Leadership with an important social mission
Are you passionate about people and motivated by the opportunity to shape their personal and professional growth? Do you wish to contribute to making a difference in society through an important mission? Then you share the same enthusiasm as our 300 skilled department managers. We are growing rapidly and are employing 100 new leaders in the coming years to continue our success story. Join our journey!
Department Managers - making a difference
As a department manager at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, you gain an added dimension: the chance to contribute to our vital societal mission. Leading teams in the development and production of critical technology and products, you play a direct role in enhancing both national and international security and defence capabilities, in line with today's heightened demands and priorities. Your responsibilities include ensuring efficient team performance, delivering projects on schedule and within budget, and driving technological advancements that align with our long-term goals of modernization and capacity building.
The ability to manage change
"In our current phase of rapid growth, the most crucial quality for a department manager is the ability to manage change," says senior HR advisor Mette Kokkvoll Hagen. "They must excel at delegating tasks and empowering their team, as well as establishing common, achievable goals," she explains.
The growing need for department managers is driven by the heightened demand for our products and services in the current geopolitical climate. This expansion has also led to ongoing reorganization. Effective leadership is crucial to maintaining quality and productivity during times of significant change and growth. Skilled department managers are essential for ensuring the company meets its goals and maintains a competitive position in the market. Their ability to adapt, motivate their teams, and drive positive changes is the foundation of our continued success.
(Photo credit: Fredrik Saltbones)
Department Management – responsibilities and tasks:
The primary responsibilities of a department manager include setting goals, planning and coordinating activities, and monitoring and evaluating team performance. This also involves ensuring that the team achieves its objectives while maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency.
The department manager is responsible for hiring, training, developing, and evaluating employees within their department. This includes motivating and inspiring team members, managing conflicts, and fostering their professional development.
The department manager is responsible for allocating resources effectively to ensure that projects and tasks are completed within budget and timeframes. This may include managing financial resources, materials, and equipment.
A crucial aspect of the department manager's role is to act as a bridge between the team and upper management, as well as other departments. This entails reporting progress, sharing information, and ensuring that the team's needs and challenges are understood and addressed effectively.
The department manager plays a crucial role in executing the organization's strategies and plans within their department. This involves translating overarching goals into specific, actionable steps and processes for the team to follow.
The department manager is responsible for identifying and implementing enhancements in work processes and routines to boost efficiency and quality within the department.
Mona Hallerud, Department ManagerOne of the advantages of working at KONGSBERG is that you can embrace all opportunities and try new things without needing to change employers. Exciting new opportunities frequently arise internally, enabling you to grow and develop in various directions within the same company, continually building on the expertise you have already acquired.
Leadership training and development
Leadership is about communication and relationships. At Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, we believe that leadership is a skill that must be continuously developed. We distinguish between leadership training and leadership development. Leadership training includes activities that all department managers must undertake to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge. In contrast, leadership development focuses on the continuous growth and improvement of leadership abilities through more comprehensive and strategic programs.
Hans Erik Sand, one of three organizational developers collaborating on leadership development at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.We often tailor the courses to different parts of the organization, but always ensure they align with our overall company strategy."
As a leader, you should be familiar with the language and concepts used across the company. It's essential that leaders and their supervisors can discuss the same models and have a shared understanding of leadership,"
Development opportunities for leaders
Thematic days for leaders
Thematic days for leaders consist of 3-hour courses held approximately monthly throughout the year, where leaders can delve into selected topics. These courses are in-person and take place across the entire company, with limited capacity based on the size of the meeting room, usually accommodating 30-40 participants. The courses are designed to promote networking, allowing leaders to mingle and discuss common challenges with other leaders. So far, we have held courses on topics such as "Psychological Safety – Is It Really That Important?", "Stress Management and Adversity Leadership", "Effective Interview Techniques", and "When It Matters Most – Having the Crucial Conversation!". These will be scheduled approximately monthly throughout the fall.
