Skills & Competencies for Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer job profile

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.

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)
Describes the correlation of business strategy with our organization's vision.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects all relevant information and calculations to determine business strategy.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Communicates with leadership to develop a business strategy for increasing volume and profitability.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Determines different perspectives to manage practices and fulfill the business strategy.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Creates best practices in developing and designing a business strategy to assess actions.
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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)
Discusses the standard procedures in operations management.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Compiles monthly collection operations management statistics and reporting.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements important policy and strategic decisions to comply with operation requirements.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Guides operations management decision-support activities to focus on strategies.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Creates metrics to evaluate the performance of various business operations.
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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)
Describes the market conditions that impact the business.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects and compiles competitor information for competitive analysis.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Applies technical expertise, business sense, and product knowledge to manage the product lifecycle effectively.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Coordinates technical and business teams to solve complex and diverse customer problems.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds strong business partnerships internally and externally to drive "win-win" business successes.
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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)
Describes the entire value chain of the industry.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Documents industry and domain knowledge in appropriate documentation systems.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Gathers and analyses market intelligence to drive operational optimization.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Demonstrates intimate knowledge of industry and market trends to provide business insights.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes organizational policies and processes to seek out and understand industry dynamics.
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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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