Skills & Competencies for Operations Manager

Operations Manager job profile

JOB SUMMARY for Operations Manager

Manages the daily activities of an organization's operations.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Operations Manager

Implements company policies, procedures, and initiatives to ensure efficient operations. Monitors performance against operational goals and evaluates and enhances current operational systems. Develops reporting and auditing processes used to analyze operational effectiveness and reviews performance reports from team leaders. Coordinates operations with other functions.

Operations Manager SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$120,917
TOTAL 50%
$133,073
Job Level
M02
Job Code
FA06000728
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Director

Operations Manager Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each Operations Manager skill and competencie below to view definitions.

3 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for Operations Manager

1 Industry Competency – Value Stream Mapping
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Applying the knowledge of value stream mapping methods to visualize, analyze and improve all the steps in a product delivery process.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Identifies commonly accepted types of waste in Value Stream Mapping.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Supports the implementation of value stream mapping activities for business process re-engineering.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Schedules Kaizen events to determine and draw the future state map.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Trains and coaches staff for Value Stream Mapping methodologies and techniques.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Organizes workshops and value stream mapping exercises to discover gaps and opportunities.
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2 Industry Competency – Work Order Scheduling
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Planning, organizing, and coordinating production and maintenance tasks to improve efficiency, speed up workflow, cut costs, and prevent problems.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists the basic functions and features of work order management software.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Informs the management of the production status and scheduled work order progress.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Provides necessary tools and resources for effective planning and scheduling of work orders.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Reviews backlog work requests and orders to facilitate the scheduling process.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Stays abreast of the latest industry best practices to improve our work order scheduling processes.
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3 Operations Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Operations Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Operations Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

4 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Operations Manager

1 Job Family Competencies – Operations Management
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Planning, controlling, organizing, and directing different operations within a business to achieve the highest level of efficiency.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists the operations guidelines established within the company management agreement.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Reports the daily operations metrics to provide management with the status of service issues.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Suggests improvement in the processes and works to improve quality, productivity, and efficiency.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Provides recommendations to senior management on business operations streamlining.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Promotes advanced tools, techniques, and methods to manage production processes and service delivery.
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2 Job Family Competencies – Inventory Management
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Overseeing and controlling supplies and stock to ensure that an organization maintains an adequate stock quantity.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists the features of each inventory type and their differences from each other.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Supports the generation of reports on inventory operations and stock levels.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Manages trend analysis on inventory and resolves any problems affecting inventory performance.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Reviews consolidated inventory management reports to define inventory requirements of the organization.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes and refines the inventory management process to reduce costs and improve productivity.
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3 Operations Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Operations Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Operations Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

16 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Operations Manager

1 Core Competencies – Business Performance Management
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Applying business intelligence to monitor and manage overall business performance towards goals.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Names tools and systems used in managing business performance.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Maintains open communication with leaders and stays receptive to unit's performance feedback.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Manages information consolidation to help the management team with evaluation and decision-making.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Monitors our business goals, milestones, and progress toward project completion.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Outlines observations and recommendations for improving operational and financial performance.
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2 Core Competencies – Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-A set of written instructions that describes the step-by-step activities to complete tasks in compliance with business standards and industry regulations.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists the typical processes of SOP development.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Participates in the implementation of new SOPs and enhancement of existing ones.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Modifies SOPs accordingly to reflect changes in our business practices and policies.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Optimizes the current SOP development and implementation processes.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Leads cross-functional efforts to develop and implement SOPs across our organization.
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3 Operations Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Operations Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Operations Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Operations Manager skills and competencies

There are 3 hard skills for Operations Manager, Value Stream Mapping, Work Order Scheduling, Workflow Optimization.
4 general skills for Operations Manager, Operations Management, Inventory Management, Logistics Management, etc.
16 soft skills for Operations Manager, Business Performance Management, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Financial Acumen, etc.
While the list totals 23 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a Operations Manager, he or she needs to be skilled in Business Performance Management, be skilled in Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), and be proficient in Financial Acumen.

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