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What is an operations development manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Eric Olsen,
Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.

Your role as an operations development manager is to oversee the operations team and ensure that all activities run smoothly and efficiently. It is your responsibility to work with your operations team in such a way that daily activities are completed efficiently and that issues are attended to.

Your position as the operations development manager is a leadership role. This means that your team looks to you for setting goals, drawing up financial plans, and assessing the quality of operations you and your team are working on. Though your position as the operations development manager requires you to work eight hours per day, know that overtime is something that may sneak up on you from time to time.

Seeing your team looks up to you, you will need to have strong communication, organizational, and negotiation skills in order to ensure that operations are executed smoothly and efficiently by your team. If you are interested in venturing into a career as an operations development manager, a bachelor's degree in business will provide you with the necessary background you need to thrive in this area.

What general advice would you give to an operations development manager?

Eric OlsenEric Olsen LinkedIn profile

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

Times of change are also times of great opportunities. We are going to need new technical solutions to address problems we are just learning about. You have to lean into the issues. Don't be a technologist - be a problem solver. That is why we also emphasize soft skills like lean six sigma, teamwork, and change management.
ScoreOperations Development ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.8

Avg. Salary $106,349

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.41%

Black or African American 6.23%

Hispanic or Latino 15.36%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.18%

Gender

female 34.15%

male 65.85%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress level
9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Operations development manager career paths

Key steps to become an operations development manager

  1. Explore operations development manager education requirements

    Most common operations development manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.3 %

    Master's

    15.9 %

    Associate

    6.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific operations development manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Continuous Improvement13.80%
    Database9.41%
    Project Management8.57%
    Java7.09%
    Cloud Computing5.96%
  3. Complete relevant operations development manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New operations development managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an operations development manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real operations development manager resumes.
  4. Research operations development manager duties and responsibilities

    • Lead development efforts with aggressive time-lines on many web-base java projects in a dynamic environment concluding in successful on-time deliveries.
    • Monitor budgets and payroll records; review financial transactions to ensure food and expenditures are within budget.
    • Provide leadership in the area of personnel, payroll, labor relations, training, and affirmative action.
    • Establish import and export procedures and systems base on FDA and other regulatory compliance including certificate to foreign governments.
  5. Apply for operations development manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an operations development manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first operations development manager job

Zippi

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Average operations development manager salary

The average operations development manager salary in the United States is $106,349 per year or $51 per hour. Operations development manager salaries range between $73,000 and $152,000 per year.

Average operations development manager salary
$106,349 Yearly
$51.13 hourly

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How do operations development managers rate their job?

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Operations development manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

Project concept, execution - meeting business and Customer expectations.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

I love being able to mold my team and the distribution center to the culture of respect and accountability! Having senior and executive leadership support is a huge positive factor in making this happen!!

Cons

Long hours and calls outside of regular business hours are the norm!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

People Busy Money Busy and variety in a job Solving problems


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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