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What does an operations program manager do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Eric Olsen
What does an operations program manager do

The role of operations program managers is to help improve organizational efficiency, particularly in the areas of administrative, financial, and programmatic operations. Their key duties and responsibilities include overseeing the collection, analysis, and reporting of data, overseeing and leading teams to achieve business goals, and managing the development and execution of operational procedures. In addition, they are responsible for developing and monitoring dashboards to measure business health and assisting with planning, reporting, and budgeting.

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Operations program manager responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real operations program manager resumes:

  • Lead company ERP software implementation to automate all the processes.
  • Manage financial reporting, budgeting and ROI analysis.
  • Manage the platform NPI program for the video and analytic products, connecting to the cloud.
  • Achieve reduction of 4 headcounts while expanding scope of service to multiple management groups within the Americas and EMEA.
  • Manage and coach team to meet support and deployment KPIs as well as to grow in their roles and careers.
  • Lead the strategic assessment, contract negotiations, preparation and implementation of new web-host financial management and SAAS payroll systems.
  • Design and launch an end-to-end architecture and migration plan for credit risk management for derivatives through a new credit infrastructure implementation.
  • Focus on product architecture, UX, competency, training functional workflow setup-process redesign.
  • Facilitate all aspects of CAPEX justification (ROI), specification and procurement through to implementation.
  • Facilitate technical review and design meetings with lead architecture design teams, operational support resources, and vendors.
  • Manage domestic call centers across locations, ensuring service levels are met and key performance indicators (KPIs) are followed.
  • Facilitate scrum meetings including daily stand-up meetings.
  • Maintain Salesforce and proprietary system records to ensure proper billing and reporting.
  • Manage implementation of Salesforce platform to increase sales forecasting and reporting capabilities in company.
  • Provide oversight and leadership for quarterly and annual reporting of quality improvement activities and projects.

Operations program manager skills and personality traits

We calculated that 12% of Operations Program Managers are proficient in Project Management, Program Management, and Continuous Improvement. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Management skills.

We break down the percentage of Operations Program Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Project Management, 12%

    Improved Project Management of new product commercialization by implementing date-driven phases and gates process with milestones and accountability.

  • Program Management, 10%

    Developed and implemented a program management system to document project status, drive accountability, and communicate issues to corporate stakeholders.

  • Continuous Improvement, 5%

    Perform process analysis and evaluate logistics operations to define opportunities for continuous improvement and cost savings using Lean Six Sigma principles.

  • Customer Service, 4%

    Ensured high quality customer service, customer interaction and conflict resolution at all levels via excellent communication and written skills.

  • Process Improvement, 4%

    Developed communication plan, key performance indicators, business process improvement initiatives, scaling of business, staffing and productivity models.

  • Infrastructure, 4%

    Translated the strategies of the Enterprise VP into tactical implementations by managing infrastructure and process development from initiative conception through implementation.

Most operations program managers use their skills in "project management," "program management," and "continuous improvement" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential operations program manager responsibilities here:

Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for an operations program manager to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Additionally, an operations program manager resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "managed 24/7 customer support communications systems with the us postal service. "

Leadership skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling operations program manager duties is leadership skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." According to an operations program manager resume, here's how operations program managers can utilize leadership skills in their job responsibilities: "present earned value management metrics, projections, and risks to program managers and government leadership stakeholders. "

Problem-solving skills. operations program manager responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This resume example shows what operations program managers do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "monitored project progress for intervention and problem solving for program management and developed resolutions to meet productivity and quality. "

Time-management skills. Another common skill required for operations program manager responsibilities is "time-management skills." This skill comes up in the duties of operations program managers all the time, as "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." An excerpt from a real operations program manager resume shows how this skill is central to what an operations program manager does: "recognized with company awards for outstanding program management skills and successful implementation on time and within budget. "

See the full list of operations program manager skills

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Compare different operations program managers

Operations program manager vs. General manager of operations

General managers of operations are employed to oversee the overall operations of businesses. Their responsibilities include the improvement of the efficiency of the operations and overall management. They coordinate the primary performance goals for direct reporting functions and set the strategies for the organization. It is their responsibility to communicate strategy as well as results to employees. They also engage with the corporate officers in the strategic planning and development of the organization or enterprise.

