Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Unit Operations Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Unit Operations Coordinator is a frontline operations professional who ensures smooth day-to-day functioning of a designated unit, facility, or production area. This role coordinates staffing and schedules, manages supplies and inventory, enforces safety and compliance standards, liaises with internal teams and external vendors, and drives continuous workflow improvements to meet KPI targets. Ideal candidates are process-oriented, strong communicators, and proficient with operational systems (scheduling, ERP/WMS, incident reporting) and performance reporting.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Operations Assistant / Administrative Assistant supporting shifts and logistics.
Logistics or Inventory Coordinator handling stock, orders, and vendor communication.
Customer Service or Facilities Support roles with scheduling responsibilities.

Advancement To:

Unit Operations Supervisor / Shift Supervisor
Operations Manager / Unit Manager
Facilities Manager or Site Operations Manager
Continuous Improvement / Process Improvement Specialist

Lateral Moves:

Supply Chain Coordinator / Procurement Coordinator
Project Coordinator (operations projects)
Quality Assurance / Compliance Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate daily staffing and shift coverage for the unit, preparing rosters and working with HR/people teams to fill vacancies, approve overtime, and manage shift swaps to maintain service levels and budgeted labor hours.
Manage the unit’s inventory lifecycle: place purchase orders, receive and inspect deliveries, reconcile invoices, track usage rates, and maintain par levels to prevent stockouts or overstock.
Serve as the primary liaison between the unit and vendors, contractors, and service providers — negotiate service schedules, escalate quality or delivery issues, and maintain vendor compliance documentation.
Oversee onboarding and training logistics for new hires and temporary staff assigned to the unit, coordinate orientation schedules, ensure completion of mandatory credentials, and track training records.
Maintain accurate operational records and documentation, including shift logs, incident reports, maintenance requests, safety checklists, and compliance files required for audits.
Monitor operational KPIs (throughput, on-time performance, downtime, error rates) and generate routine performance reports and executive summaries for site managers.
Facilitate daily briefings and shift handovers, ensuring critical information (issues, deviations, pending actions) is communicated clearly between outgoing and incoming teams.
Coordinate preventive and corrective maintenance activities with facilities and technical teams to minimize equipment downtime and ensure safety; schedule service windows and follow up on repairs.
Implement and enforce safety protocols, PPE requirements, and regulatory compliance (OSHA, local regulations, internal policies), conducting routine safety walks and documenting findings.
Manage small projects and process changes within the unit: scope work, create simple project plans, coordinate stakeholders, and track milestones to completion.
Act as the escalation point for operational incidents, conducting initial investigations, documenting root causes, coordinating containment actions, and communicating outcomes to leadership.
Support schedule forecasting and resource planning by analyzing historical demand, seasonal trends, and upcoming events to recommend staffing adjustments and supply orders.
Coordinate cross-functional activities (quality, production, customer service, supply chain) to resolve process bottlenecks, align priorities, and deliver on service level agreements.
Maintain and update unit-specific SOPs (standard operating procedures) and work instructions; coordinate version control and communicate procedural changes to staff.
Administer access, credentials, and records for systems used in the unit (scheduling tools, inventory systems, incident reporting platforms), working with IT to resolve access issues.
Execute inventory audits, cycle counts, and reconciliation processes; identify shrinkage, investigate discrepancies, and implement corrective controls.
Manage budgetary controls for unit-level spend: track purchase requests, reconcile petty cash or departmental credit usage, and identify opportunities for cost reduction.
Support vendor and contract administration — verify service delivery against SLAs, track maintenance and warranty claims, and maintain contract-related documentation.
Facilitate customer-facing operational issues when applicable: coordinate responses, track resolution timelines, and ensure consistent communication until closure.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives at the unit level: collect operational data, recommend process simplifications, pilot workflow changes, and measure impact against baseline metrics.
Coordinate special events, facility moves, or surge staffing activities — develop temporary staffing plans, procurement checklists, and post-event debriefs to capture lessons learned.
Ensure data integrity in operational systems by performing routine audits, correcting data entry errors, and standardizing naming conventions and record-keeping practices.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc operational data requests, preparing dashboards, charts, and analysis to inform management decisions and continuous improvement projects.
Assist with procurement administration for non-capital items: vendor quotes, purchase requisitions, and receipt acknowledgment to streamline purchasing workflows.
Participate in cross-functional improvement teams and stand-ups; contribute operational insights and help translate ideas into implementable workstreams.
Coordinate periodic compliance audits and act as the point person for audit preparation, pulling required documentation and supporting audit interviews.
Manage unit-level communications: publish newsletters, post updates to team boards, and maintain communication channels to keep staff informed of policy or schedule changes.
Support employee relations matters at the unit level by coordinating meetings, collecting documentation, and escalating HR issues per policy.
Act as backup for related administrative functions such as reception coverage, basic payroll input for the unit (timesheet approvals), or scheduling external visits.
Maintain relationships with internal service partners (cleaning, security, facilities) and ensure delivery of agreed-upon services for the unit environment.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Operational scheduling and rostering tools (experience with Kronos, UKG, Deputy, When I Work, or comparable systems).
Inventory management and procurement processes, including purchase order creation and vendor invoice reconciliation.
Enterprise systems familiarity: ERP / WMS / CMMS basics (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Manhattan, or equivalent).
Data analysis and reporting: Excel (advanced functions, pivot tables), Google Sheets, and basic dashboarding (Power BI, Tableau, or similar).
Incident reporting and compliance systems (internal incident trackers, safety reporting platforms).
Standard operating procedure (SOP) creation and document control best practices.
KPI tracking and operational metrics interpretation (throughput, OT rates, fill rates, downtime).
Basic project coordination tools: MS Project, Smartsheet, Asana, or Jira for small operational projects.
Procurement workflows and vendor management (SLA tracking, contract administration).
Familiarity with regulatory requirements relevant to the unit (safety, environmental, industry-specific compliance).

Soft Skills

Clear, professional verbal and written communication for cross-functional coordination and stakeholder updates.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize competing tasks and manage time across shifting operational demands.
Problem-solving mindset: diagnose causes quickly and propose practical containment and long-term corrective actions.
Attention to detail for accurate record-keeping, inventory reconciliation, and compliance documentation.
Empathy and team leadership: coach and support front-line staff while enforcing standards respectfully.
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced environments with changing priorities and unplanned events.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills for managing vendor issues and staff scheduling disputes.
Customer-service orientation when interacting with internal customers or external stakeholders.
Analytical thinking to interpret operational data and make data-driven recommendations.
Continuous improvement mentality, comfortable running small experiments and measuring results.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent required.

Preferred Education:

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

Relevant Fields of Study:

Operations Management
Supply Chain / Logistics
Business Administration
Industrial / Systems Engineering
Healthcare Administration (if role is clinical/facility-based)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2 to 5 years of relevant operations or coordination experience in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, facilities, or service environments.

Preferred:

3 to 7+ years in a unit-level operations coordinator, supervisor, or similar role with demonstrated experience in scheduling, inventory control, vendor coordination, and process improvement.
Prior experience with industry-specific systems (EMR for clinical units, WMS for warehouses, CMMS for facilities) is a strong plus.