What does an operations specialist do?
An operations specialist is responsible for optimizing the business' daily operations, ensuring smooth process flow to provide the best services to clients. Operations specialists' duties include analyzing business procedures, identifying opportunities for business improvement, tracking the department's metrics and activities, providing assistance to colleagues, suggesting strategies for operations efficiency, and managing customer's inquiries and complaints. An operations specialist must be an excellent team player and detail-oriented, as well as proven time-management and decision-making skills to meet clients' needs and support the business' objectives.
Operations specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real operations specialist resumes:
- Develop and implement VBA scripts to automate tasks in financial reporting.
- Manage all international A/R functions, reporting, sales, expense analysis and marketing campaigns as well as all royalties.
- Manage and process 100 FDA electronic and paper submissions including safety reports, new investigator reports, amendments, and protocols.
- Demonstrate ability to manage and organize clinical setting for patients and families.
- Personalize and manage a customer SQL network database to consolidate all incoming orders from different marketplaces.
- Manage a variety of operational tasks for moderately complex securities transactions that require knowledge of vary systems and processes.
- Build and grow relationships with customers by reaching out to them on social-networks (twitter, Facebook, YouTube).
- Coordinate processing of EDI and other order entry tasks assuring data integrity and accuracy.
- Generate sales quotes, booking packages and invoices using client-specific database/financial and internal CRM systems.
- Perform portfolio analyses, process daily securities pricing procedures, issue internal performance reports, and fix discrepancies affecting performance.
- Assist in hands-on pet care and kennel operations.
- Comply with all safety policies, Hipaa regulations.
- Support administrators in retrieval of online reports from SEI EBR.
- Fix security compliance issues & SNMP settings on SAN products.
- Migrate data from old CX3 to CX4-480 using SAN copy.
Operations specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 21% of Operations Specialists are proficient in Customer Service, Logistics, and Basic Math. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Listening skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Operations Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 21%
Developed operational process improvements based on customer service requirements
- Logistics, 4%
Provided logistics support plans for testing workshops to include procurement of essential equipment, inspection of training areas and reservations management.
- Basic Math, 4%
Use basic math skills and follow verbal instructions.
- PowerPoint, 4%
Developed six-month study to analyze corporate culture and delivered conclusion in a PowerPoint presentation for senior management.
- Customer Satisfaction, 4%
Provided one-on-one training for new associates, incorporating best practices, increasing customer satisfaction, and reducing organizational financial loss.
- Operational Procedures, 4%
Coach associates to be efficient/in compliance with policies/procedures in customer service, operational procedures, transactions accuracy and customer engagement.
Common skills that an operations specialist uses to do their job include "customer service," "logistics," and "basic math." You can find details on the most important operations specialist responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an operations specialist to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "computer support specialists must be patient and sympathetic." Operations specialists often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "collaborated with branch management to assure quality customer service was being upheld. "
Listening skills. Many operations specialist duties rely on listening skills. "support workers must be able to understand the problems that their customers are describing and know when to ask questions to clarify the situation.," so an operations specialist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways operations specialist responsibilities rely on listening skills: "communicated to entire district any changes regarding to payroll, hr, policies and best practices. "
Problem-solving skills. operations specialists are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to operations specialist responsibilities, because "support workers must identify both simple and complex computer problems, analyze them, and solve them." An operations specialist resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "work directly with product development, customer support, vendors and end user to bring rapid resolution to production issues. "
Speaking skills. A big part of what operations specialists do relies on "speaking skills." You can see how essential it is to operations specialist responsibilities because "support workers must describe the solutions to computer problems in a way that a nontechnical person can understand." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical operations specialist tasks: "entered wire transfers presented to treasury and meet all control requirements. "
Writing skills. Another crucial skill for an operations specialist to carry out their responsibilities is "writing skills." A big part of what operations specialists relies on this skill, since "strong writing skills are useful for preparing instructions and email responses for employees and customers, as well as for real-time web chat interactions." How this skill relates to operations specialist duties can be seen in an example from an operations specialist resume snippet: "prepare applications for data entry, determine specific requirements for underwriting. "
The three companies that hire the most operations specialists are:
- Petco Holdings, Inc.680 operations specialists jobs
- H&R Block428 operations specialists jobs
- CDM Smith305 operations specialists jobs
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Compare different operations specialists
Operations specialist vs. Operations internship
Operations interns learn the management techniques on how to lead and supervise others. Interns usually gain experience by being an unpaid employee in the operational department. They should possess skills like attention to detail, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and strong phone presence. The operations internship objectives include career path exploration, work experience, skills development and refinement, and confidence buildup. The majority of the activities interns are absorbed by the company where they serve an internship.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, operations specialist responsibilities require skills like "logistics," "basic math," "powerpoint," and "customer satisfaction." Meanwhile a typical operations internship has skills in areas such as "operations intern," "patients," "project management," and "administrative tasks." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Operations interns earn the highest salaries when working in the government industry, with an average yearly salary of $40,232. On the other hand, operations specialists are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $65,446.The education levels that operations interns earn slightly differ from operations specialists. In particular, operations interns are 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an operations specialist. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Operations specialist vs. Fulfillment specialist
In a warehouse setting, a fulfillment specialist is in charge of preparing and processing orders in a timely and efficient manner. Their responsibilities include receiving orders and invoices, understanding the needs of clients, participating in loading and unloading deliveries, locating and obtaining orders from particular areas, monitoring the inventory of products, and devising strategies to optimize order fulfillment procedures. Furthermore, as a fulfillment specialist, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with warehouse staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that operations specialist responsibilities requires skills like "logistics," "basic math," "customer satisfaction," and "operational procedures." But a fulfillment specialist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "pet," "pallets," "industrial trucks," and "warehouse environment."
On average, fulfillment specialists earn a lower salary than operations specialists. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, fulfillment specialists earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $48,690. Whereas operations specialists have higher pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $65,446.fulfillment specialists earn similar levels of education than operations specialists in general. They're 2.5% 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 specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Katie Pittman Ph.D.
Division Director, Associate Professor, Southern Oregon University
AI also holds great promise in automating repetitive tasks. This is an area where MIS graduates are a good fit, given their understanding of workflow and business processes combined with programming and software skills. As automation tools supporting "white collar" tasks become more mainstream, we will need those with both business understanding and technical competencies to help lead the way.
Finally, the ability to generate insights from large data sets using data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, MS PowerBI) continues to be a growth area and opportunity for MIS graduates.
Operations specialist vs. Operations representative
As the name entails, an operations representative is responsible for assisting the operations managers. You will typically perform various tasks, including creating a customer database regularly, handling inquiries and office correspondence, and helping the operations managers in managing financial inquiries from clients. As an operations representative, you are responsible for attending meetings, assisting in strategic planning and implementation, and coordinating with other departments such as HR, marketing, and sales. You are also expected to identify areas of improvement and implement corrective measures.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an operations specialist is likely to be skilled in "customer service," "logistics," "basic math," and "customer satisfaction," while a typical operations representative is skilled in "patients," "moderate supervision," "financial controls," and "processing transactions."
Operations representatives earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $38,148. Comparatively, operations specialists have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $65,446.When it comes to education, operations representatives tend to earn similar degree levels compared to operations specialists. In fact, they're 2.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Operations specialist vs. Client service specialist
A client service specialist is an individual who fulfills tasks that are related to delivering a product or service to clients. Client service specialists are required to assist project managers in establishing parameters and requirements of a project or work with a particular client. They help in the development of training manuals and materials that are needed by the client to use the newly developed product. Client service specialists must also set up and create archives for client records.
Types of operations specialist
Updated January 8, 2025
