Operations manager.
An Operations Manager runs the operating rhythm of a business unit — supply chain, fulfilment, service delivery, or whatever the unit produces. They own the day-to-day performance of the operation.
Role: Operations Manager Reports to: COO or General Manager
An Operations Manager runs the operating rhythm of a business unit — supply chain, fulfilment, service delivery, or whatever the unit produces. They own the day-to-day performance of the operation.
- Own the daily operating rhythm — capacity, throughput, quality
- Manage front-line team leaders and the people doing the work
- Monitor and act on operational KPIs
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
6 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
COO or General Manager
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Own the daily operating rhythm — capacity, throughput, quality
- Manage front-line team leaders and the people doing the work
- Monitor and act on operational KPIs
- Drive continuous improvement in process and tooling
- Manage budgets, capital requests, and cost control
- Coordinate with adjacent functions (sales, customer, finance)
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- 7+ years of operations experience
- Demonstrated track record managing front-line teams
- Strong analytical skills and comfort with data
- Experience with lean, six-sigma, or comparable methodologies
- MBA or operational-leadership qualification
- Industry-specific operations experience
- Capital-project or growth-stage scaling experience
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Operations Manager job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Operations Manager job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The senior band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (COO or General Manager) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- What's in this Operations Manager job description template?
- A one-paragraph role summary, 6 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done, 4 required qualifications, 3 preferred qualifications, a skills chip list, and a reporting line. All editable in Word and Google Docs.
- Is this Operations Manager JD legally reviewed?
- The structure and language follow current US and AU hiring practice. The document is a professionally drafted starting point — adapt it for your jurisdiction, and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing.
- Should I include salary in a Operations Manager job description?
- In jurisdictions with pay-transparency law (e.g. NY, CA, CO, WA, and AU under fair-work changes), include a salary range. Elsewhere, a range still raises application quality and shortens screening — but pull numbers from a current source, not a template.
- Can I use this for client hiring work?
- Yes — the commercial licence covers fee-paying client engagements you control. You can also reuse the document inside your own organisation indefinitely. You may not resell the documents themselves.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
General Manager
A General Manager oversees the operational, financial, and people performance of a business unit.
Project Manager
A Project Manager plans, runs, and closes out cross-functional projects on time and on budget.
HR Manager
An HR Manager runs the people function for a team or business unit — recruiting, employee relations, performance, compensation, and the day-to-day HR operation.
This Operations Manager job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Full disclaimer.