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Job outlook for operations project managers in the United States
Operations project manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected operations project manager job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 189,200 new jobs for operations project managers are projected over the next decade.
Operations project manager salaries have increased 4% for operations project managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 428,347 operations project managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 210,582 active operations project manager job openings in the US.
The average operations project manager salary is $90,352.
Are operations project manager jobs in demand?
Operations project manager job and salary trends over time
Operations project manager jobs over time
Operations project manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 428,347 | 0.13% |
| 2020 | 701,057 | 0.21% |
| 2019 | 623,642 | 0.19% |
| 2018 | 356,378 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | 339,167 | 0.10% |
Average operations project manager salary over time
Operations project manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $90,352 | $43.44 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $87,850 | $42.24 | --0.1% |
| 2023 | $87,981 | $42.30 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $87,527 | $42.08 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $86,569 | $41.62 | +1.6% |
Operations project manager jobs by state
Most common states for operations project managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 695 | 100% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 328 | 43% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 267 | 43% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 421 | 40% |
| 5 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,869 | 39% |
| 6 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 207 | 36% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,899 | 34% |
| 8 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 349 | 33% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,276 | 31% |
| 10 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 587 | 31% |
| 11 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 3,057 | 30% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,961 | 29% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 3,568 | 28% |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,604 | 28% |
| 15 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 884 | 28% |
| 16 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 476 | 28% |
| 17 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 836 | 27% |
| 18 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 358 | 27% |
| 19 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 235 | 27% |
| 20 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,183 | 26% |
Most common cities for operations project managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Londonderry | 2 | 8% | $72,149 |
| 2 | Menlo Park | 2 | 6% | $108,868 |
| 3 | Roseville | 2 | 6% | $74,036 |
| 4 | Carlsbad | 2 | 2% | $96,929 |
| 5 | Tampa | 4 | 1% | $74,683 |
| 6 | Atlanta | 3 | 1% | $82,131 |
| 7 | Alexandria | 2 | 1% | $100,527 |
| 8 | Chandler | 2 | 1% | $86,338 |
| 9 | Irvine | 2 | 1% | $97,467 |
| 10 | Salt Lake City | 2 | 1% | $67,714 |
| 11 | Los Angeles | 9 | 0% | $98,272 |
| 12 | Chicago | 7 | 0% | $83,703 |
| 13 | New York | 6 | 0% | $99,772 |
| 14 | Jacksonville | 4 | 0% | $72,705 |
| 15 | Phoenix | 4 | 0% | $86,386 |
| 16 | Denver | 3 | 0% | $88,006 |
| 17 | Baltimore | 2 | 0% | $83,105 |
| 18 | Charlotte | 2 | 0% | $91,109 |
| 19 | San Diego | 2 | 0% | $96,658 |
Operations Project Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of operations project manager experts
Susquehanna University
Murray State University
Ohio State University
Heidelberg University
University of Iowa
University Of Puget Sound
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Montgomery College
Oklahoma Baptist University
University of Tennessee
Swarthmore College
Auburn University at Montgomery
The Touro College
Western Carolina University
Auburn University at Montgomery
Maryville University
Davenport University
Azusa Pacific University
Creighton University
Pepperdine University, Seaver College
Lauren Smith
Lecturer of Management & MarketingSusquehanna University
Business Administration, Management And Operations
What general advice would you give to an Operations Project Manager?
Lauren Smith: Lauren Smith advises graduates to actively engage in a dual pursuit of entrepreneurship and traditional corporate roles, emphasizing the importance of gaining diverse experiences.
What Operations Project Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lauren Smith: Lauren Smith suggests that maximizing salary potential at the start of a career can be achieved by acquiring experience in different facets of business, such as entrepreneurship, corporate roles, and operational management.
What will help Operations Project Managers increase their earning potential?
Lauren Smith: Lauren Smith highlights the significance of skills in organizational management, operations, training development, and marketing, providing a well-rounded perspective on corporate dynamics.
Dr. Ben Littlepage
ProfessorMurray State University
Educational Administration And Supervision
What general advice would you give to an Operations Project Manager?
Dr. Ben Littlepage: I believe skills associated with organizational systems (e.g. procedures, processes) and hybridized management are essential for the field. Organizations (e.g. schools, institutions) will continue to be lean for a variety of reasons. The ability to achieve results by refining systems and maximizing resources cannot be understated. Hybrid work schedules and communication are not leaving education. Leaders that embrace hybridized technologies for assessment, employee satisfaction and development, and content delivery will remain competitive in the face of a private market looking to capitalize on laggard leaders.
