Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Operations Leader

🎯 Role Definition

The Operations Leader is a senior operations management role responsible for defining and executing end-to-end operational strategy to deliver consistent service levels, scale processes, reduce costs, and improve quality across manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, or customer operations. This leader is accountable for P&L performance, operational KPIs, continuous improvement programs (Lean/Six Sigma), workforce planning, vendor and stakeholder management, and driving cross-functional initiatives that support rapid growth and operational excellence. Ideal for an experienced operator who combines analytical rigor, hands-on process design, and proven people leadership to optimize throughput, reliability, and customer experience.

Primary SEO/LLM keywords: Operations Leader, operations management, operational excellence, continuous improvement, process optimization, P&L management, supply chain, logistics, Lean Six Sigma, ERP, KPI-driven.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Operations Manager with cross-functional project experience.
Supply Chain/Logistics Manager who has led complex vendor and distribution programs.
Plant/Production Manager or Head of Fulfillment with P&L exposure.

Advancement To:

VP of Operations
Head of Global Operations or Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Head of Supply Chain or Director of Customer Operations

Lateral Moves:

Head of Continuous Improvement / Operational Excellence
Director of Program Management or Transformation
Director, Supply Chain Strategy

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Own full P&L accountability for assigned operational segments, including forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, and delivering cost savings targets while protecting service quality and customer satisfaction.
Define and execute the operations strategy and deployment plan to scale capacity, improve throughput, and maintain service-level agreements (SLAs) as the business grows.
Lead cross-functional operational planning with Sales, Product, Finance, Supply Chain, and Technology to align capacity, inventory, and fulfillment strategies with company goals.
Implement and mature end-to-end operational KPIs and dashboards (cycle time, on-time delivery, cost per order/unit, first-time quality, throughput) to enable daily, weekly, and monthly performance management.
Drive continuous improvement programs (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen) to identify process inefficiencies, reduce waste, and lead root-cause analysis and corrective action plans.
Own vendor and third-party logistics (3PL) partnerships including negotiation of commercial terms, KPIs, escalation frameworks, and SLA enforcement to ensure consistent performance.
Design and lead operational change management initiatives, such as new facility openings, major process redesigns, ERP or WMS implementations, and peak planning events.
Recruit, coach, and develop high-performing operations teams; set clear goals, perform talent reviews, and implement training programs to build capability and accountability.
Lead capacity planning and workforce scheduling to optimize labor productivity while balancing service targets and labor cost constraints.
Manage risk, compliance, and safety programs across operations, ensuring regulatory adherence (OSHA, local labor laws), incident reduction, and a safe working environment.
Lead demand-supply alignment processes including production planning, inventory optimization, allocation, and replenishment strategies to minimize stockouts and excess inventory.
Drive cost-to-serve optimization initiatives, analyzing network design, transportation lanes, packaging, and handling to reduce total supply chain costs.
Oversee quality management including defect reduction programs, supplier quality assurance, returns handling, and continuous improvement of quality metrics.
Partner with Product and Engineering to automate manual processes, introduce operational tooling, and define requirements for ERP/WMS/OMS or custom operational systems.
Manage business continuity and contingency planning — identify single points of failure, design redundancy, and build playbooks for rapid recovery in disruptions.
Develop and manage annual operational budgets, capital requests, and ROI models for automation, facilities, and systems investments.
Lead cross-functional post-mortems and incident reviews for major operational failures, produce actionable remediation plans, and track closure of root-cause actions.
Define and operationalize customer experience metrics related to on-time delivery, accuracy, returns processing, and resolution SLAs and collaborate with support teams to close loops.
Implement data-driven decision-making by ensuring teams use analytics, A/B testing, and operational experiments to validate improvements and scale wins.
Drive sustainability and cost reduction programs across operations (waste reduction, optimized transportation routes, packaging improvements) in alignment with corporate ESG goals.
Establish clear governance, RACI matrices, and escalation paths for operational decision-making across distributed teams and geographies.
Mentor and sponsor key leaders and high potentials to create succession plans and bench strength for critical operations roles.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Partner with finance to design and monitor operational cost models and variance explanations for executive reviews.
Work with HR on workforce engagement, retention strategies, and targeted hiring during peak periods.
Represent operations in cross-functional leadership forums, product launches, and strategic planning cycles.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

P&L management, budgeting, financial modeling, and variance analysis for operational lines of business.
Operational metrics and dashboarding: Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or equivalent tools to build KPI visualizations.
Supply chain and logistics operations: inventory management, forecasting, distribution, 3PL management, and transportation optimization.
ERP / WMS / OMS implementation and configuration experience (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Manhattan, JDA, Blue Yonder).
Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen methodology knowledge; Black Belt or Green Belt certification preferred.
Process mapping, value stream mapping, and operational redesign experience using DMAIC/PDCA frameworks.
Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, macros, scenario analysis) and familiarity with SQL for operational data queries.
Project and program management: Agile/Scrum familiarity, MS Project, or equivalent tooling for large-scale rollouts.
Capacity planning, labor modeling, and workforce management software experience (eg. Kronos, Workforce).
Vendor management, contract negotiation, and SLA design experience for outsourced operations.
Data-driven decision making including A/B testing, hypothesis-driven experiments, and statistical analysis.
Quality systems and standards experience (ISO, Six Sigma quality controls, root cause analysis tools).
Knowledge of regulatory and safety compliance applicable to facilities and distribution operations.

Soft Skills

Strategic thinking and the ability to translate high-level strategy into executable operational plans.
Strong leadership and people management skills with a track record of building and scaling teams.
Exceptional communication skills: clear written and verbal communication for executive-level reporting and cross-functional collaboration.
Stakeholder management and influencing skills; able to drive alignment across product, engineering, finance, and commercial teams.
Problem-solving and critical thinking with a bias for action and a focus on measurable outcomes.
Change management and resilience in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
Coaching and mentoring mindset to develop direct reports and create a performance culture.
Customer-centric mindset focused on improving the end-to-end customer experience.
Prioritization and time-management skills for balancing operational stability with strategic initiatives.
Negotiation and conflict resolution skills, especially for vendor and cross-functional disputes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or related field.

Preferred Education:

MBA or Master's in Operations/Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or equivalent advanced degree.
Certifications such as Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), PMP, or relevant supply chain certifications (CPIM, CSCP).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Operations Management
Supply Chain & Logistics
Industrial / Systems Engineering
Business Administration / Finance

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

7–15+ years of progressive operations experience, including at least 3–5 years in a senior or leadership role managing multi-site or cross-functional operations.

Preferred:

10+ years of operations leadership experience with P&L responsibility, large-scale process improvement programs, and multi-site/geo management.
Demonstrated experience delivering measurable cost reductions, scaling operations through rapid growth, and leading ERP/WMS implementations.
Proven track record managing 3PLs, complex vendor ecosystems, and building durable operational playbooks.