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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Operations Assistant

💰 $40,000 - $60,000

OperationsAdministrativeLogisticsOffice ManagementSupply Chain

🎯 Role Definition

The Operations Assistant provides day-to-day operational and administrative support to ensure efficient business operations. This role coordinates logistics, maintains accurate records, supports cross-functional teams, monitors KPIs, and executes standard operating procedures (SOPs). Ideal candidates have hands-on experience with inventory or facilities, strong organizational and communication skills, and proficiency with common operations systems (Excel, ERP/WMS, CRM). The Operations Assistant is a dependable point of contact for vendors, internal stakeholders, and external partners, helping the team sustain high service levels and continuous improvement.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Administrative Assistant
  • Customer Service Representative
  • Warehouse or Logistics Associate

Advancement To:

  • Operations Coordinator
  • Senior Operations Specialist
  • Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Project Coordinator
  • Facilities Coordinator
  • Procurement/Buyer Assistant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Coordinate daily operations tasks including scheduling, intake and routing of work requests, and maintaining accurate logs to ensure on-time execution and handoffs across teams.
  • Manage inventory tracking and reconciliation activities: perform cycle counts, update stock records in the ERP/WMS, identify discrepancies, and initiate corrective actions to prevent stockouts or overages.
  • Execute purchasing and procurement support: prepare purchase requisitions, obtain quotes, process POs, track deliveries, and maintain vendor files to ensure timely receipt of goods and services.
  • Serve as first-line vendor liaison: manage vendor communications, schedule deliveries, escalate supplier issues, and maintain service-level documentation to preserve supplier performance.
  • Process invoices and expense documentation: match purchase orders, receipts and vendor invoices, route for approvals, and assist in month-end reconciliations to support accurate accounts payable.
  • Support shipping and receiving operations: schedule carriers, prepare bills of lading and packing lists, check inbound shipments against POs, and coordinate returns and RMA processes.
  • Maintain and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and operational checklists: document step-by-step processes and help train staff on updates to reduce variability and errors.
  • Monitor key operations metrics and prepare weekly and monthly reports (KPI dashboards) showing inventory turnover, fulfillment times, cost variances and other performance indicators to support decision-making.
  • Perform data entry and maintain accurate operational databases including CRM, ERP, asset registries, and spreadsheets to ensure data integrity for downstream processes.
  • Coordinate facilities and office management duties such as supplies procurement, workspace setup, vendor access, and basic maintenance ticketing to ensure a safe, productive work environment.
  • Support onboarding and offboarding logistics for staff: coordinate equipment issuance, access provisioning, training schedules, and workspace assignments to enable quick team integration.
  • Facilitate scheduling and calendar management for operations leadership: set up recurring operational reviews, vendor meetings, and cross-functional touchpoints.
  • Conduct routine audits and compliance checks (safety, inventory, documentation) and prepare audit files and evidence for internal or external reviews to maintain regulatory adherence.
  • Assist with budget tracking and cost-control initiatives: record departmental expenses, flag variances, and suggest cost-saving opportunities to help managers meet financial targets.
  • Troubleshoot day-to-day operational escalations: investigate root causes, coordinate remedial actions with relevant teams, and communicate status updates to stakeholders until resolution.
  • Coordinate small projects and continuous improvement activities: collect requirements, track milestones, coordinate resources, and document outcomes to streamline operations.
  • Prepare shipping documentation and customs paperwork for cross-border shipments where applicable, ensuring compliance with import/export regulations and minimizing delays.
  • Maintain asset and equipment logs, schedule routine maintenance, and coordinate repairs with vendors so operational equipment remains available and safe to use.
  • Support customer-facing operational inquiries: research order status, returns, and billing questions, communicate resolution plans, and escalate complex issues to senior staff.
  • Implement and maintain health & safety protocols and coordinate training sessions and safety drills to support a compliant workplace culture.
  • Maintain confidentiality of sensitive operational and personnel information while complying with company policies and data protection standards.
  • Facilitate cross-functional collaboration by coordinating information flow between sales, finance, warehouse, customer support and IT to align operational priorities and timelines.
