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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Assistant Operations Manager

💰 $55,000 - $95,000

OperationsManagementLogisticsSupply ChainAssistant Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Assistant Operations Manager supports the Operations Manager and senior leadership by overseeing day-to-day operational activities, improving processes, leading teams, and ensuring consistent delivery of customer commitments and service-level agreements. This role balances hands-on problem solving with people management, data-driven decision making, and cross-functional coordination across supply chain, facilities, customer service, and production or service delivery environments. Strong emphasis is placed on continuous improvement (Lean, Six Sigma), KPI ownership, resource planning, and vendor/contract management.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Operations Coordinator / Operations Analyst
  • Shift Supervisor / Team Lead
  • Logistics Coordinator / Supply Chain Analyst

Advancement To:

  • Operations Manager
  • Senior Operations Manager / Site Manager
  • Director of Operations

Lateral Moves:

  • Supply Chain Manager
  • Project Manager (operations-focused)
  • Facilities Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage daily operational activities across assigned functions (warehouse, production, service delivery, customer support) to ensure consistent throughput, on-time delivery, and adherence to quality standards; act as the escalation point for operational interruptions and coordinate cross-functional resolution.
  • Monitor and drive key performance indicators (KPIs) such as on-time delivery, order accuracy, cycle time, utilization, downtime, cost-per-unit, and customer satisfaction; produce weekly and monthly operational performance reports for leadership.
  • Implement process improvement initiatives using Lean, Kaizen, or Six Sigma methodologies to reduce waste, improve cycle times, increase capacity, and lower operational costs while maintaining quality and compliance.
  • Lead scheduling, workforce planning, and shift coordination to ensure adequate staffing coverage, appropriate skill mix, and adherence to labor budgets; manage time-off requests, shift swaps, and overtime planning.
  • Supervise, coach, and develop front-line supervisors and associate-level staff through regular 1:1s, performance reviews, corrective action, and skills training; cultivate a safety-first, customer-centric, high-performance culture.
  • Oversee inventory control, stock replenishment, cycle counts, and root-cause action for inventory discrepancies; partner with supply chain and procurement to optimize safety stock and reduce obsolescence.
  • Coordinate vendor and third-party provider activities, including performance monitoring against SLAs, contract compliance, onboarding, and issue escalation to ensure vendor deliverables meet operational requirements.
  • Manage budgetary and cost-control activities for assigned areas, including forecasting labor and supply needs, tracking variance to budget, and implementing cost-reduction measures without sacrificing service levels.
  • Ensure operational compliance with internal policies, regulatory requirements (OSHA, environmental, industry-specific), and corporate governance; prepare for and support audits, inspections, and certifications.
  • Drive continuous improvement projects end-to-end: define scope, collect baseline metrics, facilitate root cause analysis, implement countermeasures, and measure sustained results after deployment.
  • Execute onboarding and training programs for new hires and cross-training efforts to maintain flexible, multi-skilled teams capable of meeting fluctuating demand.
  • Partner with IT and systems teams to optimize operational systems (WMS, ERP, TMS, CRM), support system rollouts, test functionality, and define business requirements for enhancements.
  • Lead daily operations meetings, shift handovers, and communication routines to maintain situational awareness, align priorities, and propagate policy, process, and safety updates.
  • Drive customer service resolution for escalated operational issues, coordinate corrective actions with customer success and account teams, and proactively recommend process changes to prevent recurrence.
  • Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and operational playbooks to codify best practices and ensure consistent execution across shifts and locations.
  • Conduct capacity planning and scenario modeling to prepare for seasonal peaks, promotional events, and business growth; recommend temporary labor, schedule adjustments, or process alterations as needed.
  • Oversee change management for operational process improvements, including stakeholder engagement, communication plans, training, and adoption tracking to minimize disruption and accelerate benefits realization.
  • Support product launches, facility expansions, and process migration activities by coordinating cross-functional teams, validating readiness criteria, and driving go/no-go decision points.
