UK

United Kingdom · Operations · Principal/Manager (12-16 years)

Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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  • Experience bandPrincipal/Manager (12-16 years)
  • Reports toDirector, Operational Resilience
  • UK framework levelUsually a manager, or the deepest specialist in a team

Also advertised as Head of Business Continuity · Senior Business Continuity Manager · Resilience Programme Manager · Operations Resilience Lead

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

ProQual Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Management ProQual Awarding Body · Level 4 · covers 7 of 10 standards
OCNLR Level 4 Certificate in Business Administration OCN London · Level 4 · covers 3 of 10 standards
OCNLR Level 4 Diploma in Business Administration OCN London · Level 4 · covers 2 of 10 standards
Pearson Edexcel Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Business Administration Pearson Education Ltd · Level 4 · covers 2 of 10 standards
ETCAL Level 3 Diploma in Management ETC Awards Limited · Level 3 · covers 2 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Business continuity and the disaster recovery process SFJ Awards Level 5 Certificate for the Security Risk Management Practitioner (RQF)
Implement and maintain business continuity plans and processes ProQual Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Management
Business Continuity Planning OCNLR Level 4 Certificate in Business Administration

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Foresight Fluency seeing round the corner
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Built for Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience

3 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Business continuity and the disaster recovery process SFJ Awards · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  2. Implement and maintain business continuity plans and processes ProQual Awarding Body · covers 7 of 10 standards Level 4
  3. Business Continuity Planning OCN London · covers 3 of 10 standards Level 4
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Integrated Operational Resilience Leadership
  • AI-Enhanced BCM Programme Management
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

This job is about planning for major disruptions, such as floods, cyber-attacks or a pandemic, so a business can keep running and recover quickly. It means leading a team to build plans and capabilities that protect the business when things go wrong, and making sure those plans can actually be carried out.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Fusion Risk Management / Castellan (or similar BCM Software) Strategic

You'll lead the strategic use and optimisation of our BCM platform. This means defining enterprise data architecture, overseeing integrations with other systems, and ensuring the platform supports the overall BCM programme vision. You might even lead the selection process for a new platform.

Everbridge / OnSolve (Emergency Notification System) Architect

You'll own the ENS strategy, ensuring it meets the needs of Operations. This includes negotiating contracts, overseeing integration with HRIS (like Workday HCM) for automated data synchronisation, and ensuring the system supports complex, multi-channel alerts during a crisis.

ServiceNow GRC / Archer (GRC Platform) Strategic

You'll define the enterprise risk taxonomy for Operations and ensure the BCM programme aligns seamlessly with the overall GRC framework and regulatory requirements. This involves strategic oversight of how BCM data feeds into broader risk reporting.

Confluence / Jira / Smartsheet (Collaboration & Documentation) Strategic

You'll establish the enterprise-wide knowledge management strategy for all resilience-related documentation within Operations. This means designing how your team uses these tools to ensure all plans, exercise reports, and programme artefacts are organised, accessible, and up-to-date.

Power BI / Tableau (Data Visualization) Strategic

You'll define the key performance indicators (KPIs) and key risk indicators (KRIs) for the entire Operations resilience function. You'll oversee the development of executive dashboards (e.g., via Tableau Server) that present these metrics clearly to senior leadership and the Board.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Programme Strategy & Direction Follows established strategy, escalates suggestions. Proposes improvements to existing strategy, seeks approval. Designs and recommends strategic initiatives, consults Director for final approval.
Budget Allocation (BCM Programme) No budget authority, flags resource needs. Estimates project costs, requests budget for specific tasks. Manages project-level budget up to £5K, flags significant overruns.
Hiring & Team Management No hiring authority, assists with onboarding. Provides input on junior hires, informally mentors. Interviews junior roles, formally mentors 1-2 individuals.
Vendor Selection (BCM Tools/Services) Uses existing tools, flags issues. Researches alternative tools, proposes options. Evaluates vendors for specific projects, makes recommendations.
Crisis Invocation & Response Follows instructions, executes assigned tasks. Executes recovery steps, reports status. Leads a specific recovery workstream, advises Incident Commander.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Enterprise Resilience Score Improvement
Improve our internal resilience maturity score by moving from our current Level 2 to Level 3 within 18 months.
Target · Achieve Level 3 maturity

