How to hire an operations superintendent

How to hire an operations superintendent, step by step

Here's a step-by-step operations superintendent hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an operations superintendent job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new operations superintendent
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an operations superintendent do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The operations superintendent hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an operations superintendent to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an operations superintendent that fits the bill.

   This list presents operations superintendent salaries for various positions.

   Type of Operations Superintendent	Description	Hourly rate
   Operations Superintendent	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$34-72
   Director Of Business Operations	The position of a director of business operations involves the direction and coordination of an organization. It is the main responsibility of the directors of operations to oversee the profitability and overall growth of their organization... Show more	$32-87
   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... Show more	$18-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Safety Program
   • OSHA
   • Direct Supervision
   • Direct Reports
   • Safety Standards
   • Training Programs
   • EPA
   • Logistical Support
   • PSM
   • Product Quality
   • Performance Evaluations
   • Plant Operations
   • Corrective Action
   • Combat

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Finance and billing accountability across Medicaid, manage care commercial insurance, insurance verification, contract management, and benefits administration.
   • Direct network security monitoring & intrusion detection using authorize DoD information security applications.
   • Shape the future of DoD personnel management by identifying requirements and providing invaluable inputs for a paradigm-busting system.
   • Manage payroll distribution process ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and confidentiality to protect client's privacy and prevent liability of exposure.
   • Provide subject-matter expertise (SME) in support of communication operations across all manner of voice / data communications systems.
   • Design and engineer station sortation layout to maximize productivity and to integrate new home delivery process in station during holiday season.

   More operations superintendent duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the operations superintendent job description is a good way to get more applicants. An operations superintendent salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an operations superintendent in Mississippi may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level operations superintendent. Additionally, an operations superintendent with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average operations superintendent salary

   $104,699yearly

   $50.34 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level operations superintendent salary

   $72,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average operations superintendent salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$146,640	$71
   2	New Jersey	$140,899	$68
   3	Virginia	$133,090	$64
   4	California	$121,876	$59
   5	Wisconsin	$120,130	$58
   6	Pennsylvania	$116,865	$56
   7	Texas	$113,731	$55
   8	Colorado	$111,734	$54
   9	New York	$111,670	$54
   10	Tennessee	$109,175	$52
   11	Illinois	$108,648	$52
   12	Oregon	$107,479	$52
   13	North Carolina	$99,896	$48
   14	Florida	$99,451	$48
   15	Georgia	$98,793	$48
   16	Arizona	$95,712	$46
   17	Nevada	$94,909	$46
   18	Nebraska	$94,410	$45
   19	Idaho	$88,337	$42
   20	South Carolina	$88,268	$42

   Average operations superintendent salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	California Resources	$150,438	$72.33
   2	CVR Energy	$147,218	$70.78	1
   3	Cargill	$124,515	$59.86	13
   4	NRG Energy	$120,224	$57.80	3
   5	Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County	$115,432	$55.50
   6	Albemarle	$114,371	$54.99	6
   7	J D Irving Limited	$113,861	$54.74
   8	Horsehead Holding	$111,164	$53.44
   9	Edwards	$109,979	$52.87	5
   10	Auriga	$109,735	$52.76
   11	Eastman	$109,075	$52.44
   12	Calumet Specialty Products Partners	$108,608	$52.22
   13	ADM	$105,369	$50.66	58
   14	Praxair	$102,237	$49.15
   15	Sensient Technologies	$100,689	$48.41	3
   16	Freeport LNG	$99,474	$47.82
   17	ATI Physical Therapy	$98,636	$47.42	5
   18	The Wagner Companies	$98,347	$47.28
   19	Freeport-McMoRan	$98,339	$47.28	4
   20	Maher Terminals Inc	$97,765	$47.00

4. Writing an operations superintendent job description

   A good operations superintendent job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an operations superintendent job description:

   Operations superintendent job description example

   Are you inspired by “what's next”? So are we.
   
   When you join the Albemarle team, you contribute to a better tomorrow. You will play a role in powering many of the world's largest and most critical industries, from energy and communications to transportation and electronics. We are putting innovation to work to improve people's lives and we want YOU to be a part of it.
   
   Job Description
   
   Job Description: Operations Superintendent
   Albemarle Corporation is seeking an Operations Superintendent to support our Bromine facility in Magnolia, AR.
   Core Work:
   Provides overall leadership of the Operating Areas.Supervises activities to ensure safety, quality, required production, and environmental compliance of the production units in the Area.Engage in the proactive improvement of the Area.
   
   Essential Qualifications:
   BS degree in Chemical Engineering.5+ years' experience working in a manufacturing facility (Chemical industry experience is preferred).Strong leadership skills.Ability to effectively communicate with employees at all levels.Ability to manage multiple operating units with competing resource requirements.
   
   Accountabilities:
   Sustain an operating culture that has a high degree of safety awareness and environmental responsibility.Manage and develop Area Supervisors and Operations Engineers, and hold them accountable for day-to-day and technical leadership of the Area.Ensures Area Employees comply with site and corporate safety and environmental policies.Focus on continual improvement of the area.Ensure the needs of the Area are addressed proactively (Staffing, CAPEX, Maintenance, Costs, etc.).Escalate issues as needed to minimize their impact.
   
   Key Activities:
   Approve MOCs.Set daily / weekly priorities of the area.Approve Category 3 Work Permits.Review and approve Incident Reports.Review and approve Operating Procedures.Prepare AOPs for the area.Generate operating plans so as to meet Business Team requirements.Regularly consult with Operations Engineer, Complex Advisor, and TR Engineer regarding cost reduction projects.Audit area permits, housekeeping, JAS, FJO, 5S, to ensure continuous improvement.Monitor and ensure all aspects of PSM are fulfilled.
   
   Critical Partnerships:
   Maintenance - Effectively communicates long term needs and priorities.Operations Coordinator - Regular communications regarding logistical needs of Area and provide data required for production/regulatory reporting.Technical Advisor - Utilizes technical expertise for continuous improvement of Area.Business Team - Understand and respond to production /quality requirements.Safety and Regulatory Advisors - Enforce all site required programs / initiatives.
   
   Key Performance Indicators:
   Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Efficiency.Safety and environmental targets met.Production targets met.Quality targets met.75% time spent on proactive tasks.
   
   Choose to unlock your full POTENTIAL. Apply today.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right operations superintendent for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with operations superintendents they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit operations superintendents who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your operations superintendent job on Zippia to find and recruit operations superintendent candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit operations superintendents, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new operations superintendent

   Once you've decided on a perfect operations superintendent candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new operations superintendent first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an operations superintendent?