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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Operations Supervisor

💰 $50,000 - $90,000

OperationsManagementLogisticsManufacturingSupply Chain

🎯 Role Definition

The Operations Supervisor is a front-line leader responsible for managing daily operational activities, supervising staff and shifts, driving process improvement, ensuring safety and quality compliance, controlling costs, and delivering measurable operational KPIs. This role coordinates cross-functional teams (warehouse, production, logistics, quality, customer support) and uses systems such as ERP/WMS to optimize throughput, reduce waste, and improve on-time delivery while maintaining a safe and engaged workforce.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Operations Coordinator / Operations Analyst
  • Shift Supervisor / Team Lead
  • Warehouse Lead / Production Lead

Advancement To:

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

Lateral Moves:

  • Supply Chain Manager
  • Logistics Manager
  • Quality Manager / Continuous Improvement Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead day-to-day operations for assigned shifts or sites, supervising a team of hourly associates and lead staff, ensuring staffing coverage, punctuality, and consistent execution of SOPs to meet daily production or throughput targets.
  • Own operational KPIs (e.g., on-time delivery, throughput, lines per hour, order accuracy, inventory accuracy, downtime, safety incidents) by monitoring dashboards, nursing trends, and taking corrective action to meet weekly and monthly targets.
  • Create, maintain and execute shift schedules, workforce plans and overtime forecasts to align labor capacity with demand while minimizing cost and maintaining service levels.
  • Coach, mentor and develop direct reports through regular 1:1s, performance reviews, training plans and career development pipelines to increase retention and improve team capability.
  • Enforce safety, environmental and regulatory compliance (e.g., OSHA, DOT, local health & safety requirements) by conducting regular safety audits, incident investigations, root cause analysis and corrective action plans.
  • Implement and sustain Lean, Kaizen and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce cycle time, scrap, rework and waste while improving process flow and resource utilization.
  • Oversee inventory management activities including cycle counts, reconciliation, shrinkage reduction, material handling optimization and coordination with procurement to avoid stockouts or excess stock.
  • Manage quality control checkpoints, non-conformance handling, CAPA execution and supplier returns in conjunction with quality teams to maintain customer specifications and reduce returns.
  • Coordinate cross-functional communication with planning, procurement, logistics, sales and customer support to resolve order exceptions, expedite shipments and manage customer escalations.
  • Drive cost control and budget adherence for the operational area by tracking spend, approving purchase requisitions, identifying cost-saving opportunities and reporting variance to management.
  • Maintain and improve standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions and training materials to ensure consistent, auditable processes and faster onboarding of new hires.
  • Oversee equipment use and basic preventive maintenance tasks by coordinating with maintenance teams, prioritizing repairs and minimizing downtime that impacts production or fulfillment.
  • Schedule and lead daily stand-ups, shift handovers and operation performance reviews to ensure continuity of operations and clear accountability between shifts and teams.
  • Prepare and present weekly and monthly operational reports for site leadership, including trend analysis, root cause summaries, corrective actions and opportunities for operational optimization.
  • Lead production or warehouse changeovers and new product introductions by coordinating resources, validating processes and training staff to meet quality and timing expectations.
  • Manage vendor and contractor relationships for site services (material handling, temporary staffing, equipment servicing) including onboarding, scope of work, SLA enforcement and invoice verification.
  • Execute incident response and business continuity plans during disruptions (weather, system outages, equipment failures) to restore operations quickly and safely while communicating status to stakeholders.
  • Drive customer-focused metrics such as fill rate, OTIF (on time in full), and customer complaints by aligning process improvements and frontline coaching to impact the customer experience positively.
  • Conduct recruitment support, interviewing and selection for frontline roles and make onboarding recommendations to HR to ensure the site is staffed with high-quality talent.
  • Facilitate audits (internal, customer, regulatory) by preparing documentation, leading site walkthroughs, addressing non-conformances and implementing corrective action plans in a timely manner.
  • Use ERP/WMS systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Manhattan) and advanced Excel reporting to analyze operational data, forecast demand and make data-driven decisions that improve throughput and reduce costs.
  • Monitor and enforce company policies, labor regulations and union agreements (where applicable) to maintain legal compliance and productive labor relations.
  • Champion diversity, equity and inclusion within the operation by fostering an inclusive team culture and supporting fair work practices and recognition programs.

Secondary Functions

  • Support continuous improvement programs by participating in cross-site Kaizen events and pilot programs to scale best practices across the network.
  • Contribute to the development of operational metrics frameworks and KPI definitions used by local and regional leadership for performance benchmarking.
  • Partner with HR on retention strategies, learning programs and competency matrices to improve skill levels and career mobility among frontline teams.
  • Participate in capital project planning by providing operational input on layout changes, equipment purchases, labor impact and implementation timelines.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Operations management and shift supervision experience in manufacturing, warehouse, logistics or field service environments.
  • Strong familiarity with ERP and WMS systems (examples: SAP, Oracle, Manhattan, NetSuite) and ability to operationalize system-driven processes.
  • Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, macros) and experience building operational dashboards and KPI trackers.
  • Inventory management, cycle counting, and demand planning fundamentals with measurable success in reducing shrink and stockouts.
  • Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen methodologies and experience applying continuous improvement tools (5S, root cause analysis, value stream mapping).
  • Budgeting, cost control and basic P&L understanding to manage operating expenses and identify cost-saving opportunities.
  • Quality management and corrective action (CAPA) process experience ensuring compliance with customer and regulatory requirements.
  • Safety and regulatory compliance expertise (OSHA, DOT, local environmental and safety regulations), including incident investigation and corrective action.
  • Scheduling, labor planning and workforce optimization tools and techniques, including experience with workforce management systems.
  • Project management skills (scope, timeline, stakeholder coordination) to lead small-to-medium operational improvement projects.

Soft Skills

  • Strong leadership with demonstrated ability to coach, develop and retain frontline teams and create high-performing cultures.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills for clear shift handoffs, reporting and stakeholder updates.
  • Analytical mindset with ability to interpret data, identify trends and drive data-based decisions.
  • Problem-solving and decision-making under pressure, prioritizing actions to balance safety, quality and delivery.
  • Cross-functional collaboration skills to influence peers in planning, procurement, quality and customer service.
  • Time management and organization to oversee multiple priorities and manage shift-based work effectively.
  • Conflict resolution and negotiation skills to handle labor issues, vendor disputes and customer escalations professionally.
  • Adaptability and resilience in dynamic operations environments with frequent change and competing demands.
  • Attention to detail combined with the ability to see the big picture and link daily tasks to strategic goals.
  • Coaching and mentoring skills to upskill teams and foster continuous improvement mindsets.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent required.

Preferred Education:

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

Relevant Fields of Study:

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

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3–7 years of operations experience with 1–3 years in a supervisory or lead role.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of progressively responsible operations experience with demonstrated leadership of teams, successful operational improvements or P&L responsibility.
  • Experience with ERP/WMS deployment, Lean or Six Sigma certification (Yellow/Green Belt or higher), and prior exposure to safety/regulatory audits.
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