jobfacts

Functional managers and directors n.e.c.

SOC 2020 1139

Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of senior management tasks in respect of other specialist functions or fields of activity in organisations not elsewhere classified in minor group 113: Functional managers and directors.

Also calledDirectorAudit directorManagerEvents directorCustomer experience directorHead of internal auditand 73 more titles
Typical full-time pay£75,7002025 Provisional
People in the job200,000across the UK
New adverts a month1,900↑ 12%on last year · 94th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time functional managers and directors n.e.c. earn between £54,700 and £104,800 a year.

What full-time functional managers and directors n.e.c. earn, 2025
£75,700 typical£41,900lowest 10%£54,70025%£111,900top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£54,700–£104,800)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£41,900
Lowest 20% earn less than£51,500
25%£54,700
Median£75,700
75%£104,800
Top 20% earn more than£111,900
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £75,700
London£87,100
South East!£86,100
East of England!£77,000
North West!£69,800
Wales!£65,400
East Midlands!£63,200
North East!£53,900
Yorkshire and The Humber!£52,900
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £75,700
London£87,100
South East£86,100 (small sample)
East of England£77,000 (small sample)
North West£69,800 (small sample)
Wales£65,400 (small sample)
East Midlands£63,200 (small sample)
North East£53,900 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£52,900 (small sample)
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £72,600
  • 2024 £74,700
  • 2025 Provisional£75,700
↑ 4.3% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,900 jobs for functional managers and directors n.e.c. are advertised each month.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20262,858
Jul 20262,389
Jun 20262,243
May 20262,295
Apr 20261,648
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20261,543
Jan 20261,582
Dec 20251,084
Nov 20252,033
Oct 20251,946
Sept 20251,729
Aug 20251,768
Jul 20251,987
Jun 20252,148
May 20252,315
Apr 20251,694
Mar 20252,160
Feb 20251,854
Jan 20251,481
Dec 20241,162
Nov 20241,513
Oct 20241,609
Sept 20241,516
Aug 20241,521
Jul 20241,634
Jun 20241,560
May 20241,955
Apr 20241,726
Mar 20241,619
Feb 20241,755
Jan 20242,151
Dec 20231,849
Nov 20231,639
Oct 20231,683
Sept 20231,513
Aug 20231,929
Jul 20231,928
Jun 20232,657
May 20232,587
Apr 20232,035
Mar 20232,618
Feb 20232,803
Jan 20232,806
Dec 20222,623
Nov 20223,126
Oct 20223,261
Sept 20222,909
Aug 20223,236
Jul 20223,132
Jun 20223,199
May 20223,868
Apr 20222,890
Mar 20223,603
Feb 20223,301
Jan 20223,448
Dec 20212,771
Nov 20212,997
Oct 20212,925
Sept 20212,937
Aug 20212,933
Jul 20213,366
Jun 20212,885
May 20212,798
Apr 20212,433
Mar 20213,090
Feb 20212,027
Jan 20212,168
Dec 20201,757
Nov 20201,819
Oct 20202,021
Sept 20201,821
Aug 20201,641
Jul 20201,714
Jun 20201,486
May 20201,356
Apr 20201,623
Mar 20202,923
Feb 20203,028
Jan 20202,870
Dec 20191,842
Nov 20192,485
Oct 20192,594
Sept 20192,410
Aug 20192,290
Jul 20192,898
Jun 20193,038
May 20192,600
Apr 20191,854
Mar 20192,407
Feb 20192,217
Jan 20192,446
Dec 20181,562
Nov 20182,150
Oct 20182,181
Sept 20182,051
Aug 20182,022
Jul 20182,168
Jun 20182,272
May 20182,400
Apr 20182,109
Mar 20182,563
Feb 20182,357
Jan 20182,531
Dec 20171,658
Nov 20172,216
Oct 20172,239
Sept 20171,993
Aug 20172,199
Jul 20172,073
Jun 20172,518
May 20172,572
Apr 20172,335
Mar 20172,550
Feb 20172,483
Jan 20172,827
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
12%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for functional managers and directors, which includes functional managers and directors n.e.c.. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London1,876
Manchester226
Birmingham205
Bristol, City of167
Leeds139
Glasgow City117
Cambridge85
Newcastle upon Tyne81
City of Edinburgh76
Reading75
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where functional managers and directors n.e.c. are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 555 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from United States, Japan, India, ranking it 35th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of functional managers and directors n.e.c.
1.2%!
18%!
28%
30%
19%
3.6%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–241.2% (small sample)
25–3418% (small sample)
35–4428%
45–5430%
55–6419%
65+3.6% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent71%
Higher education below degree4.9%
A levels or equivalent13%
GCSEs or equivalent6.7%
Other qualifications!2%
No qualifications!1.5%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent71%
Higher education below degree4.9%
A levels or equivalent13%
GCSEs or equivalent6.7%
Other qualifications2% (small sample)
No qualifications1.5% (small sample)

Main employers: general public administration activities (10%), engineering activities and related technical consultancy (3.6%), business and other management consultancy activities (3.3%), construction of residential and non-residential buildings (3.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
71%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
3
from level 5, including degree apprenticeships
Apprenticeships take
2 to 4 years
typically

Apprenticeships

3 for this job
Level 7About 2 years

Infrastructure asset management professional

Leads to
Institute of Asset Management
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
CMI Level 5 Diploma in Operational ManagementHigher technical5
Diploma of Higher Education in Operations ManagerHigher technical5
FdA Business ManagementHigher technical5
Foundation Degree in BusinessHigher technical5
Foundation Degree in Business and ManagementHigher technical5
Foundation Degree in Business and Management PracticeHigher technical5
Foundation Degree in Business, Enterprise & ManagementHigher technical5
HE Diploma in Operations ManagementHigher technical5
Higher National Diploma in Leadership and Management for EnglandHigher technical5
Highfield Level 5 Diploma in Operations ManagementHigher technical5
NCC Education Level 5 Diploma in BusinessHigher technical5

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • helps to formulate and implement local government policy and ensures legal and statutory provisions are observed
  • organises local authority office work and resources, negotiates contracted out services
  • plans, organises, coordinates and directs the resources of their organisation
  • formulates and directs the implementation of an organisation’s policies
  • drives innovation in the working practices of their organisation
  • represents union, association or business in consultation and negotiation with government, employees and other bodies
  • stimulates public interest by providing publicity, giving lectures and interviews
  • directs or undertakes the preparation, publication and dissemination of reports and other information pertaining to the organisation

Skills

  • advise on efficiency improvements
  • ensure compliance with policies
  • identify legal requirements
  • liaise with managers
  • manage budgets
  • manage project metrics
  • manage staff
  • align efforts towards business development
  • develop revenue generation strategies
  • impart business plans to collaborators
  • integrate headquarter's guidelines into local operations
  • make strategic business decisions
  • support managers
  • apply conflict management

Knowledge

  • company policies
  • corporate social responsibility
  • project management
  • quality standards
  • business analysis
  • information security strategy
  • legal standards in gambling

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for corporate managers and directors, a group of 20 jobs that includes functional managers and directors n.e.c..
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 3%about 78,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.4 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.