  • Manage safety programs and incident investigations, lead corrective action plans, and ensure timely reporting and closure to maintain a safe workplace and reduce lost-time incidents.
  • Analyze operational data and business trends to identify performance gaps and opportunities; prepare executive-ready briefings and data-backed recommendations for senior management.
  • Coordinate cross-functional continuous improvement councils and kaizen events; mentor team members in problem-solving techniques (5 Whys, fishbone, DMAIC).
  • Maintain relationships with downstream partners (distribution, last-mile carriers, retailers) to optimize handoffs, reduce exceptions, and improve end-to-end service levels.
  • Administer and track operational projects, deliverables, timelines, and dependencies using project management tools; ensure on-time completion and alignment with business priorities.
  • Support risk management activities including contingency planning, disaster recovery readiness, and business continuity exercises to ensure minimal operational disruption.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist in procurement activities by evaluating supplier performance data and supporting sourcing decisions.
  • Lead small-to-medium cross-functional projects to pilot process changes or technology enhancements.
  • Mentor interns or junior staff on operational best practices and career development.
  • Support corporate sustainability and continuous improvement targets through local initiatives (waste reduction, energy savings).
  • Manage HR-related tasks such as coordinating interviews, onboarding, and implementing local retention programs.
  • Prepare and deliver training materials and run periodic refresher sessions on SOPs, safety, and quality standards.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Operations management and day-to-day floor supervision experience (warehousing, production, or field operations).
  • Process improvement expertise with practical application of Lean, Kaizen, or Six Sigma principles (Green/Black Belt experience preferred).
  • Proficiency with enterprise systems: WMS, ERP (SAP, Oracle NetSuite), TMS and order management platforms.
  • Advanced MS Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, macros) and comfort with operational reporting and dashboards.
  • Data analysis and KPI tracking: ability to manipulate datasets, build performance dashboards, and generate actionable insights.
  • Workforce planning and labor forecasting tools and techniques.
  • Inventory management and cycle counting methodologies, including reconciliation and root-cause correction.
  • Project management fundamentals: task planning, risk management, stakeholder communication; experience with tools like Asana, Jira, or MS Project.
  • Budgeting and cost control experience including variance analysis and P&L awareness for operational areas.
  • Vendor management and contract performance tracking, including SLA definition and enforcement.
  • Safety and regulatory compliance knowledge relevant to the industry (OSHA, DOT, GMP as applicable).
  • Experience with continuous improvement software and structured problem-solving frameworks (DMAIC).
  • Familiarity with CRM platforms and customer escalation workflows for operations-related service recovery.

Soft Skills

  • Strong leadership and people management skills with proven ability to coach, motivate, and develop teams.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and executive reporting.
  • Analytical thinker with data-driven decision-making aptitude and attention to detail.
  • Problem-solving mindset with an ability to prioritize under pressure and make timely decisions.
  • High emotional intelligence for managing conflict, stakeholder expectations, and change resistance.
  • Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
  • Time management and organization skills to balance routine tasks with strategic projects.
  • Customer-focused orientation with commitment to service excellence and continuous improvement.
  • Influencing and negotiation skills to align internal stakeholders and external partners.
  • Project facilitation skills: ability to run meetings, workshops, and improvement events effectively.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Logistics, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree plus certifications (Lean Six Sigma, PMP) or a Master's degree (MBA, MS in Supply Chain/Operations).
  • Formal training in safety, quality, or regulatory compliance as applicable to the industry.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Operations Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Logistics and Transportation
  • Manufacturing Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years in operations, logistics, manufacturing, or a related field with at least 1–2 years of supervisory responsibility.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of progressive operations experience with demonstrated success leading teams, driving process improvement, managing budgets, and delivering measurable operational results.
  • Experience with multi-site operations, third-party logistics (3PL), or cross-border supply chain coordination is a plus.
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