Best Jobs For Former Operations Managers [2026]

In 2026, the landscape for operations managers is evolving rapidly, and many professionals in this field are reassessing their career paths.

Although enrollment in programs that train future operations managers remains steady, there’s been a noticeable decline in new applicants for these roles, highlighting shifts in the labor market and workplace dynamics.

This trend raises an important question:

What career paths are former operations managers pursuing now?

To find out, we analyzed a database of resumes from former operations managers to identify the most common jobs they transitioned into after leaving the field. We compiled a list of the top 100 roles based on their career moves.

Given the intriguing results, we’ve decided to spotlight some of the most notable options available to these professionals.

Best Jobs For Former Operations Managers

While some positions may be more appealing than others, they all present exciting opportunities for career advancement.

The complete list of these roles can be found below.

Detailed Ranking of the Most Common Jobs of Former Operations Managers

Rank	Job Title	%
1	General Manager	2.34%
2	Project Manager	1.61%
3	Operations Director	1.34%
4	Store Manager	1.34%
5	Manager	1.17%
6	Owner	0.83%
7	Office Manager	0.8%
8	Plant Manager	0.78%
9	Program Manager	0.77%
10	Consultant	0.73%
11	Account Manager	0.7%
12	Vice President	0.61%
13	Customer Service Representative	0.61%
14	Assistant Manager	0.59%
15	Operation Supervisor	0.55%
16	Sales Manager	0.51%
17	Senior Project Manager	0.49%
18	Production Manager	0.49%
19	Senior Manager	0.49%
20	Sales Representative	0.48%
21	Administrative Assistant	0.48%
22	Warehouse Manager	0.45%
23	Owner/operator	0.45%
24	Service Manager	0.44%
25	Supervisor	0.42%
26	Sales Associate	0.42%
27	Human Resources Manager	0.42%
28	Director	0.42%
29	Senior Operations Manager	0.39%
30	President Of Operations	0.38%
31	Account Executive	0.37%
32	Team Leader	0.36%
33	Assistant Store Manager	0.35%
34	Logistics Manager	0.33%
35	Branch Manager	0.31%
36	Purchasing Manager	0.31%
37	Production Supervisor	0.31%
38	Business Analyst	0.3%
39	Human Resources Coordinator	0.29%
40	Area Manager	0.29%
41	President	0.28%
42	Supply Chain Manager	0.27%
43	District Manager	0.26%
44	Product Manager	0.25%
45	Business Development Manager	0.25%
46	Business Developer	0.24%
47	Regional Manager	0.24%
48	Assistant General Manager	0.23%
49	Site Manager	0.23%
50	Customer Service Manager	0.23%
51	Chief Operating Officer	0.23%
52	Managing Director	0.23%
53	Facilities Manager	0.22%
54	Internship	0.21%
55	Sales Consultant	0.21%
56	Substitute Teacher	0.2%
57	Driver	0.2%
58	Project Coordinator	0.19%
59	Specialist	0.19%
60	Executive Director	0.19%
61	Chief Executive Officer	0.18%
62	Business Manager	0.18%
63	Property Manager	0.18%
64	Maintenance Manager	0.18%
65	Controller	0.18%
66	President/owner	0.18%
67	Material Manager	0.17%
68	Technician	0.17%
69	Department Manager	0.17%
70	Regional Operation Manager	0.17%
71	Owner/manager	0.17%
72	Executive Assistant	0.17%
73	Security Officer	0.17%
74	Quality Assurance Manager	0.17%
75	Associate	0.17%
76	Distribution Manager	0.17%
77	Manufacturing Manager	0.16%
78	Transportation Manager	0.16%
79	Assistant Vice President	0.16%
80	Marketing Manager	0.16%
81	Principal	0.16%
82	Analyst	0.16%
83	Terminal Manager	0.16%
84	Construction Manager	0.16%
85	Information Technology Project Manager	0.16%
86	Quality Manager	0.15%
87	Administrator	0.15%
88	Buyer	0.15%
89	Engineering Manager	0.15%
90	Recruiter	0.15%
91	Senior Consultant	0.15%
92	Warehouse Supervisor	0.15%
93	Accounting Manager	0.14%
94	Volunteer	0.14%
95	Superintendent	0.14%
96	Server	0.14%
97	Information Technology Manager	0.14%
98	Systems Administrator	0.14%
99	Management Consultant	0.13%
100	Safety Manager	0.13%

Most Common Jobs For Former Operations Managers

These roles effectively leverage the skills developed as an operations manager and can serve as valuable stepping stones to further career growth.

How We Determined the Best Jobs of Former Operations Managers

Our analysis utilized information from our extensive database containing over 7 million resumes. We focused on those that listed operations manager as part of their employment history and tracked the subsequent roles they pursued, ranking them by frequency.

To identify the most intriguing positions, we filtered the ranked list for roles that:

Appeared in fewer than 1% of all new job listings
Were not included in the top 100 jobs in our database

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Create Resume