JOB DESCRIPTION:
An Operations Manager, or Operations Supervisor, oversees a company’s organizational processes and adds improvements to it. Their main duties include assisting the human resources team in the recruiting and hiring process, implementing policies and strategies to improve productivity and efficiency levels and building an enjoyable company culture.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
An Operations Manager is responsible for keeping track of the big picture and identifying potential areas of improvement. The average Operations Manager’s responsibilities include:
- Long-term planning to create initiatives that further the company’s overall goals
- Coordinating different teams to foster exchange of ideas and provide cross-team learning opportunities
- Assessing and analyzing departmental budgets to find ways to minimize expenses and optimize profits
- Inspiring and motivating employees to perform at their best through positive encouragement and incentive initiatives
- Communicating with the board or other senior officials about shifting company priorities and projects
- Identifying potential problems and points of friction and working to find solutions in order to maximize efficiency and revenue
- Identifying opportunities to expand or shift course in order to take advantage of changes in the market
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Operations Manager is a leadership position with many responsibilities. It is therefore important to have a diverse skill set, including:
- “Big picture” thinking, which is key to addressing top-level concerns and finding the best path forward from all of the available data
- Interpersonal skills – an Operations Manager must communicate with both executives and staff employees in order to create and administer policy
- A thorough understanding of financial and budgeting processes and principles, which allows the Operations Manager to assess the company’s earnings and spending to find areas for improvement
- Strong personal and professional judgment, which are invaluable skills for a role that makes hiring decisions as well as in finding the best solution to organizational dilemmas
- Adaptability, enabling the Operations Manager to respond quickly to a shifting reality and adjust initiatives and priorities accordingly
- Organizational skills and the flexibility to jump from priority to priority, which are essential to a role that juggles a variety of functions and projects