If we're currently scoring 'Reactive' (Level 2) on our BCM framework, you'll need to show clear progress towards 'Proactive' (Level 3) by, say, Q4 next year. That means more robust plans, better exercise outcomes, and stronger team capabilities.

Reduction in Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
Demonstrate a 20% reduction in the Recovery Time Objective for our top 5 critical Operations processes through large-scale exercises and plan optimisation.
Target · 20% RTO reduction for top 5 processes

If our customer support system currently has an RTO of 8 hours, you'll need to show through a full-scale exercise that your team's plans and preparations can get it back up and running in 6.4 hours or less. This is about real-world performance, not just theoretical targets.

Reduction in Maximum Tolerable Outage (MTO) Financial Impact
Quantify and reduce the potential financial impact of a maximum tolerable outage by at least £5M through targeted resilience investments and improved recovery strategies.
Target · £5M+ reduction in MTO financial impact

After refreshing BIAs and working with Finance, you might identify that a major logistics hub outage could cost £15M. By implementing a new recovery strategy (e.g., a secondary distribution centre), you'd aim to bring that potential loss down to £10M or less.

BCM Programme Audit Pass Rate
Maintain a 100% pass rate on all internal and external BCM programme audits, with zero critical findings.
Target · 100% pass rate, zero critical findings

When the external ISO 22301 auditors come knocking, your programme should be so buttoned-up that they find no 'major non-conformities'. A minor observation is fine, but anything that questions the fundamental effectiveness of the programme is a miss.

Team Engagement & Development
Achieve a team engagement score of 80%+ in annual surveys and ensure 100% of your direct reports have a clear development plan and achieve at least one major development goal per year.
Target · 80%+ engagement, 100% development plan completion

It's not just about the programme; it's about the people. You'll need to build a high-performing, motivated team. That means regular 1:1s, coaching, and making sure they feel supported and are growing in their careers.

Strategic Influence & Buy-in
You're seen as the go-to expert for resilience, with your recommendations actively sought out by Operations leadership and integrated into strategic planning.
  • Operations leaders proactively consult you on new initiatives' resilience implications. Your team's BIA outputs are consistently used to inform investment decisions. You're invited to strategic planning sessions, not just operational ones. You're able to secure budget and resources for resilience initiatives without excessive friction.
Team Leadership & Mentorship
Your team is high-performing, well-motivated, and developing their skills. You're known for supporting them and getting the best out of everyone.
  • Your direct reports consistently meet or exceed their performance goals. They actively seek your guidance and feedback. Peer managers comment positively on your team's capability and morale. You're able to delegate effectively, empowering your team while maintaining oversight.
Programme Maturity & Continuous Improvement
The BCM programme isn't static; it's constantly evolving, learning from exercises and real incidents, and adapting to the changing threat landscape.
  • After Action Reviews (AARs) consistently lead to actionable improvements that are tracked and implemented. You regularly introduce new methodologies or technologies to enhance the programme. The programme demonstrates agility in responding to new risks (e.g., new regulations, emerging cyber threats). You're not just maintaining
  • you're advancing.
Stakeholder Confidence & Communication
Operations leadership, auditors, and even the Board have high confidence in our BCM capabilities, largely due to your clear, concise, and credible communication.
  • Your presentations to senior leadership are clear, impactful, and well-received. Auditors consistently provide positive feedback on your programme's documentation and your team's responses. You can explain complex resilience concepts in simple business terms. Stakeholders trust your judgment during both planning and actual incidents.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Protecting the Business & Its People

You're driven by the genuine desire to safeguard the company's operations, revenue, and reputation, and to ensure employees have a safe and clear path during a crisis. This shows up in your meticulous planning and your focus on real-world recovery capabilities.