What Operations Project Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Ben Littlepage: I recommend new graduates pursue opportunities that offer a tangible skill or experience. Be the 'yes' person in the office, even if there is not a monetary reward. You will eventually leverage those opportunities for a gain.
What will help Operations Project Managers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Ben Littlepage: Salary is maximized when leaders are sought after. Leaders who pursue meaningful experiences and remain 'market ready' are viewed as an asset to any organization. Leaders must carefully consider where the field is moving and respond.
Dr. Laura Deeter PhD
Professor of Practice: Horticulture and Crop ScienceOhio State University
Applied Horticulture And Horticultural Business Services
What general advice would you give to an Operations Project Manager?
Dr. Laura Deeter PhD: Be open to learning and trying something outside of your comfort zone.
Be willing to work hard and don't expect to be project manager right out of school. Hard work will get you there fast enough.
What Operations Project Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Laura Deeter PhD: There are more than enough positions out there to find one with a good starting salary. Apply for as many as you can.
Be willing to relocate to another city or state.
What will help Operations Project Managers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Laura Deeter PhD: There are more than enough positions out there to find one with a good starting salary. Apply for as many as you can.
Be willing to relocate to another city or state.
Dr. Trish Berg
Associate Professor of Management, Heidelberg University, Tiffin, OhioHeidelberg University
Business Administration, Management And Operations
What general advice would you give to an Operations Project Manager?
Dr. Trish Berg: Being a project manager involves constant change, learning, and interaction with diverse teams in various departments of an organization. The best parts of being a project manager include working with diverse people, building relationships, creating something new with each new project, empowering and motivating teams, gaining global knowledge, collaboration, impacting organizational culture, and delivering value with completed projects. Some of the difficult parts of working as a project manager include sometimes having accountability without the needed authority to be successful, not having diverse enough skills and having to use estimation and guesswork at times and relying on others for their knowledge. Project managers deal with a lot of uncertainty and must be resilient in how they react to each bump in the road.
What Operations Project Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Trish Berg: Daily, project managers create plans, create work schedules, build, and motivate teams, assign, and track work from start to finish, set project setting scopes and budgets, create workflow plans, and define what key performance indicators (KPIs) are which is how they can measure project success. Project managers must be both people focused, and task focused. Successful project managers understand what Sinek calls the power of the why in order to successfully motivate teams towards success.
What will help Operations Project Managers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Trish Berg: One career field that is in high demand and growing is project management. With the complexity and flexibility needed in today's fast-paced culture, many organizations in diverse industries rely on project managers to complete jobs and organize teams to meet the needs of customers.
Daily, project managers create plans, create work schedules, build, and motivate teams, assign, and track work from start to finish, set project setting scopes and budgets, create workflow plans, and define what key performance indicators (KPIs) are which is how they can measure project success.
Project managers must be both people focused, and task focused. Successful project managers understand what Sinek calls the power of the why in order to successfully motivate teams towards success.
What skills stand out on Operations Project Manager resumes?
Casey DeRoo Ph.D.: Rather than a concrete skill, previous experience in managing teams to accomplish engineering-related tasks is sure to make you a standout. Showcasing familiarity with work management software (e.g., Jira) or budget/total effort tracking systems is important. Find out what software the company you're seeking employment with uses, and be sure to highlight this if you're familiar with it.
Andreas Udbye Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity Of Puget Sound
School of Business and Leadership
What soft skills should all Operations Project Managers possess?
Andreas Udbye Ph.D.: Collaboration and teamwork skills are crucial, as well as the ability to focus and meet deadlines. Although it is nice to mention that you are a good multi-tasker, most people are these days, and employers seem to like people who can stay the course and complete tasks on time and with high quality. Tenacity and accuracy are other attractive attributes.
Dr. Longzhu Dong Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Management + Marketing Department
What soft skills should all Operations Project Managers possess?
Dr. Longzhu Dong Ph.D.: The world of international business has changed a great deal in the past few years. Due to increased globalization, massive technological advances in online coordination, and the Covid pandemic, the need to develop project managers who can lead fully functioning global virtual teams (GVTs) has never been greater. Indeed, studies show that virtual teams are becoming the norm, and more and more multinational companies rely on GVTs to deal with their day-to-day challenges.
However, leading and working in GVTs poses unique challenges that traditional leadership approaches do not seem suited to tackling well. Such challenges include cross-cultural misunderstandings, lack of trust and spontaneity, poor communication, hard to focus and hold teammates accountable, all of which may result in low productivity. Therefore, to thrive in the international business world today, a manager may need an entirely different set of skills.