  • Use workflow tools and ticketing systems to triage incoming requests, assign ownership, and track SLAs to ensure timely completion of operational tasks.
  • Prepare and present concise status updates and operational summaries for weekly leadership reviews, including action items, risks and mitigation plans.
  • Proactively recommend process improvements and small automation opportunities (templates, macros, workflow rules) to reduce manual work and improve accuracy.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc operations data requests and exploratory analysis to help teams test hypotheses and measure impact of process changes.
  • Contribute to the organization's operations strategy and continuous improvement roadmap by documenting pain points and proposed remedies.
  • Assist business units in translating operational needs into system requirements for ERP/WMS or workflow tools and coordinate vendor/IT intake.
  • Participate in sprint planning, operational stand-ups and other agile ceremonies when projects are organized in iterative cycles.
  • Assist with seasonal workforce planning and temporary labor coordination to meet peak demand without service degradation.
  • Help create and maintain training materials, quick reference guides and onboarding checklists to improve new hire ramp time.
  • Coordinate cross-training initiatives to build redundancy and resilience across operations functions.
  • Participate in post-mortem reviews after incidents or supply interruptions; document lessons learned and update contingency plans.
  • Support small procurement and vendor evaluation efforts including RFP/RFI preparation, bid comparison, and reference checks.
  • Maintain a repository of templates (shipping labels, PO templates, checklists) and admin automations to increase team efficiency.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, data validation, conditional formatting and basic macros) for reporting and reconciliation.
  • Proficiency with Google Workspace (Sheets, Docs, Drive) and collaborative documentation tools.
  • Practical experience with ERP and WMS systems (examples: NetSuite, SAP Business One, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Fishbowl).
  • Familiarity with CRM platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot) and how operational data maps to customer records.
  • Basic accounting and AP/AR workflow knowledge: purchase orders, invoicing, expense reconciliation and month-end close support.
  • Inventory management and cycle counting best practices, including FIFO/FEFO principles and shrinkage monitoring.
  • Experience with shipping and fulfillment platforms (UPS WorldShip, FedEx, carrier portals) and logistics documentation.
  • Comfortable using workflow, ticketing, and project tools (Asana, Trello, Jira, Zendesk) to manage requests and SLAs.
  • Basic data visualization or reporting tool knowledge (Tableau, Power BI, Google Data Studio) to present KPIs.
  • Exposure to small scripting or automation techniques (Google Apps Script, Excel macros) to reduce repetitive tasks.
  • Familiarity with procurement practices, vendor onboarding, and contract document handling.
  • Working knowledge of workplace health & safety standards and compliance documentation.
  • Basic SQL knowledge is a plus for querying operational datasets and supporting ad-hoc analysis.
  • Experience with timekeeping/payroll systems and scheduling platforms for coordinating shifts and attendance.

Soft Skills

  • Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines and maintain attention to detail.
  • Clear, professional verbal and written communication skills for interacting with vendors, colleagues and leadership.
  • Problem-solving mindset with practical bias toward resolving root causes and documenting fixes.
  • Customer-service orientation and diplomacy when handling escalations, returns or sensitive inquiries.
  • Ability to multitask effectively and remain calm under pressure in fast-paced operational environments.
  • Collaborative team player who can partner with cross-functional stakeholders and build rapport quickly.
  • High level of integrity, discretion, and confidentiality handling sensitive company and personnel information.
  • Adaptability and willingness to learn new systems, processes and technologies as operations scale.
  • Process-minded and quality-focused: comfortable documenting procedures and driving adherence to SOPs.
  • Initiative and ownership: proactively identify process gaps and take action without waiting for direction.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent.

Preferred Education:

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

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Supply Chain / Logistics
  • Operations Management
  • Finance / Accounting (basic)
  • Industrial Engineering (process focus)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–3 years of hands-on experience in operations, logistics, office administration, or supply chain support.

Preferred:

  • 2–5 years supporting operations in a fast-paced environment with documented experience using ERP/WMS systems, inventory control practices and basic reporting/dashboard creation.
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