You'll spend extra time refining a communication plan for staff during an office closure, knowing that clear, timely information reduces anxiety and helps everyone focus on what matters.

Leading & Developing a High-Performing Team

You get a real kick out of seeing your team members grow, develop new skills, and deliver excellent work. You'll actively coach, mentor, and empower your direct reports, building their confidence and capabilities.

You'll delegate a complex BIA project to a Senior Planner, providing support and guidance but allowing them to own the delivery, then celebrate their success publicly.

Solving Complex, Strategic Problems

You enjoy the challenge of looking at the bigger picture, identifying systemic risks, and designing enterprise-level solutions. This isn't just about tactical fixes; it's about building a robust, long-term resilience strategy.

You'll spend time researching emerging threats like AI-driven cyber-attacks and figuring out how our current BCM programme needs to evolve to address them, then present your findings to the Director.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Prophet of Doom' Stigma: Being seen as a pessimistic cost centre until a crisis hits, then suddenly you're the most important person in the room.
  • BIA Fatigue: Constantly chasing department heads (and their teams) to update their BIAs, who view it as low-priority administrative paperwork and provide incomplete or rushed answers.
  • The 'It Can't Happen Here' Mindset: Battling executive apathy or denial about credible threats because they are inconvenient or expensive to mitigate.
  • Budget Battles: Constantly having to justify the investment in resilience, even though the cost of inaction is far higher.
  • Shelf-Ware Syndrome: Discovering that the beautifully crafted plans your team delivered are sitting on a digital shelf, never read, updated, or integrated into daily operations.
  • Blame Without Authority: Being held accountable when a recovery fails, even though the failure was caused by a department not providing the resources or accurate information you requested for the plan.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, predictable 9-5 job with no surprises. Crises don't stick to office hours.
  • A role where everyone immediately understands and values your work without you having to explain it.
  • Direct control over all the operational teams you need to support your plans.
  • A budget that's unlimited or doesn't require constant justification and prioritisation.

8Who you work with

This role directly impacts our ability to maintain critical operations, protect revenue, and safeguard our brand reputation during any unforeseen event. Essentially, you're building the safety net for our entire Operations function, ensuring we can recover quickly and effectively, no matter the disruption. Get it right, and the business barely blinks. Get it wrong, and it's a very bad day for everyone.

Inside the business
  • Director, Operational Resilience (your boss)
  • Operations Leadership Team (the folks whose processes you're protecting)
  • IT Disaster Recovery Lead (we work hand-in-glove with them)
  • Legal & Compliance (they care about regulations, quite a bit)
  • Internal Audit (they'll be checking your homework)
  • Finance Department (they'll want to know the cost of everything, and the cost of not doing it)
Outside the business
  • External Auditors (they'll scrutinise our plans and processes)
  • Key Vendors & Suppliers (we need their plans to align with ours)
  • Industry Bodies & Regulators (they set the rules, we follow them)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven experience (10+ years) in Business Continuity Management or a closely related field (e.g., Disaster Recovery, Operational Risk), with at least 3-5 years in a leadership or management capacity.
  • Demonstrable experience leading and developing a team of BCM professionals.
  • A strong track record of designing, implementing, and managing enterprise-level BCM programmes, not just individual plans.
  • Expert-level knowledge of BCM methodologies, standards (like ISO 22301), and best practices.
  • Experience presenting to and influencing senior leadership (Director/VP level) and managing external auditor relationships.
  • A solid understanding of Operations processes and the interdependencies within a complex business environment.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced BCM Platform Architecture & Integration

As BCM platforms become more sophisticated, integrating with other enterprise systems (HRIS, CRM, ERP, IT DR tools) is crucial for real-time data and automated processes. You'll need to understand the architectural implications and drive these integrations.

