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Operations officer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Karen Kus,

Nina Woodard

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical operations officer skills. We ranked the top skills for operations officers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 30.1% of operations officer resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an operations officer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 operations officer skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how operations officers use customer service:

Designed and implemented new policies and procedures for retail bank with a focus on ensuring customer service while maintaining financial responsibility.
Planned and executed activities to improve department morale including but not limited to National Customer Service Week with fellow management team.

2. Security Operations

Here's how operations officers use security operations:

Developed intelligence sources and all-source collection requirements to obtain relevant feeds on emerging threats Security Operations and Incident Handling.
Managed security operations across 10 installations throughout 5 states, directly supervising 135 military and civilian personnel.

3. Logistical Support

Here's how operations officers use logistical support:

Provided continuous logistical support of 3,650 personnel and over 680 support vehicles in the organization consisting of five widely dispersed organizations.
Commissioned officer directing Foreign Military Sales aircraft simulation program including training, operational & logistical support, and reorganization.

4. Risk Management

Risk management is the method of recognizing, evaluating, and managing risks to an organization's resources and profits. Financial insecurity, regulatory liability, strategic management mistakes, incidents, and natural hazards are just some of the challenges or dangers that could arise. For digitalized businesses, IT security vulnerabilities and data-related threats, as well as risk management techniques to mitigate them, have become top priorities.

Here's how operations officers use risk management:

Implemented automated risk management reporting systems tracking market and volatility risk on a real-time basis of 10,000 customer market positions.
Assumed responsibility to conceptualize and direct projects, conduct risk management/mitigation, execute, and report progress against project.

5. CI

A continuous improvement (CI) manager acts as an internal consultant, working to develop short and long-term strategies for the improvement of the organization. The job of a CI is to facilitate progress and reduce costs, both in terms of sales and workflow inefficiencies.

Here's how operations officers use ci:

Conducted liaison with international and US National organizations, military and civilian Counterintelligence (CI) and security services.
Conducted All-Source analysis supporting CI and HUMINT validation and operational planning.

6. PowerPoint

Here's how operations officers use powerpoint:

Created and implemented new marketing strategies for company using Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Word.
Trained employee staffing on company policies and procedures utilizing PowerPoint presentations.

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7. Combat

Combat is a violent conflict between two parties. Combat can be held by using weapons or unarmed. The fighting between the armed forces of different countries can also be called combat and the main purpose of the combat is to eliminate and stop your opponent from achieving their goal.

Here's how operations officers use combat:

Developed an accountability format that allowed for the processing and analysis of over 10,000 significant enemy events while in combat operations.
Developed CBRN defense and force protection policies and operational plans in the theater of responsibility that were implemented during combat operations.

8. Emergency Operations

Here's how operations officers use emergency operations:

Coordinated various functions with Host Nation Personnel Coordinated, supervised and implemented Emergency Operations Center for the theater.
Envisioned, developed, and implemented emergency operations center that tested and refined procedures for global contingencies.

9. Human Resources

Human resources is a set of people in a business or a corporation that are designated to locate, interview, and recruit new employees into the company. They are also responsible to maintain the integrity of the employees and help them sort their problems out. They try to introduce and manage employee-benefit programs.

Here's how operations officers use human resources:

Received the Defense Meritorious Achievement Medal for exceptional decision making, leadership, managing human resources and operational analysis.
Collaborated with Human Resources in interviewing, hiring, enforcing disciplinary procedures and awarding recognition.

10. Law Enforcement

Law enforcement is the task of certain members of the community who work together to uphold the law by identifying, preventing, rehabilitating, or prosecuting others who break society's laws and norms. The phrase refers to the police, the judiciary, and the correctional system.

Here's how operations officers use law enforcement:

Developed new revenue stream through innovative asset sharing agreement with supported law enforcement organizations producing 25% increase in available funds.
Performed law enforcement duties overseeing military police preparations, performance and tasks as they conducted law enforcement functions for the installation.

11. DOD

Definition of Done (DoD) is a set of deliverables that are needed to devise software. These deliverables are valuable to the system and can be exemplified by writing code, coding comments, unit testing, integration testing, design documents, release notes, and so on.

Here's how operations officers use dod:

Authored and edited highly technical signature reduction plans and annexes providing direct operational/administrative support to forward deployed DoD units and personnel.
Authored base level medical plans for the DoD prototype passively hardened, chemically protected level 3 medical fixed medical facility.

