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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Operations Manager

💰 $ - $

🎯 Role Definition

The Operations Manager is responsible for leading day-to-day operational activities across manufacturing, distribution, retail, or service environments to ensure efficient, compliant and cost-effective delivery of products and services. This role drives process improvements, manages cross-functional teams, optimizes supply chain and inventory, enforces operational policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs), and delivers on customer service, financial and performance targets. The ideal candidate combines proven operations leadership with strong analytical skills, continuous improvement mindset (Lean / Six Sigma), and the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Supervisor or Team Lead, Operations
  • Logistics Coordinator or Supply Chain Analyst with leadership experience
  • Production Supervisor or Shift Manager

Advancement To:

  • Senior Operations Manager / Regional Operations Manager
  • Director of Operations
  • Head of Supply Chain or VP of Operations

Lateral Moves:

  • Program Manager (process & improvement)
  • Supply Chain Manager
  • Facilities Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead and manage daily operational activities across multiple functions (warehouse, production, customer service, logistics), ensuring consistent achievement of on-time delivery, quality standards and customer satisfaction KPIs.
  • Develop, implement and continuously refine standard operating procedures (SOPs), policies and workflows to standardize processes, reduce variability and increase operational efficiency across the organization.
  • Own planning and execution of capacity and resource allocation, including workforce planning, shift scheduling, and utilization forecasting to meet fluctuating demand while controlling labor costs.
  • Build and manage performance dashboards and KPIs (OTIF, cycle time, throughput, fill rate, cost per order, shrinkage) and present actionable insights to senior leadership to drive operational improvements.
  • Lead cross-functional projects (product launches, process automation, systems implementation) from scoping to deployment, coordinating stakeholders in IT, finance, sales, procurement and HR to deliver on time and on budget.
  • Manage budget, P&L and cost control initiatives for operations, driving cost-reduction programs, headcount optimization and vendor consolidation while protecting service levels and safety.
  • Oversee inventory planning and control, including safety stock optimization, cycle counting, variance investigation and implementing inventory accuracy programs to minimize stockouts and excess.
  • Negotiate and manage relationships with third-party logistics providers (3PLs), carriers, vendors and contractors to secure competitive rates, service-level agreements and continuous performance improvement.
  • Implement Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement methodologies to identify waste, streamline processes, reduce lead times and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and throughput.
  • Ensure compliance with regulatory, safety and quality standards (OSHA, ISO, GMP, local regulations), leading audits, risk assessments and corrective action plans to maintain certifications and protect employees.
  • Drive root-cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA) for recurring operational issues, using data-driven problem solving to eliminate defects and recurring delays.
  • Oversee order fulfillment strategy including picking, packing and shipping processes, improving accuracy and speed while optimizing packaging and transportation costs.
  • Lead talent acquisition, development and retention for operational teams: recruiting supervisors, mentoring managers, conducting performance reviews and developing career paths to build a high-performing operation.
  • Coordinate demand planning and production scheduling with sales and supply chain teams to balance inventory health, lead times and customer service expectations.
  • Manage facilities, equipment maintenance programs and capital projects, prioritizing investments for reliability, uptime and cost-effective operations.
  • Drive customer service recovery for escalated operational issues, partnering with sales and customer support to restore service, analyze root causes and prevent recurrence.
  • Own the operational readiness for new products, markets or geographies, ensuring processes, systems and teams are prepared for scale and compliance.
  • Lead sourcing and procurement activities for operational supplies and equipment, evaluating total cost of ownership, vendor performance and contract terms.
  • Implement and manage operational systems (WMS, OMS, ERP) and support data integrity, integration projects and system upgrades in collaboration with IT.
  • Establish and report on SLAs and scorecards for both internal teams and external partners, tracking service delivery and holding teams accountable to targets.
  • Create and deliver training programs, process documentation and job aids to upskill front-line employees and supervisors for consistent execution.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc analytics requests and exploratory operational data analysis to answer leadership questions and inform tactical decisions.
  • Contribute to the organization's operational strategy and roadmap by recommending process automation, digital transformation and systems enhancements.
  • Collaborate with finance to validate forecasts, budgets and cost-to-serve models and translate financial goals into operational priorities.
  • Participate in continuous improvement events (Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping) and mentor teams in data-driven performance improvements.
  • Assist in vendor/supplier quality investigations and coordinate remediation plans when service or product quality falls below standards.
  • Support sustainability and waste reduction initiatives across operations (energy efficiency, packaging reduction, recycling programs).

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Operations Management: proven ability to run multi-site or multi-function operations with end-to-end accountability for delivery, cost and quality.
  • Supply Chain & Logistics: experience with inventory management, reorder strategies, demand planning, 3PL management and transportation optimization.
  • Process Improvement: practical application of Lean, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt preferred), Kaizen and continuous improvement tools.
  • Financial Acumen: P&L ownership, budgeting, cost control, variance analysis and cost-to-serve modeling.
  • Systems & Tools: working knowledge of ERP, WMS, OMS, TMS and common enterprise software (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Manhattan, JDA, Blue Yonder).
  • Data & Analytics: ability to use data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau), SQL basics for querying operational metrics and building dashboards.
  • Project Management: experience leading cross-functional projects using Agile or Waterfall methodologies; familiarity with project planning tools.
  • Quality & Compliance: knowledge of industry-specific regulations (ISO, GMP, OSHA) and experience leading audits & CAPA processes.
  • Vendor Management & Contract Negotiation: vendor selection, SLA negotiation and performance management.
  • Capacity Planning & Scheduling: demand forecasting, production planning and workforce scheduling to meet service level targets.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic Leadership: ability to translate strategy into operational plans and mobilize teams to execute with accountability.
  • Communication: clear, persuasive written and verbal communication with executives, peers and front-line teams.
  • Problem Solving: structured root-cause analysis, hypothesis testing and delivering sustainable corrective actions.
  • People Management: coaching, performance management, conflict resolution and talent development to build resilient teams.
  • Influence & Stakeholder Management: ability to align cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.
  • Adaptability: comfort with ambiguity, rapid change and scaling operations in growth or turnaround environments.
  • Time Management & Prioritization: strong organizational skills to balance competing deadlines and operational crises.
  • Customer Focus: relentless focus on customer outcomes and ability to balance cost with customer experience.
  • Attention to Detail: ensuring process execution fidelity, regulatory compliance and data integrity.
  • Resilience & Decision-Making: make timely, high-quality decisions under pressure and recover quickly from setbacks.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's plus MBA, Master's in Supply Chain/Operations, or relevant professional certifications (APICS/CPIM, CSCP, Lean/Six Sigma Green/Black Belt).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Operations Management
  • Supply Chain / Logistics
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Business Administration
  • Manufacturing Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–12 years of progressive operations experience, including at least 2–4 years in a managerial role.

Preferred:

  • Demonstrated experience managing P&L responsibility, leading cross-functional teams, implementing continuous improvement programs and deploying operational systems at scale.
  • Industry experience relevant to the employer (e.g., manufacturing, e-commerce, retail, pharmaceutical, logistics) and experience with regulatory compliance where applicable.
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