API Integration Strategies · Data Governance for Resilience · Cloud-Native Resilience Solutions · Single Pane of Glass Reporting

  • This month: Review the integration capabilities of our current BCM software. What's connected, what isn't?
  • Next 3 months: Work with IT architects to understand our enterprise integration patterns and data flows.
  • Next 6 months: Develop a roadmap for integrating our BCM platform with one key system (e.g., HRIS for contact data) to improve data accuracy.
  • Ongoing: Attend webinars or industry events on BCM platform evolution and integration best practices.

Quick win: Map out the current data flows for your BCM platform and identify 2-3 manual data transfers that could be automated via integration.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend industry conferences and webinars (e.g., BCI World, DRI Conference) to stay abreast of emerging trends and network with peers.
  • Participate in relevant industry forums or working groups to contribute to best practices and influence the sector.
  • Undertake continuous professional development (CPD) to maintain your certifications and expand your knowledge in areas like cyber resilience or supply chain risk.
  • Seek out leadership development programmes to further hone your people management and strategic influencing skills.
  • Read books and articles on crisis management, organisational resilience, and strategic leadership. Keep learning, always.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Integrated Operational Resilience Leadership

Regulators and boards are increasingly demanding a holistic view of operational resilience, moving beyond traditional BCM silos. This means integrating BCM with IT Disaster Recovery, cyber resilience, third-party risk management, and even physical security into a single, cohesive programme.

  • Impact Tolerances
  • Critical Business Service Mapping
  • Scenario Testing (Beyond BCM)
  • Regulatory Reporting & Attestation

AI-Enhanced BCM Programme Management

AI isn't just for automating tasks; it's becoming a strategic tool for risk prediction, scenario planning, and optimising recovery efforts. As a Manager, you'll need to understand how to strategically deploy AI within your programme to gain a competitive edge and improve efficiency.

  • Predictive Risk Analytics
  • Generative AI for Content Creation
  • AI-Driven Simulation & Wargaming
  • Automated Compliance Monitoring

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Business Impact Analysis (BIA) & Risk Assessment (RA)
  • ISO 22301 & BCM Framework Design
  • Crisis Management & Communications
  • Exercise Design & Facilitation
  • Supply Chain Resilience

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Senior Business Continuity Planner (Internal Promotion)

    3-5 years as a Senior Planner

    Skills to master

    • Leading complex planning projects, facilitating exercises, mentoring junior team members, and building strong relationships with department heads. You'd need to show you can consistently deliver and take on more responsibility.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently leads major BIA cycles and plan development for critical Operations functions.
    • Successfully facilitates large-scale tabletop exercises with senior participants.
    • Actively mentors 1-2 junior team members, helping them develop their skills.
    • Proactively identifies programme improvements and takes initiative to implement them.
  2. 2

    Lead Business Continuity Strategist (Internal or External)

    2-4 years as a Lead Strategist

    Skills to master

    • Managing a portfolio of continuity programmes, designing enterprise BIA methodologies, architecting testing strategies, and influencing senior stakeholders on strategic resilience initiatives. This role often has less direct people management but more strategic scope.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully managed multiple, complex BCM workstreams or programmes.
    • Developed and implemented a new BCM methodology or framework component.
    • Demonstrated ability to influence decisions at the Director level.
    • Proven capability to think strategically about enterprise-level resilience challenges.
  3. 3

    Manager, Operational Risk (from another sector/company)

    Roughly 10-15 years in risk management, with 3-5 years in a managerial role.

    Skills to master

    • Understanding of broader operational risk frameworks, risk quantification, and control effectiveness. You'd need to quickly get up to speed on our specific Operations processes and BCM methodologies.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Managed a team within an operational risk function.
    • Developed and implemented risk mitigation strategies.
    • Experience with risk appetite frameworks and reporting.
    • Demonstrated ability to adapt to a new industry or operational context quickly.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to a Chief Resilience Officer role, or into risk management as a Head of Enterprise Risk Management.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Business continuity and the disaster recovery process, worked against Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience.