Leadership development in divisions
Each division offers its own leadership development programs for both project and line managers, tailored to their specific needs and preferences. These programs combine theory, models, and insights with practical exercises and discussions. Topics include effective leadership, psychological safety, motivation, dialogue and communication, collaboration, understanding complexity, and cultural awareness, among others. Change management is also a consistently relevant theme for us. While the setup varies slightly across divisions, the themes and content share many commonalities. A key feature of all these programs is that they provide leaders with the opportunity to step away from their daily routines and reflect on these important topics. Typically, 1-2 days are set aside for each session.
Leadership team development
Leadership teams provide an excellent platform for individual and collective growth. These sessions are tailored to the specific needs and challenges of the group. Often, this involves customizing the approach to address the unique situation of the leadership team, with a focus on developing the group as a cohesive "team." It is often beneficial for leadership teams to spend time together reflecting on their goals, the added value they aim to provide, and how they wish to collaborate. Crucially, it's important for leadership teams to understand the dynamics of decision-making and become aware of how they handle complex issues.
"A significant advantage of working together as a leadership team is that everyone hears and discusses the same information, creating a sense of shared ownership, which is often a challenge when one leader attends a course alone," says Sand.
Executive leadership program
The executive leadership program, known as Accelerator, is tailored for leaders who manage other leaders. These individuals typically have prior experience with leadership development programs but now seek more business-oriented and strategically focused training. Moreover, areas such as self-awareness, effective communication, and motivation are skills that require ongoing refinement. The Accelerator program is specifically designed to address the unique challenges faced by these leaders and includes a strong emphasis on participant collaboration.
Our managers can also directly reach out to the organizational developers as needed.
"We communicate almost daily with leaders on a one-to-one basis. I believe it's crucial for our leaders to have someone outside the daily sphere to occasionally spar with," says Hans Erik Sand.
Additionally, we have a collaborative project with Olympiatoppen, where leaders work alongside organizational developer Øyvind Hofsø.
"This exciting initiative offers a unique opportunity for sports and business to learn from each other, and I look forward to integrating some of these insights into our programs," says Hofsø.
Leadership development is a systematic process designed to enhance the skills, abilities, and knowledge of leaders within an organization.
It encompasses a variety of activities, including training, coaching, mentoring, courses, and practical experience. Investing in leadership development is an investment in the organization's future success, fostering a stronger, more competent, and resilient organization capable of tackling both current and future challenges. Leadership development is essential for the organization's success for several reasons:
Effective leaders are capable of making better decisions, leading to increased productivity, optimized resource utilization, and higher profitability. Quality leadership development sharpens critical thinking, enhances strategic planning, and improves problem-solving skills.
Leadership directly impacts employee well-being and engagement. Leadership that values, supports, and motivates employees can lead to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover. Training in emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills is often included in leadership development programs to promote a positive work environment.
Leadership development prepares the organization for future challenges and market changes. By cultivating leaders who are adaptable, innovative, and proficient in managing uncertainty, the organization is better positioned to address future needs and thrive in a dynamic environment.
Effective leaders contribute to improved coordination and management of projects, departments, and teams, resulting in streamlined operations and increased efficiency. Leadership development enables leaders to comprehend organizational processes and implement best practices effectively.
By emphasizing leadership development, organizations can identify and cultivate internal talents with the potential to assume greater responsibilities in the future. This fosters a strong succession plan, ensuring that key positions can be seamlessly filled internally when needed.
Leaders play a pivotal role in shaping and sustaining organizational culture. Through leadership development, organizations can ensure that their leaders are aligned with the organization's values and objectives, fostering a cohesive and robust culture.
Organizations with skilled leaders gain a competitive edge in the market. They are more capable of implementing strategies, adapting to changes, and driving innovation. Leadership development fosters these abilities internally, enhancing the organization's overall competitiveness.