What does the operations manager control?

With so many positions within a company, how do you find the right type of people for each position? The operations manager may be a position you overlook but you need to focus on hiring the right one because they do have a very integral role within the organization. They are responsible for overseeing the operations of the business to ensure that it will be successful and that you are able to run the business while using the least amount of resources possible. They have a lot of duties and they manage a lot of people. The good news is that you can bring in just about anyone from within the company to take over this role as they don't need to have skills in one particular industry like you need with your marketing manager and human resources.

Depending upon the type of company you are running and the individuals that are working for you, the operations manager will need to have some knowledge in areas like IT clear down to accounting. Their well-rounded knowledge will be able to help them work well with others and to make the entire company run successfully.

You may choose to assign a different title to your operations manager and refer to them as the director of operations or the vice president. Take a look at the title that will suit your business and will honor the salary range for the job title you choose.

As stated previously, this person needs to know about all the different areas within the company. Look for a person that has worked in various departments since they will come with the skills and talent you need to satisfy this position. They also need to have confidence in their abilities and must be able to communicate effectively with management and also with other employees. Since they are the person that is over every department and making sure each department is functioning properly, you need to seek out a person that has no problem getting production out of everyone without stepping on toes.

Reporting procedures are another key role of the operations manager. They need to report to the management about the various departments and things that they observe, specifically things that need attention and need to be changed. Their main goal is to increase productivity within the company and this will come with proper observation of the various departments and making sure everyone is able to have the tools they need to be effective at their job duties.

In addition to learning about accounting and a few other departments, the operations manager must spend time in the warehouse and they need to learn about inventory control. They are going to play a big role in purchasing decisions and even managing the way the inventory is set in the warehouse.

Operations managers must hold meetings with the various department managers in order to acquire their reports and to see how well things are flowing and if they are in sync. When numbers are off and concerns are brought up, the operations manager is the person that is responsible for developing a quick solution. They must be able to thing on their toes and need to elude confidence in their abilities to the other managers in order to earn their trust and respect.

So what can you expect to pay for a good operations control manager? It will vary based on your industry and their experience and skill but the average typically starts at $33,000 and it can move on up to $93,000 or more for a good operations manager to help your business grow.