Business continuity and the disaster recovery process Level 5

Applied to your work in Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience

1. To enable the learner to define business continuity and its core principles. 2. To enable the learner to explain the fundamental purpose and importance of disaster recovery planning. 3. To enable the learner to identify the relationship between business continuity and disaster recovery strategies.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

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See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience
  • Business Impact Analysis (BIA) & Risk Assessment (RA)
  • ISO 22301 & BCM Framework Design
  • Crisis Management & Communications
  • Exercise Design & Facilitation
  • Supply Chain Resilience
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Director, Operational Resilience

    3-5 years in the Manager role

    Level 6 (Director/VP)

    • Integrated Resilience Framework Design Architecting a truly integrated framework that seamlessly combines BCM, IT DR, cyber, and physical security.
    • Advanced Crisis Management & Communications Leading the overall crisis management function for the business unit, including strategic communications.
    • Regulatory Foresight Anticipating and influencing future regulatory changes in operational resilience.
    • Organisational Design Structuring and scaling the entire resilience function to meet evolving business needs.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be honest, Business Continuity Management involves a lot of data, documentation, and coordination. AI isn't here to replace your team, but it is here to make them incredibly more productive. Imagine cutting down the grunt work, freeing up your Planners to focus on strategy, relationship building, and really digging into complex risks. That's what AI can do for your BCM programme.

For a Manager, this means empowering your team to get more done with less effort, improving the quality of your plans, and getting ahead of the threat landscape. You'll be looking at how to strategically implement these tools to enhance your programme's overall maturity and effectiveness, rather than just using them for individual tasks. It's about leading the charge on modernising our resilience capabilities.

BIA & Plan Generation

Use an AI model, trained on our organisational data (think org charts, system maps, process flows), to auto-generate first-draft BIAs and recovery plans. Your team then validates and refines the output, saving hours of manual data entry and initial drafting. For you, it means faster BIA refresh cycles and more consistent plan quality across Operations.

Threat Intelligence Analysis

Deploy an AI agent to continuously monitor global news, weather alerts, social media, and security feeds for emerging threats relevant to our company locations and supply chains. This AI provides your team with prioritised daily briefings, allowing them to proactively update risk assessments and plans, rather than reactively chasing headlines. You'll get ahead of the curve.

Exercise Scenario Simulation

Use AI to create more dynamic and realistic exercise scenarios. The AI can act as an 'opposing force' in a cyber drill or simulate complex supply chain disruptions in real-time during a tabletop. This means more engaging and effective exercises for your teams, leading to better-tested plans and more robust recovery capabilities. No more predictable drills.

Crisis Communications Drafting

In the first 15 minutes of an incident, use a generative AI tool with pre-loaded templates and brand guidelines to draft initial communications for different audiences (employees, customers, regulators). This frees up your crisis team, and frankly, yourself, to focus on the actual response, knowing that consistent, timely messaging is being prepared in the background. It's about speed and accuracy when it matters most.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience?

Common routes in include Senior Business Continuity Planner (Internal Promotion) (3-5 years as a Senior Planner), Lead Business Continuity Strategist (Internal or External) (2-4 years as a Lead Strategist) and Manager, Operational Risk (from another sector/company) (Roughly 10-15 years in risk management, with 3-5 years in a managerial role.). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience progress to?

This role can lead on to Director, Operational Resilience (3-5 years in the Manager role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Manager, Business Continuity & Resilience?

Increasingly, Integrated Operational Resilience Leadership and AI-Enhanced BCM Programme Management. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 5

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in operations

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built in this role, such as strategic planning, risk management, crisis leadership and programme management, transfer across industries. They can lead to resilience leadership roles in sectors such as financial services, government or utilities, or into broader operational leadership or risk management positions.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.