leaders and effective communicators to do their job well. Good managers are also required to be concerned about their team, empathetic towards their problems and with a problem-solving attitude. Given below are some best books for Functional Managers in India.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Good to Great by Jim Collins
The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
First, Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
The job requires critical thinking and problem-solving on a daily basis, which keeps it interesting.
You stay in touch with the executives as well as higher management.
Good performance will get you promoted to senior management roles.
A lot of executive decisions have to be made by Functional Managers, which brings immense responsibility.
A major part of the job will involve generating reports and tracking progress of your team.
Take our test and find out if it suits your strengths.
The top 3 books to become a better Functional Manager include How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni and High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove.
5-10 years of work experience is usually required for becoming a Functional Manager.
Yes. Functional Managers are usually 3 - 4 levels senior in an organisation and hence can expect to get a good salary.
You must have at least bachelor's level of education to become a functional manager. Additionally, you can also go for postgraduate management courses to sharpen your knowledge and skills for management roles.
Functional Managers can be found in almost every organisation with a small to large workforce.
The skills required for a Functional Manager include: Problem-Solving, Analytical Thinking, Written and Verbal Communication, Ease with Numbers and Data, Responsible Nature, Target-Driven Approach etc.
Yes, Functional Managers are essential for an organisation as they ensure that the deadlines and targets of various units are being met and help mitigate any issues of the team members.
The responsibilities of a Functional Manager include providing daily instructions and tasks to the team, tracking the progress of tasks, taking team meetings, solving work-related issues of team members, providing daily reports to higher management etc.
Examples of Functional Managers include Development Manager, Safety Manager, Customer Relationship Manager, Marketing Manager, Sales Manager, Content Manager etc.
A Functional Manager is any individual who is put in control of a team's work, resources and day-to-day decisions.