Requirements

Production manager or director in energy - requirements

As a production manager or director in energy, sometimes called an operations manager, you’ll manage and plan a variety of industrial processes to achieve efficiency, safety and success. Here you can find out what it’s like to work in this role, what you’ll need to do to get into the field and relevant study options that can help you succeed.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be a production manager or director in energy?

A degree or diploma in one of the following subjects will be useful:

Having a relevant degree qualification may be needed for more technical or research-focused roles, while a foundation degree or HND can be enough for more management-focused positions. You could enter the sector at a more junior level without these qualifications and work your way up.

Please note this is a beta version. We'll continue to improve our suggestions here so that we show you the most relevant subjects.

Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a production manager or director in energy?

A postgraduate degree isn’t needed but will be useful for specialist roles or getting onto competitive graduate programmes.

Taught master’s and research degrees at postgraduate level you might consider include:

Exploration geology
Geotechnical engineering
Engineering geology
Advanced chemical engineering
Environmental pollution and remediation
Energy transition systems and technologies
Advanced energy materials
Marine renewable energy

What skills do you need to be a production manager or director in energy?

Your industry-specific knowledge and experience will be central to success in this role, along with project, process and people management skills.

Hard skills usually include:

Managing projects
Managing risks
Managing assets
Business development knowledge
Contracting and procurement
Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Soft skills include:

Communication skills
Managing others
Operations management
Leadership skills
Analytical and problem solving
Reporting and presenting
Negotiating
Planning skills

Do you need work experience to be a production manager or director in energy?

Previous work experience is usually needed to get onto a graduate scheme or get your first role in the sector, as competition for positions can be strong. Finding internships and summer work during your studies is always recommended and many degree courses contain professional placements or sandwich years in industry.