What does an operating partner do?
An operating partner coordinates a portfolio company's efforts and serves as the liaison between private equity firms. They typically assess and manage teams, set objectives, establish guidelines and timelines, conduct market research and analyses, and assist teams in developing various operational strategies. They also gather and analyze extensive data, identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes, recommend solutions against problem areas, and create methods to optimize operations. Moreover, an operating partner must maintain an active communication line with staff while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Operating partner responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real operating partner resumes:
- Manage operations for BOH & FOH, set up venues POS system.
- Manage all operations, logistics, shop, field service, maintenance, repair and machine shop.
- Establish, manage and coordinate activities of this start-up management company specializing in turning around trouble health insurance plans.
- Negotiate and determine the programming for POS system.
- Develop responsible supply ordering payroll forecasting to adjust for changing market conditions.
- Create overall budget for each individual program/initiative along with all logistics, operations and execution.
- Share responsibility for all administrative functions including payroll, budgets, sales forecasts, and profit/loss accountability.
- Develop lean manufacturing/distribution strategies, localizing production reducing manufacturing and distribution costs; projects deliver an incremental $5million EBITDA.
- Renovate the rooms and better ADR.
- Increase rev par and ADR for property immediately.
- Ensure recipe adherence and BOH standards are met.
- Develop personal proficiency in computerize administration and the QuickBooks accounting program.
- Enhance service and quality by collaborating with culinary team to establish BOH standard operating procedures.
Operating partner skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Operating Partners are proficient in Project Management, Shared Services, and Digital Marketing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Management skills.
We break down the percentage of Operating Partners that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 16%
Supervised and directly worked on project management, analysis, quality assurance, implementation, customer support, finance and administration.
- Shared Services, 10%
company or functions), operational optimization assessments leading to business unit consolidations, shared services and outsourcing.
- Digital Marketing, 9%
Developed and executed digital marketing campaigns, including measurement of leads and increased revenue.
- Facebook, 9%
Adopted marketing strategy leveraging Twitter and Facebook increasing revenue by 3% in 3 months.
- Human Resources, 8%
Manage daily operations in Human Resources, Warehouse/Logistics, and Financial Management.
- Payroll, 7%
Shared responsibility for all administrative functions including payroll, budgets, sales forecasts, and profit/loss accountability.
Most operating partners use their skills in "project management," "shared services," and "digital marketing" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential operating partner responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an operating partner to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Operating partners often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "strengthened existing customer relationships by utilizing strong communication techniques and maintaining a customer focused mentality. "
Leadership skills. Another essential skill to perform operating partner duties is leadership skills. Operating partners responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Operating partners also use leadership skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "demonstrate project management and leadership adhere to policy guidelines and budgets on an individual project basis"
Problem-solving skills. A big part of what operating partners do relies on "problem-solving skills." You can see how essential it is to operating partner responsibilities because "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical operating partner tasks: "investigated and resolved customer complaints concerning food quality and service. "
Time-management skills. Another crucial skill for an operating partner to carry out their responsibilities is "time-management skills." A big part of what operating partners relies on this skill, since "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." How this skill relates to operating partner duties can be seen in an example from an operating partner resume snippet: "trained customer service and production staff, along with providing hands on involvement in meeting production deadlines. "
The three companies that hire the most operating partners are:
- Deloitte126 operating partners jobs
- Regions Bank53 operating partners jobs
- Whataburger27 operating partners jobs
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Compare different operating partners
Operating partner vs. Multi-unit manager
A multi-unit manager is responsible for supervising multiple departments and overseeing various process sectors within an organization. Multi-unit managers handle the budget limitations for each unit, allocating adequate resources to support business functions and client requirements. They recruit and train new staff, review compensation details with the human resources department, respond to employees' concerns, and facilitate training and programs that would maximize the staff's productivity and efficiency. A multi-unit manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in determining and achieving goals for the team and ensuring the highest customer satisfaction.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an operating partner are more likely to require skills like "project management," "shared services," "digital marketing," and "facebook." On the other hand, a job as a multi-unit manager requires skills like "customer service," "work ethic," "product knowledge," and "excellent interpersonal." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Multi-unit managers really shine in the retail industry with an average salary of $63,109. Comparatively, operating partners tend to make the most money in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $95,330.On average, multi-unit managers reach similar levels of education than operating partners. Multi-unit managers are 3.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Operating partner vs. General manager in training
The responsibilities of a general manager in training primarily revolve around overseeing the operations in a store or business, ensuring everything is running smoothly. They mainly report to a more experienced or higher-ranking official, following their directives while still under the training program. As a general manager in training, it is essential to have an in-depth understanding of the employee's welfare and the company's vision, mission, and policies, implementing them daily. Furthermore, one must produce consistent progress reports and presentations, all while leading the workforce to reach sales targets and significant customer satisfaction.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that operating partner responsibilities requires skills like "project management," "shared services," "digital marketing," and "facebook." But a general manager in training might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "cleanliness," "product quality," and "training programs."
General managers in training may earn a lower salary than operating partners, but general managers in training earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $34,275. On the other hand, operating partners receive higher pay in the hospitality industry, where they earn an average salary of $95,330.Average education levels between the two professions vary. General managers in training tend to reach similar levels of education than operating partners. In fact, they're 4.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Operating partner vs. Manager executive
A manager executive is in charge of supervising and overseeing an establishment's daily operations, ensuring everything runs efficiently and adheres to company standards. They mostly have administrative duties such as setting goals and guidelines, establishing budgets and timelines, making significant decisions, delegating responsibilities among managers, and reviewing progress reports, addressing issues and concerns. They also spearhead programs and projects, highlighting their vision and mission. Additionally, a manager executive leads and empowers employees while implementing policies and regulations that shape the company.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from operating partner resumes include skills like "shared services," "digital marketing," "customer satisfaction," and "lean six sigma," whereas a manager executive is more likely to list skills in "excellent interpersonal," "customer service," "powerpoint," and "professional development. "
When it comes to education, managers executive tend to earn similar degree levels compared to operating partners. In fact, they're 3.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Operating partner vs. Restaurant general manager
A restaurant general manager is someone whose responsibility is to handle the daily operations of the restaurant. Restaurant general managers ensure compliance with the overall operations to the company's standards. They oversee the preparation and delivery of products, restaurant repair and maintenance, team management, inventory management, and customer relations. To become a restaurant general manager, one should have excellent customer relations and service skills, and commercial awareness. Good personal skills, flexibility, and strong communication skills are also necessary.
Types of operating partner
Updated January 8, 2025
