Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Operation Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

The Operation Specialist is a hands-on operations professional responsible for ensuring day-to-day business processes run smoothly, optimizing workflows, enforcing service-level agreements (SLAs), and supporting cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment. This role combines process execution, continuous improvement, data-driven decision making, vendor coordination, and customer escalation management to improve operational efficiency, reduce cost, and enhance customer satisfaction. Strong candidates demonstrate analytical rigor, ERP/system expertise, and a continuous improvement mindset (Lean, Six Sigma or equivalent).

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Operations Coordinator / Operations Assistant
Customer Service Representative with process experience
Logistics / Warehouse Associate

Advancement To:

Senior Operation Specialist
Operations Supervisor / Team Lead
Operations Manager / Logistics Manager

Lateral Moves:

Supply Chain Analyst
Process Improvement Specialist
Customer Success Operations

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage day-to-day operational workflows end-to-end, ensuring order fulfillment, accurate processing, and on-time delivery against defined SLAs while proactively escalating exceptions to leadership.
Monitor and own key performance indicators (KPIs) such as on-time delivery, order accuracy, cycle time, first-contact resolution, and cost per transaction; create weekly and monthly reports for stakeholders.
Serve as the primary point of contact for operational escalations, triaging customer and internal issues, initiating root cause analysis, and implementing corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Coordinate with procurement, warehouse, carrier partners, and external vendors to resolve inventory discrepancies, expedite critical shipments, and negotiate service-level commitments that align with business goals.
Execute process improvement initiatives using data-driven methodologies (Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma principles), document process flows, and reduce waste, rework, and manual touchpoints.
Maintain and configure ERP and order management systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Workday) for accuracy of master data, standard operating procedures, and transactional integrity.
Reconcile inventory and transaction records across systems (ERP, WMS, CRM); drive cycle counts, variance investigations, and reconciliation actions to maintain inventory accuracy above target thresholds.
Build, maintain, and present dashboard visualizations (Power BI, Tableau, Looker) for real-time operational visibility and translate metrics into actionable recommendations.
Create and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), process playbooks, and training materials to ensure consistent execution and knowledge transfer across shifts and teams.
Plan and manage capacity, staffing, and resource allocation for peak periods; partner with HR and workforce planning to ensure coverage while minimizing overtime and cost.
Lead cross-functional projects to implement automation or RPA solutions that reduce manual processing time and error rates; coordinate UAT and rollout with IT teams.
Conduct frequent audits and compliance checks to ensure adherence to internal controls, regulatory requirements, and contract terms; prepare documentation and support external/internal audits.
Provide vendor performance management, including SLAs, scorecards, corrective action plans, and regular business reviews to drive service improvements.
Support forecasting and demand planning activities by supplying operational constraints, historical throughput, and lead-time data to the planning team.
Manage billing, chargebacks, and cost reconciliation processes related to operations; collaborate with finance to resolve discrepancies and implement controls to prevent revenue leakage.
Train, coach, and mentor front-line operations staff on best practices, KPI ownership, escalation protocols, and customer-focused problem solving to improve team productivity and retention.
Implement quality assurance processes, sample checks, and exception handling protocols to ensure the highest level of service quality and reduce customer complaints.
Participate in continuous improvement workshops and sprint planning with product and engineering teams to prioritize operationally impactful features and bug fixes.
Create incident post-mortems, document learnings, and implement preventative measures; track root-cause closure and communicate outcomes to leadership and stakeholders.
Support contract and SOW review from an operations perspective, identifying operational risk, implementation dependencies, and escalation pathways prior to execution.
Lead return merchandise authorization (RMA) and reverse logistics processes, ensuring timely resolution, accurate accounting, and actionable insights to minimize returns.
Maintain a customer-centric approach in every operational decision, continuously seeking ways to improve customer experience metrics by streamlining touchpoints and improving communication.

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 the rollout of new tools and technology, providing operations perspective for change management and adoption.
Support seasonal planning and project-based initiatives such as product launches, promotional campaigns, and system migrations.
Execute one-off operational projects such as vendor onboarding, SOP harmonization, and cross-border compliance checks.
Provide back-up coverage for other operations roles during absences or peak demand periods.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, macros) for data reconciliation and operational reporting.
Hands-on experience with ERP and order management systems such as SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar.
Experience building dashboards and visualizations in Power BI, Tableau, or Looker to monitor operations KPIs.
SQL fluency for querying operational datasets, performing joins, aggregations, and supporting ad-hoc analysis.
Familiarity with inventory management concepts: cycle counting, ABC classification, safety stock calculations, and demand variability.
Working knowledge of WMS (Warehouse Management Systems), TMS (Transportation Management Systems), or logistics platforms.
Process mapping and documentation skills using Visio, Lucidchart, or equivalent tools to define SOPs and workflows.
Practical exposure to automation tools (RPA, UiPath, Automation Anywhere) or scripting (Python, VBA) to streamline repetitive tasks.
Understanding of Lean principles, Six Sigma methodology, or continuous improvement frameworks to reduce defects and improve throughput.
Experience with CRM platforms (Salesforce, Zendesk) to handle customer escalations and link operational data to customer records.
Basic financial literacy for budget tracking, cost-of-goods calculations, and operational cost control.
Familiarity with compliance, audit readiness, and regulatory requirements relevant to the industry (e.g., data privacy, import/export).

Soft Skills

Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate numbers into clear operational actions and business outcomes.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder reporting.
High attention to detail and accuracy while managing large volumes of transactions and data.
Proactive problem-solver who can prioritize issues, own escalations, and close action items under tight deadlines.
Effective stakeholder management and relationship-building across teams, vendors, and senior leadership.
Adaptability to rapidly changing requirements and the ability to manage ambiguity in high-growth environments.
Time management and multitasking skills to balance day-to-day operations with project delivery.
Coaching and team development capability to upskill peers and improve operational consistency.
Customer-focused mindset with empathy and a drive to improve the end-customer experience.
Decisiveness and good judgment when escalating issues and implementing corrective actions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate degree in business, logistics, supply chain, or related field; or equivalent work experience (2+ years in operations).

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or Finance.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Operations Management
Supply Chain & Logistics
Industrial Engineering
Business Administration
Data Analytics / Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of progressive experience in operations, logistics, customer support operations, or supply chain roles.

Preferred:

3–5+ years in a similar operational role within e-commerce, manufacturing, 3PL, financial services operations, or SaaS operations.
Proven track record implementing process improvements, managing KPIs, and supporting large-scale system implementations.
Prior experience with cross-functional project ownership, vendor management, and SLA governance.