Skills & Competencies for Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer job profile

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JOB SUMMARY for Chief Operating Officer

Leads the planning and development of an organization's operational objectives and initiatives.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Chief Operating Officer

Develops strategies and oversees the execution of plans to attain short- and long-term financial and mission-critical operational goals. Directs the development of the organization's functional capacity that will produce sustainable growth and minimize risk. Develops operating budgets. Establishes effective operational policies and procedures.

Chief Operating Officer SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$491,860
TOTAL 50%
$692,666
Job Level
M07
Job Code
EX05000002
Education/Degree
Master's Degree or MBA
Reports To
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Chief Operating Officer 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 Chief Operating Officer skill and competencie below to view definitions.
JOB FAMILY COMPETENCIES CORE COMPETENCIES
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4 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Chief Operating Officer

1 Job Family Competencies – Business Strategy
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Developing and implementing plans to assess the actions and goals of a business.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the development techniques for creating a business strategy.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Supports the execution of business strategy to ensure delivery of positive results.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Provides technical inputs on business strategy to meet our business's business goals.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Facilitates the development of cross-functional project plans to align with business strategy.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes financial metrics to evaluate the performance of a business strategy.
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2 Job Family Competencies – Operations Management
Proficiency Level -5
Skill definition-Planning, controlling, organizing, and directing different operations within a business to achieve the highest level of efficiency.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the operations protocols to be able to contribute to its goals and objectives.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Gathers insights to support the continuous improvement of business operations.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Submits regular operations performance reports to evaluate the production performance.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Partners with the operations management team to ensure various plans are executed as designed.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes strategies to drive effective operations management and improve company profits.
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3 Chief Operating Officer - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Chief Operating Officer
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Chief Operating Officer
Proficiency Level - 5

18 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Chief Operating Officer

1 Core Competencies – Business Acumen
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Insight into our organization's business, goals, and values. Ability to design and implement initiatives that facilitate successful outcomes.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains our key business strategies and priorities.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Reports and communicates market and competitor status regularly to the management team.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements effective marketing strategies that achieve improved business outcomes.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Optimizes business processes based on deep insight into various business unit functions.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Evaluates industry and market trends to identify new business opportunities.
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2 Core Competencies – Industry Knowledge
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Demonstrating thorough knowledge of the industry's value chain, business, issues, trends, etc., and the ability to apply them appropriately.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists the industry's key players and leading companies.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Identifies internal and external resources that can provide additional industry knowledge.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Provides industry knowledge and expertise to maximize departmental efficiency and performance.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Raises peers' awareness of changes in industry environment and practices.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Monitors industry changes and communicates impacts to the management team.
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3 Chief Operating Officer - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Chief Operating Officer
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Chief Operating Officer
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Chief Operating Officer skills and competencies

There are 0 hard skills for Chief Operating Officer.
4 general skills for Chief Operating Officer, Business Strategy, Operations Management, Strategic Management, etc.
18 soft skills for Chief Operating Officer, Business Acumen, Industry Knowledge, Organizational Savvy, etc.
While the list totals 22 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 Chief Operating Officer, he or she needs to be skilled in Business Acumen, be skilled in Industry Knowledge, and be skilled in Organizational Savvy.

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