Career profile Operations Manager

Table of Contents

• What does an Operations Manager do?
• What is a typical salary for an Operations Manager?
• What personality traits are common among Operations Managers?
  • Career Interests
  • Values
  • Psychological Demands
• What education and training do Operations Managers need?
  • Typical educational degrees
  • Required knowledge and expertise
  • Important abilities
  • Critical skills

What does an Operations Manager do?

Operations Managers plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations.

In addition, Operations Managers

• duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services,
• usually manage through subordinate supervisors,
• excludes First-Line Supervisors.

What kind of tasks does an Operations Manager perform regularly?

Operations Managers are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

• Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to identify opportunities for cost reductions or service improvements.
• Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
• Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
• Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
• Monitor suppliers to ensure that they efficiently and effectively provide needed goods or services within budgetary limits.
• Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
• Establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members.
• Perform personnel functions, such as selection, training, or evaluation.
• Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.

The above responsibilities are specific to Operations Managers. More generally, Operations Managers are involved in several broader types of activities:

What is an Operations Manager salary?

What personality traits are common among Operations Managers?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as an Operations Manager are usually higher in their Enterprising interests.

Operations Managers typically have very strong Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as an Operations Manager tend to value Relationships, Working Conditions, and Independence.

Most importantly, Operations Managers very strongly value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Second, Operations Managers very strongly value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Lastly, Operations Managers very strongly value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Operations Managers must consistently demonstrate qualities such as leadership, dependability, and initiative.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Operations Managers, ranked by importance:

What education and training do Operations Managers need?

Many Operations Managers will have a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Operations Managers usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Educational degrees among Operations Managers

• 2.6% did not complete high school or secondary school
• 17.0% completed high school or secondary school
• 24.8% completed some college coursework
• 9.8% earned a Associate's degree
• 33.0% earned a Bachelor's degree
• 11.1% earned a Master's degree
• 1.6% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Operations Managers

Important Abilities needed by Operations Managers

Operations Managers must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Operations Managers need abilities such as oral comprehension, written comprehension, and oral expression in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Operations Managers, ranked by their relative importance.

Critical Skills needed by Operations Managers

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Operations Managers frequently use skills like active listening, speaking, and monitoring to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Operations Managers, ranked by their relative importance.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

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