We looked at the average operations program manager salary and compared it with the wages of a general manager of operations. Generally speaking, general managers of operations are paid $21,856 lower than operations program managers per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both operations program manager and general manager of operations positions are skilled in continuous improvement, customer service, and process improvement.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an operations program manager are more likely to require skills like "project management," "program management," "infrastructure," and "excellent interpersonal." On the other hand, a job as a general manager of operations requires skills like "develop team," "financial statements," "payroll," and "personnel processes." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

General managers of operations tend to reach lower levels of education than operations program managers. In fact, general managers of operations are 7.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Operations program manager vs. Manager, center operations

The duties of a manager of center operations depend on one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing business operations, setting targets, assessing the workforce's performance, and performing corrective measures on any issues or concerns. Moreover, there are also instances where they have to produce progress reports, devise strategies for optimal business performance, delegate tasks, and even manage the budget. As a manager, it is crucial to lead and encourage the team to reach goals and sales targets while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Manager, center operations positions earn lower pay than operations program manager roles. They earn a $50,319 lower salary than operations program managers per year.A few skills overlap for operations program managers and managers, center operations. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "project management," "continuous improvement," and "process improvement. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that operations program manager responsibilities requires skills like "program management," "customer service," "logistics," and "excellent interpersonal." But a manager, center operations might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "osha," "standard operating procedure," "quality standards," and "patients."

Managers, center operations may earn a lower salary than operations program managers, but managers, center operations earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $68,400. On the other hand, operations program managers receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $109,929.managers, center operations earn lower levels of education than operations program managers in general. They're 6.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for operations program managers in the next 3-5 years?

Eric OlsenEric Olsen LinkedIn profile

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

We are doubling down on what we call "digital fabrication." Most manufacturing technologies we deal with now have a growing digital component that our students need to understand and be competent in. Of course, that means current hot exotics like additive manufacturing, but our students need to look at any process and realize there is probably a digitally enhanced path forward.

Operations program manager vs. Group manager

Group Managers are employees who oversee a specific department, team, or any group in the company. They are usually tenured employees or industry experts. Group Managers oversee their team's performance and professional growth. They set clear, strategic goals for the team and create plans to reach these goals. They monitor the achievement of such goals and guide their team along the way. They also manage the team professionally. The coach team members train the employees if there are updates or new strategies and ensure that they remain engaged. They motivate their team to perform well and strive hard to reach group goals.

An average group manager eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of operations program managers. The difference in salaries amounts to group managers earning a $6,946 higher average salary than operations program managers.operations program managers and group managers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "project management," "program management," and "continuous improvement," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, operations program managers are more likely to have skills like "infrastructure," "excellent interpersonal," "oversight," and "ops." But a group manager is more likely to have skills like "client relationships," "performance management," "quality standards," and "financial analysis."

Group managers make a very good living in the finance industry with an average annual salary of $135,074. On the other hand, operations program managers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $109,929.Most group managers achieve a similar degree level compared to operations program managers. For example, they're 3.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Operations program manager vs. Performance manager

As the name entails, performance managers are responsible for maintaining and improving employee performance based on organizational objectives. Their job may vary depending on the industry they work in, but common duties include collecting and analyzing performance data, developing effective systems for information collection, and performing statistical performance analysis. Additional duties of a performance manager may include organizing and conducting training and development on best practices and resolving workplace barriers to performance.

Performance managers tend to earn a lower pay than operations program managers by an average of $7,857 per year.While both operations program managers and performance managers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like project management, continuous improvement, and customer service, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between operations program managers and performance managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an operations program manager might have more use for skills like "program management," "infrastructure," "logistics," and "oversight." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of performance managers require skills like "performance management," "performance improvement," "sql," and "sales process. "

The professional industry tends to pay the highest salaries for performance managers, with average annual pay of $110,053. Comparatively, the highest operations program manager annual salary comes from the technology industry.The average resume of performance managers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to operations program managers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.6%.

Types of operations program manager

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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