Perhaps the most important soft skill is cultural intelligence (CQ). CQ refers to the ability to relate and work effectively across different cultures, triggering a train reaction in GVTs. It first requires people to have an open mindset, which helps them realize that cultural differences are just differences and that every culture has its own way of defining "right" and "wrong." Just as the famous Confucius teaching goes, "all people are the same; only their habits differ." Indeed, when differences are seen as something neutral, the negative consequences of cultural bias can be minimized. CQ can also improve GVT communication effectiveness by better understanding visual and auditory cues such as body language and facial expressions so that GVT members will not form false impressions based on stereotypes. When everyone on your team is ready for open dialogue, GVTs can easily clarify shared team goals and guidelines, set clear expectations of each role, and foster trust along the way.
If CQ is the most important soft skill, then being tech-savvy would be the most important hard skill. Technological advances in online coordination/communication make global virtual teams possible and function well. As of right now, there are a lot of great online tools (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) that integrate all key types of communication: conference call, breakout rooms, text messaging, file sharing, and online collaboration. However, simply being able to use various virtual meeting tools well is not enough because there's no one-size-fits-all tool for every team all the time. Being tech-savvy asks managers to steer the digital transformation in their teams promptly. It requires managers to constantly evaluate the emerging new technologies and make sure their choice of the tools "fits" their teams' needs over time, which may include members' network conditions, tool preferences, work style, tech skill levels, and the nature of the task/project.
Working in a global virtual team isn't necessarily only about challenges and lower productivity. It can become a valuable advantage and even build a 24/7 work cycle in teams, with proper training on CQ and technological skills.
R. Scott Hengen
Technical Theatre Faculty/Production CoordinatorMontgomery College
Department of Performing Arts
What general advice would you give to an Operations Project Manager?
R. Scott Hengen: Your studies and time in school are a good base and support for your production in the industry. As you begin, please consider that you will still be learning and, even though you have learned the essentials, you will be asked to apply your skills and experience in new ways and in a more competitive and practical atmosphere. Deadlines must be met, and the economy of time and effort will be crucial. Work hard, but try to keep a balance between time in the industry and your home life.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Operations Project Managers in the next 3-5 years?
R. Scott Hengen: Our technology will be advancing into a more wireless and digital environment. Components and accessories will be smaller, lighter, less hard-wired, and more remotely accessed, portable, and digital.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations Project Managers?
R. Scott Hengen: Yes. The virus has prompted the industry to look at the production process. How the process and performances can economize, and the performative aspects can be translated into a remotely viewed but still lively environment. While creative personnel may not meet in person, they could even collaborate, albeit remotely. While the production can always be artistic, the experience will be streamlined. This translates into an economization in staffing needs and production scale and an update to needs in technology and content.
Moreover, it has caused a reassessment of the performative aspects and the need to find ways for the communal experience to be still present while bridging the confining boundaries of a digital screen. When in-person performances reconvene and at some point, the introspection of this time will echo into a transformed aesthetic, both in production and performance. The theatre-going experience may not be as grand, but it may further reach a broader audience.
This discussion also coincides with a more paramount and possibly more compelling argument of whose voices we will hear as this analysis of performative aspects commences. We are experiencing a forceful re-evaluation of leadership and themes of stories untold and sounds unheard, of behavior unrecognized and impacts undervalued. The next few years will show that the theatre industry will be forever transformed as a representation of the underserved and unheard will gain prominence to the effect of empowering the disenfranchised. Over the next decade, we may find a predominance of the modern perspective or economized re-examination of classic tales in a contemporary light rather than the pure enjoyment of retold classics.
Dr. Daryl Green
Associate Professor of BusinessOklahoma Baptist University
College of Business
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Operations Project Manager job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Daryl Green: I have been researching emerging employment trends for several years. While working for the Department of Energy as a senior engineer, I have served as a college recruiter. There were gaps in the students' skill sets compared to employers' needs. I later co-authored a book called Job Strategies for the 21st Century to provide students with the necessary tools for future employment. 2021 will be very difficult due to the pandemic. From my research, here are 2021 employment trends to consider:
-Global Market - We are connected! Since employers can tap into human resources across the world, students will compete against others across the globe.
-Students who understand this employment reality will be better prepared.
-AI and Automation - Artificial intelligence is disruptive technology. Companies can avoid the high expense of labor through automation. According to 2013 Oxford University study, nearly half of American jobs are at risk of being taken over by computers by 2033. Students need to understand AI technologies.
-New Work Model - 2020 brought in the explosion of working from home due to Covid-19. Employees already wanted to have more flexibility in life. They got it from employers. Companies responded by offering 70% of full-time workers the ability to work from home!
