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What is a global business manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Kim Roberts

Global business managers contribute their cultural skills and knowledge of international economics, trade, markets, and finance to ensure an organization's entrance into international markets is aligned with its goals and objectives. There are many responsibilities you need to fulfill to succeed as a Global Business Manager.

You need to provide your cultural skills and knowledge of international economics, trade, governments, contracts, markets, and investment to ensure your organization's entry into the international market gets aligned with its goals and objectives. You will develop and institute strategies to maximize profit across international markets. Additionally, Global managers focus on customer demand and international trends, as well as handle sourcing of products and assistance.

To become a Global Business Manager, you need to have a bachelor's degree. Many global business manager jobs need experience in a role such as a manager. Meanwhile, many international business managers also have previous career backgrounds as business managers or product managers. If you're a Global Business Manager in the USA, you can earn a whopping salary of $138,267 per year or $66 per hour. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience and skills.

What general advice would you give to a global business manager?

Dr. Kim RobertsDr. Kim Roberts LinkedIn profile

Professor of Operations Management, Website

Business-related occupations offer attractive salaries and offer a variety of disciplines, such as accounting, contract management, cybersecurity, finance, human resources, logistics, marketing, management, operations, sales, and more. However, business careers are often demanding, requiring long work weeks and travel.

Skills
leadership
communication
innovation
adaptation
critical thinking
problem solving
emotional intelligence
empathy
teamwork
cultural competence
conflict management
ethics and social responsibility
ScoreGlobal Business ManagerUS Average
Salary
8.0

Avg. Salary $115,352

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 29.51%

male 70.49%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Global business manager career paths

Key steps to become a global business manager

  1. Explore global business manager education requirements

    Most common global business manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    68.8 %

    Master's

    24.5 %

    Associate

    3.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific global business manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management11.08%
    Business Strategy7.82%
    Business Development6.47%
    Global Business6.45%
    Business Management5.96%
  3. Complete relevant global business manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New global business managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a global business manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real global business manager resumes.
  4. Research global business manager duties and responsibilities

    • Lead the development and implementation of KPIs for SA, including their reporting in a dashboard.
    • Lead the development and execution of a multifacete on-demand online performance support tool that enable the implementation of Salesforce.com.
    • Track performance of both new and carry over product KPIs.
    • Collaborate with the company owner on developing the portfolio, evaluating products/services, determining pricing, and creating training/marketing materials.
  5. Apply for global business manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a global business manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first global business manager job

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Average global business manager salary

The average global business manager salary in the United States is $115,352 per year or $55 per hour. Global business manager salaries range between $84,000 and $156,000 per year.

Average global business manager salary
$115,352 Yearly
$55.46 hourly

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How do global business managers rate their job?

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Global business manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2023
Pros

Rule of thumb with international travel is be ready for serious jet-lag!

Cons

rule of thumb with international travel is to have jet-lag non-stop!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

keeping the company vibrant in the marketplace and returning maximum shareholder value


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

Strategic Planning to develop and capture new business opportunities, building strong customer/partner relationships and analyzing the financial performance of customers to help improve their financial and operational performance. Negotiations

Cons

Being away from family because of excessive travel


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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