Someone with the academic degree may have the knowledge, but they might be shy or anxious. They may not have the ability to cope with stress (and without that, all knowledge doesn’t matter) and they may not have the assertiveness or aggressiveness to step on a few toes. You probably have the right personality for the job.

Inky said you won’t lose your job unless you make a big mistake. I disagree: a lot of people lose their jobs without making a big mistake. The thing is, in my experience those people are the shy and anxious ones with knowledge. You’ll probably be fine.