12. Training Programs

Here's how operations officers use training programs:

Consulted with professional development department and outside service providers to develop and implement custom project management training programs for firm attorneys.
Created training programs for an organization of over 4500 personnel, resulting in certifications for operation of detection and decontamination equipment.

13. HUMINT

Here's how operations officers use humint:

Cultivated relationships with the HUMINT Analysis and Requirements Cell to ensure accurate and timely reporting on topics of interest to J2.
Deployed to Somalia, RESTORE HOPE, to provide HUMINT collection management support in theater to J2 and J3, USCENTCOM.

14. Operational Support

Here's how operations officers use operational support:

Provided intelligence and operational support to U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization conventional and strategic inspection / escort teams.
Provided operational support with new hires, granting system access and Staff Management, report preparation, and procedure implementation

15. Situational Awareness

Situational awareness is one's perception of environmental aspects and events regarding space or time, the understanding of their meaning, and the prediction of their future status.

Here's how operations officers use situational awareness:

Bridged gap between US/Coalition missions and INP significantly improving relationships, communication, situational awareness and information sharing within critical region.
Developed and maintained G3 SharePoint Portal, resulting in enhanced information management and improved situational awareness throughout the Division.

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What skills help Operations Officers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on operations officer resumes?

Karen Kus

Assistant Director of Career Services, SUNY Potsdam

Employers hiring candidates with a history degree are seeking transferable skills that can be applied in various roles and settings. These skills include writing, communication, research, organization, computer-based skills, and problem-solving. The best thing a candidate can do to increase marketability is to elaborate on how they obtained or utilized those skills, rather than simply listing them. Employers need to have an understanding of how you made use of your skill and what results came from your actions. Make these skills shine on your resume by giving them substance.

What operations officer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Nina Woodard

Senior Career Development Specialist, Belmont University

For entertainment, digital marketing and content creation skills are critical. Even if a role isn't specifically connected to digital marketing, social media is almost always involved in most entry-level roles. We strongly encourage students and recent graduates to learn basic graphic design platforms, video editing and audio editing. Learning how to maximize impact on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram or TikTok is also a worthy investment of time. There's a wide range of self-paced training resources online, many available for free or at reduced costs for students.

What type of skills will young operations officers need?

Craig Nathanson Ph.D.

Adjunct Lecturer, Sonoma State University

I see the essential human skills gaining importance to build a new post-covid work life. These include creativity, leading and working in teams, writing, speaking, being self-aware, and lowering bias and networking; career branding as critical areas for graduates to focus on now.

What technical skills for an operations officer stand out to employers?

Dr. Mary Kern Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College - City University of New York

- Clearly, the ability to use different forms of communication technology has become key, and as these forms evolve rapidly, employers are look for an ability to adapt, adopt, and teach them to their colleagues.

- Evidence-based management and decision-making are playing a much larger role in organizations, and thus the ability to work with quantitative data to understand situations and to help make decisions is crucial.

What soft skills should all operations officers possess?

Steven Bauer

Visiting Professor of Marketing, Pepperdine University, Seaver College

The new hybrid world will make leading teams more challenging. This reality will put a premium on interpersonal skills. When the NASA astronaut, Richard Arnold, spoke at Pepperdine in 2019, he mentioned that team building was the single most important ability undergraduates could develop to become a good astronaut. The same holds for graduates wanting to go into business, particularly in the post coronavirus era. As part of their skills in this area, graduates will also need to be able and committed to addressing issues in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Do you want to know more?

List of operations officer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an operations officer resume and required skills for an operations officer to have include:

Customer Service
Security Operations
Logistical Support
Risk Management
CI
PowerPoint
Combat
Emergency Operations
Human Resources
Law Enforcement
DOD
Training Programs
HUMINT
Operational Support
Situational Awareness
SharePoint

US Army
Government Agencies
Training Events
Federal Agencies
Physical Security
Professional Development
Direct Support
Military Operations
ACH
Logistics Operations
Direct Reports
Tactical Operations
ATM
Training Exercises
Operational Readiness
Flight Operations

Operational Planning
Contingency Operations
Bank Secrecy Act
Commercial Banking
Operations Orders
Reconnaissance
Level Planning
ROTC
Coast Guard
Conus
Redeployment
Equities
Anti-Terrorism
Mission Planning

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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