A senior area manager is a general manager in charge of a specified geographic region as designated by the company for which he or she works. The senior area manager is usually assigned this region with the mandate to oversee the various branches and general interest of the company in that area. This task generally includes such functions as overseeing the activities of other sub-managers in that region, ensuring that any instructions from the head office are fully implemented, and making sure that the corporate objectives of the company are met. To this end, the senior area manager might be given a target that he or she is expected to work toward achieving as much as possible within the allocated time frame, in addition to the responsibility of micromanaging the activities of other managers and supervisors in that region, while using initiative to settle any disputes.
A person who is a senior area manager is expected to have certain essential qualities that will enable him or her to achieve the numerous responsibilities that come with the position. For instance, the individual must possess critical thinking skills that will allow for the objective analysis of situations in order to arrive at the most likely or the best solution to the problem that may have been presented. Such a person is also expected to be able to engage in vertical thinking, a skill that is composed of the ability to think outside the box in order to come up with unique ideas for how to handle problems while still maintaining the objectives of the company. The senior area manager is expected to possess some experience in the area he or she working. For instance, if the manager is working in retail he or she would be expected to have extensive knowledge regarding the management of retail stores.
Some of the individuals who attain the position of a senior area manager usually rise through the ranks of various positions in the company, gathering experience and other vital human capital along the way that will allow them to effectively manage an assigned territory. Other people may have gained experience in similar industries and may have been hired due to their managerial skills and their proven record of professional excellence in other similar positions. Another quality of a senior area manager that is important for the effective execution of the responsibilities inherent in the position is the ability to relate with other people, since the individual must possess good people skills.
