Find answers to all your questions about the Operations Director profession, such as “What does an Operations Director do?”, “How much does an Operations Director earn?”, or “How does one become an Operations Director?”.
You will also find the skills, competencies, and attributes that an Operations Director needs to have.
What is a Operations Director?
The Operations Director is in charge of keeping a company running by taking care of the day-to-day business. Since the day-to-day operations of a company may differ from one company to another, the position of Operations Director can be filled in a variety of ways. For example, in some jobs, the Operations Manager is primarily concerned with hiring and managing personnel, while in other jobs he or she may emphasize inventory tracking and logistics management.
Regardless of the processes in which the Operations Manager is involved, he or she must have a good overview of the short and long term, the distribution of tasks among operational staff, and the execution of activities.
What does an Operations Director do?
From public administration to manufacturing, and from healthcare to hospitality, operations directors ensure that both large and small organizations run trouble-free.
The Operations Manager is responsible for the smooth running of everything and is therefore usually on the shop floor, among the staff. The objective of his job is to achieve and maintain good operational results. To do this, he pays attention to the good working conditions of his staff, for example.
As the Operations Manager has to manage many different people, he needs good communication skills.
The Operations Director can also appear in the role of COO (Chief Operational Officer). The role is therefore always focused on the management and improvement of business processes.
Within the SME, his role does not have a strong content component. He manages the executive staff and it is not inconceivable that he would be one of them. In larger companies, this is somewhat different, because there he will manage a lot of staff.
How much does an Operations Director earn?
The salary of an Operations Director can range from $2900 per month for entry-level to $4400 per month (with company car) for seniors.
How does one become a Operations Director?
To become an Operations Director from outside the company one must first have completed vocational training (e.g., Business/Facilities Management or Business Administration). Experience in other (management) positions is often required before being hired as an Operations Director.
Interest and motivation of the Operations Director
To do your job well you have to like it. You have to find your profession interesting and it has to fit your motivation.
Competencies and skills of the Operations Director:
For every profession, you need specific skills and knowledge, and that also applies to an operations manager.
What competencies does an Operations Director need?
An operations manager needs the following competencies to be able to do his job well.
- Anticipation
- Conceptual thinking
- Financial awareness
- Innovative
- Vision of the environment
- Leadership
- Listening
- Motivation
- Planning and organization
- Vision
Skills of an Operations Director
- Analytical skills
- Creative thinking
- Listening
- Making connections
- Innovative
- Patience
- Methodical design
- Asking questions
- Imagination
- Foresight
- Initiative
- Positivity
- Prioritization
- Future oriented
- Work methodically
Personality and attributes of the Operations Director
The Operations Director is first and foremost a manager and must therefore be able to motivate his staff well and bring out the best in everyone. He must also ensure that people can work well and are protected against external influences. The organization’s objectives must not be compromised in the process; they remain paramount. Staff remain subordinate to planning and achieving success in sales, procurement, etc.