-Freelancing - Freelancing is part of the gig economy. It goes much further than Airbnb and Uber. In the gig economy, businesses hire independent contractors to perform individual jobs, called "gigs." The total freelancing income is almost $1 trillion. Therefore, students who have an entrepreneurial mindset will fare better.
-Digital & Ecommerce - Covid-19 ushered the digital economy. If companies did not have a digital platform in 2020 with the lockdowns, they did not exist. According to the Internet World Stats, there are currently 4,208,571, 287 internet users. Therefore, students cannot afford to miss this continuing trend of digital platforms.
Scott Gilpatric
Professor and Department HeadUniversity of Tennessee
Department of Economics, Haslam College of Business
What's a good job out of college for Operations Project Managers?
Scott Gilpatric: That really depends on the individual. The most important factor in a first job coming out of college might be the opportunity to learn about yourself, learn what you are good at, and find a good direction for furthering your own growth in skills and understanding what you want your career to be. Obviously compensation matters, but often the work environment will impact job satisfaction more than money. Finding a place where you look forward to working with your colleagues most days is incredibly valuable, and a lot of compensation is required to offset the unpleasantness if you dread going to work every morning.
What will help Operations Project Managers increase their earning potential?
Scott Gilpatric: The easy answer is being really proficient with handling data, including being comfortable with learning to code in whatever manner might be needed. There's no question those skills are likely to open doors. But in a very different way, one thing that really matters is being able to talk comfortably about ideas and developments in economics, business, or policy areas, signaling a strong base of knowledge. Towards that end, reading deeply, not just the headlines but long-form analysis in places like The Economist and other high-quality publications can be really beneficial.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations Project Managers?
Stephen O'Connell: Recessions are a tough time to enter the job market and we're in the worst recession since the Great Depression. It remains to be seen whether the labor market will bounce back strongly, but it certainly won't bounce back in time to ease the situation of the class of '21 very much. Be ready to be persistent and resilient in your job search.
On the positive side for public policy work, the Trump Administration and the pandemic have left us with immense challenges of resuming normal, evidence-based policymaking and managing recovery from the pandemic. So public policy analysis may be a more robust area of the job market.
What's a good job out of college for Operations Project Managers?
Stephen O'Connell: Work that uses your skills and builds new ones. There is a premium on your own flexibility over the couple of years, with a lot of job-market volatility due to uncertain structural impacts of the pandemic.
Brett Lehman Ph.D.
ProfessorAuburn University at Montgomery
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Operations Project Managers?
Brett Lehman Ph.D.: Sociology students with research and public speaking experience will have improved job prospects. This could be developed in many courses, though some core areas for us are Research Methods and Statistics. Most employers collect and analyze data of some kind. Then they have to organize the results properly and present the findings to a variety of audiences. Any course that require students to do their own projects, make difficult decisions, justify those decisions, and then explain the results give students a leg up in critical thinking skills and much more. Students might also have similar experiences through community service, independent/supervised research projects, or an internship.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Operations Project Managers?
Jodi Smolen: I think this depends on the industry. Finance students give themselves an advantage by taking the Securities Industry Essential (SIE) exam during college. The exam does not require employer sponsorship and it is good for 4 years. If students want to become a securities trader, investment banker, or financial advisor, the SIE exam is a necessary step before they take the Series 6 and 7 exams after graduation. It shows a prospective employer that the student is serious about a career in the financial services industry.
In addition, finance students should hone their advanced Excel skills. Whether they do this in college, or on their own time, knowing Pivot Tables and VLOOKUP will set them apart from other candidates.
Computer science students should know that Python is in strong demand. If they know the basics of this language, they will have more job opportunities in different industries. Similarly, many data science jobs require Python, SQL or R programming languages. Candidates who pick up programming languages easily can learn on the job, but it is always more desirable to walk into the job knowing the language they want to use.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations Project Managers?
Angela Sebby Ph.D.: While jobs may be slower to return to the capacity pre-Covid, the industry and tourism employment will rebound as people still want to travel and explore diverse foods, cultures, and experiences. However, the enduring impact will be the rapid onset of technology that allowed for limited contact with employees and others has become the new norm. Although human interaction is an important aspect of service in the tourism industry, employers have found that they can reduce the number of personal interactions but still deliver an acceptable level of quality service. What would have taken years to adopt, COVID created an amplified adoption.
What technical skills for an Operations Project Manager stand out to employers?
