An Operations Director role is certainly varied. They have a hand in virtually every aspect of a business, and are tasked with ensuring it all runs smoothly.
From setting financial budgets one day to sorting HR problems the next, this is one career where the chance of boredom is very low indeed.
An Operations Director is an interesting position where you’re responsible for ensuring that a business has the best working environment and processes. Operations directors have the power to make a business – and the people working there – much happier.
Put simply, operations directors evaluate how a business operates. They manage the implementation of business guidelines and strategies, working with other department heads to ensure everything runs smoothly and in accordance with any guidelines. Specific duties will vary depending on the type of business the operations director works in, but here's a look at some common tasks:
JOB DUTIES:
1)Ensuring financial targets and other agreed targets are met in all departments
2)Reviewing working practices to ascertain if they are successful and if not, devise alternative strategies
3)Making sure safety & security regulations are followed at all times
4)Keeping employees motivated and organizing appropriate training
5)Ensuring the business operates within the company's mission statement and Standard Operating Procedures.
6)Oversee customer support processes and organize them to enhance customer satisfaction
7)Working with department heads and senior management to get the best performance from staff
8)Driving the business to increase profits
9)Working with legal departments on any matters that occur
10)Liaise with superiors to make decisions for operational activities and set strategic goals
11)Plan and monitor the day-to-day running of business to ensure smooth progress
12)Provide support to staff from different departments and add constructive feedback
13)Evaluate regularly the efficiency of business procedures according to organizational objectives and apply improvements
14)Manage procurement processes and coordinate material and resources allocation with other departments.
15)Ensure that the company runs with legality and conformity to established regulations
16)Review financial information and adjust operational budgets to promote profitability
17)Revise and/or formulate policies and promote their implementation
18)Manage relationships/agreements with external partners/vendors
19)Evaluate overall performance by gathering, analyzing and interpreting data and metrics
On paper, an operations director has a typical working week; Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. However, there are many times of the year when time sensitive objectives have to be met and might require extended working hours, or even weekend workdays. Flexibility in terms of working hours is common for this position and expected when performing at this executive level.
THE PROS:
-Working with many different departments and people
-Getting to make a real difference with the company
-Coming up with solutions to problems and having the power to implement them
THE CONS:
-Not really joined to any one department
-Times of great stress and long hou
-Can only reach this position after gaining years of experience
-Can feel stretched thin across all departments
EXPERIENCE:
An operations director needs a bachelor's or master's degree in operational management, business management or another business related area. In addition to the degree, they need experience in operational management with respect to cross managing different projects and/or departments at the same time.
CONCLUSION:
An Operations Director flits between preparing budgets, handling business logistics and ensuring employees are being suitably supervised. Therefore they need to be able to multitask in various areas, and be able to communicate well. Organization skills are also essential as is having some top-drawer analytical and problem solving skills.
Because they are involved in so many different departments, knowledge of different computer programs is needed, or at least the ability to learn new software.
Communication is another key skill to have. Not only do you need to identify where things aren't working, you need to be able to communicate this, plus give instructions on how to make things better, (for example involve holding training seminars, public speaking, or writing manuals). Plus you need to be able to communicate with executive management, and be prepared to argue your case.
Judgment and foresight is also an important skill to have, not only for handling situations but also for making decisions across many departments.
Staff development is a big part of an operations director role, so you need to be able to inspire energy and creativity while maintaining relationships in the workplace. Obviously as a figure that deals with problems across many departments, you need to be professional at all times.