Operations manager job description template

What a operations manager does

Operations managers make the business run better every week. They own processes, people, and metrics across the parts of the company that deliver the product or service. The title covers a huge range, from running a warehouse floor to running business operations in a software company, so the description should name what the person operates, the size of the team, and the two or three numbers they'll be judged on.

Operations manager job description template

Copy the description, replace everything in [brackets], and cut any line that isn't true for your job. The duties and requirements are a starting point written by HR practitioners, not a legal standard, so edit them to match the real work.

Operations manager

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: Exempt
- Pay range: [$X to $Y per year]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences about what your company does, who it serves, and why people like working here.]

Job summary
We're looking for an operations manager to lead [team or site], improve how work gets done, and hit our targets for quality, cost, and delivery.

What you'll do
- Lead daily operations for [department, site, or business line].
- Set goals and track performance against key metrics.
- Hire, train, coach, and evaluate team leads and staff.
- Improve processes to reduce cost, waste, and errors.
- Manage the operating budget and resource planning.
- Ensure safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
- Work with sales, finance, and other teams on plans and priorities.
- Report results and risks to senior leadership.

What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
- [Five] or more years of operations experience, including people leadership.
- Track record of improving measurable results.
- Strong data, planning, and communication skills.

Nice to have
- Lean, Six Sigma, or similar process improvement training.
- Experience in [industry].
- Experience with [ERP or operations systems].

Skills
Leadership, Process improvement, Planning, Budgeting, Data analysis, Decision making.

Physical demands and work environment
Office and operations floor or site, with some travel between locations.

Pay and benefits
[$X to $Y per year], based on experience and location. [List benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plan match, paid time off, and training.]

Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, contact [name] at [email or phone].

How to customize it for your job

• Name what the role operates and the team size.
• List the metrics the role owns.
• Describe the reporting line and decision authority.
• Say how much travel is involved.

Then check it against the HRTally job description standard, our 10-point checklist, and run it through the inclusive language swap list. Both take about five minutes.

How much to pay a operations manager

Half of US general and operations managers earned more than $50.85 an hour in May 2025, and half earned less, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That national figure is a starting point, not a pay range. Pay for the same job can differ by 30 percent or more between metro areas, so check the BLS occupation profile for state and metro data before you set your range.

To convert between hourly and annual pay, use our salary to hourly calculator. If you hire in a state or city with a pay transparency law, the range must appear in the posting itself. Our pay transparency laws guide lists where, and our guide to salary bands explains how to set ranges you can defend.

Exempt status, licenses, and legal notes

FLSA status: Usually exempt. Job titles don't decide overtime eligibility. Duties and pay do. Our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees walks through each test, and the overtime calculator shows what a nonexempt employee is owed.

Operations managers usually qualify for the executive exemption when their primary duty is managing a department, they direct two or more full-time employees, and they're paid on salary above the threshold. Managers who spend most of their time on the same tasks as their team may not qualify. In industrial settings, operations managers often carry responsibility for OSHA recordkeeping and safety programs.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

Interview questions to ask

Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the same criteria. Structured interviews are fairer and predict job performance better than open conversation.

1. Tell me about a process you redesigned and the result.
2. How do you decide which metric to fix first?
3. Tell me about a time you had to let someone go.
4. How do you plan for a sudden spike in demand?

When you're ready to schedule, use our interview invitation email template. For a full hiring process, read the recruitment process guide.

Frequently asked questions