Angela Sebby Ph.D.: Business, creative, and organizational skills - I would recommend that upcoming graduates are proficient in Word, Excel (highly used), Powerpoint, Outlook (especially how to send meeting requests and calendar organization), TEAMS, Gantt charts for team management, Mindmapping for creativity, and design software. Additionally, I would recommend that they learn how to properly utilize social media for marketing and PR, not just personal posting. Finally, email etiquette would be essential.
What soft skills should all Operations Project Managers possess?
TeWhan Hahn Ph.D.: Writing skills including email writing, being able to work in teams, and knowing the workplace etiquettes.
Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.
Program Director & Assistant ProfessorMaryville University
Speech-Language Pathology
What's a day at work look like for an Operations Project Manager?
Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.: A bachelor's in communication sciences and disorders can prepare you for three different tracks. First, it can prepare you to become a licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA). This is someone who works under a fully credential speech-language pathologist. Often times, they carryout intervention plans developed by a fully credentialed speech-language pathologist. If graduate school is on your horizon, a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders will prepare you for acceptance into a Speech-Language Pathology program, or an Audiology program. If you are not accepted into a graduate program right away, working as a speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) is a great way to get experience in the field!
What soft skills should all Operations Project Managers possess?
Todd Terry: Graduates as they prepare to enter the workforce should pay particular attention to their ability to communicate with coworkers. This communication could happen through face-to-face interactions, remote meetings with the aid of technology for example, meeting by computer software, written communication through instant messaging, or emails. Also, part of communicating is being a good listener.
Graduates should have good critical thinking skills. They will need to be adaptive and able to analyze data to make good informed decisions.
In today's work environment, working on teams is a regular function. Therefore, employers are looking for the candidate who can professionally interact with other team members, have a positive attitude and a good work ethic.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Operations Project Manager job market given the pandemic?
Bala Musa Ph.D.: Remote working and telecommuting will continue to grow proportionately, as part of organizational operations. Self-managed teams, global collaborations and machine-learning will be among the biggest trends in organizations of the future.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Operations Project Managers?
Bala Musa Ph.D.: Digital literacy, cultural literacy, information technology, data management and human communication skills courses and certifications will continue to be relevant in the workplace.
What's a good job out of college for Operations Project Managers?
Bala Musa Ph.D.: A good job out of college is one that allows you to apply creative and critical thinking skills. Future work environments will require employees to innovate and adapt. Any job that helps you cultivate, sharpen and apply those skills will serve you and your organization well. It will prepare you to adapt in the face of change and future disruptions.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations Project Managers?
Ravi Nath Ph.D.: I believe, the pandemic will impact how work is performed and how remote work will become common for employees. The graduates will have to adapt to this new paradigm as they will have to learn how to network, coordinate, and acclimate to the culture of the organizations in this environment.
What soft skills should all Operations Project Managers possess?
Ravi Nath Ph.D.: Good communication skills, both written and oral, always serve well. Unless a graduate is able to effectively communicate and share their ideas and thoughts with others, their technical skills alone will not be sufficient in having a rewarding professional career.
The ability to successfully adapt to changing environments is also pivotal as the half-life of technology is quickly shrinking.
I will also add "resiliency' to this list of soft skills. Recovering from setbacks and quickly getting back on your feet has become a mantra particularly in the tech fields such as MIS and Data Science.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Operations Project Managers?
Ravi Nath Ph.D.: Clearly, having professional licenses/certificates distinguishes a graduate from others in searching and securing a position in the MIS and Analytics fields. Thus, I would highly recommend that students craft a professional portfolio of accomplishments, such as certificates, unique courses taken, class project details, and other extra curricula activities in order for them to stand out. Further, there is no substitute for internship experiences while in college as this proves to a prospective employer that the candidate demonstrates a proven record of real-world experience.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations Project Managers?
Steven Bauer: The coronavirus has accelerated the transformation to a digital world, and this effect will continue after the pandemic is behind us. Graduates will need to be able to navigate a hybrid business environment, with in-person and virtual meetings, interactions and platforms. There will also be increased opportunities to be entrepreneurial and innovative in the digital area. In addition, graduates will have to become more skilled at navigating a global environment since greater digitization will draw countries closer to each other.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Operations Project Managers?
Steven Bauer: Business Analytics is becoming increasingly important across all functions in order to be able to identify and capture value. Thus a certification in this area, e.g., in Python, is particularly impactful. As far as courses, students should make sure they gain an exposure to all aspects of the business world, e.g., marketing, management, finance, accounting, strategic planning, law, etc., in order to prepare them for the wide array of challenges they will face.
What soft skills should all Operations Project Managers possess?
Steven Bauer: 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.