For a company to work as a cohesive unit, it is necessary to create effective working structures that function as a single system. There are many positions in management and executive structures, whose responsibilities include a wide range of functions. One of the most important positions in a company is business continuity director. What is his role in the development of the company, what duties he should perform, and what qualities the candidate for this position should have – we suggest you learn from our article.
Who is a business continuity director?
A business continuity director is necessary for companies to implement a program to ensure the stability of the company in all conditions. Such a program is an integral part of a company’s development strategy, as it contains practical steps that must be taken to ensure the stability of the company in unforeseen situations.
The position of the director assumes management of a certain structural unit for ensuring the continuous development of the business. Such a group usually consists of specialists with different activity profiles in order to provide the team with a complex vision of the problem and search for the most optimal solution. This forms certain requirements for candidates who aspire to the position of director of business continuity. His or her skills should include:
- Stress tolerance, as the bulk of the work involves organizing the company’s operations during a time of instability;
- Communication – it is necessary to communicate not only with specialists of different profiles but also with a large number of freelance specialists, business partners, and controlling bodies;
- Multitasking – a business continuity program requires the development of strategies that will address absolutely all aspects of the company’s activities in order to get out of a crisis situation faster.
In addition, only those candidates with the necessary practical experience will be considered for the position of Director of Business Continuity – knowledge alone may not be sufficient for the job.
Key business continuity roles and responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of the Director of Business Continuity include:
- Approving and developing strategies to ensure the company’s stability;
- Creation of scenarios for possible incidents which would require activation of the business continuity program;
- Forming and managing a team of specialists to help manage the incident;
- Analyzing and structuring reporting information on the company’s performance in contingencies;
- Verifying that the business continuity program is aligned with the primary goals and needs of the company’s overall promotional strategy, and revising the program if it is not appropriate.
The Business Continuity Director is a kind of crisis manager, who leads a multidisciplinary team to eliminate the impact of negative factors and their consequences. Therefore, he must be able to quickly assess the situation and make the best decisions.
At first glance, it may seem that the role of a business continuity director is not that important for the development of a company. However, the greater the scale of the company’s activity, the more it needs managers who can control the process of its activity in all aspects. A business continuity plan and a competent manager are needed for periods of unstable company operations. The CEO or executive director cannot always perform these responsibilities well because he or she has too many activities to focus on, while business continuity requires more focus and attention.