Where an operations manager can go next
12 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role an operations manager already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.
Operations managers plan, oversee and coordinate the daily operations of production of goods and provision of services. They also formulate and implement company policies and plan the use of human resources and materials.
Also known as operations supervisor, business operations manager, division operations manager, operations director, operations administrator, operations general manager.
Managers 91 skills on file 12 career moves 3 above 60% overlap Closest: programme manager, 81%
- 70% and above · short step
- 50 to 70% · real move
- Below 50% · substantial retraining
Table 2 · A bigger jump
Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.
- resource manager 47% covered · difficulty 57.7
- security manager 47% covered · difficulty 60
- manufacturing facility manager 45% covered · difficulty 55.4
- water treatment plant manager 41% covered · difficulty 62.6
- sewerage systems manager 41% covered · difficulty 62.2
- laundry and dry cleaning manager 40% covered · difficulty 65.4
- energy manager 40% covered · difficulty 71.2
- ICT project manager 39% covered · difficulty 69.9
Table 3 · What the job itself asks for
An operations manager needs 24 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.
- develop staff management skills
- operations management business, administration and law
- manage profitability management skills
- supervise daily information operations management skills
- apply change management management skills
- establish daily priorities management skills
- manage logistics management skills
- evaluate employees management skills
- make strategic business decisions management skills
- energy conservation engineering, manufacturing and construction
Table 4 · Jobs that lead here
The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what an operations manager does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.
- project manager 49% covered · difficulty 62.6
- programme manager 46% covered · difficulty 64.5
- facilities manager 45% covered · difficulty 65.9
- supply chain manager 40% covered · difficulty 69.6
- quality services manager 22% covered · difficulty 82.9
- project support officer 19% covered · difficulty 85
Look up another occupation
Operations manager is filed under Managers, ISCO major group 1. The full index lists all ten groups.
How these figures were compiled
Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of an operations manager’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.