What does an operations superintendent do?
Operations Superintendent plans and oversees the daily operations of an organization. They have the authority to set objectives and guidelines, establish budgets and schedules, delegate tasks among staff, and develop strategies to optimize operations and meet project requirements. It is also their responsibility to monitor the performance of the workforce and resolve issues promptly and efficiently. Moreover, an Operations Superintendent leads and encourages the employees to reach goals while implementing their policies and regulations.
Operations superintendent responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real operations superintendent resumes:
- 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.
Operations superintendent skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Operations Superintendents are proficient in Safety Program, OSHA, and Direct Supervision. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Management skills.
We break down the percentage of Operations Superintendents that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Safety Program, 15%
Administered the Production Department safety program, accident investigations, and safety projects.
- OSHA, 12%
Conduct OSHA safety audits, investigations of all incidents, and developed action plans to achieve/enhance compliance and sustainability.
- Direct Supervision, 10%
Provide direct supervision to supervisors and field personnel in daily operational activities.
- Direct Reports, 5%
Led direct reports in manufacturing, engineering, quality, maintenance and production control & logistics with 491 employees.
- Safety Standards, 4%
Designed and implemented organizational safety standards and procedures; ensure compliance with safety regulations and laws.
- Training Programs, 4%
Supervised subordinate unit training programs and assisted in managing the organization's readiness report.
"safety program," "osha," and "direct supervision" are among the most common skills that operations superintendents use at work. You can find even more operations superintendent responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an operations superintendent to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what operations superintendents do because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Additionally, an operations superintendent resume shows how operations superintendents use communication skills: "directed daily security activates encompassing the communication security, nuclear physical security disciplines. "
Leadership skills. Another essential skill to perform operations superintendent duties is leadership skills. Operations superintendents responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Operations superintendents also use leadership skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "collaborated with hr, management, and union leadership to evolve legacy job descriptions and system. "
Problem-solving skills. For certain operations superintendent responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "problem-solving skills." The day-to-day duties of an operations superintendent rely on this skill, as "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what operations superintendents do: "provided route de-confliction, weaponeering solutions, and precise point mensuration for over 175 successful combat sorties without an aircraft loss. "
Time-management skills. Another common skill required for operations superintendent responsibilities is "time-management skills." This skill comes up in the duties of operations superintendents 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 superintendent resume shows how this skill is central to what an operations superintendent does: "controlled as key player on team that consistently exceeded stated objectives on all deadlines and safety standards. "
The three companies that hire the most operations superintendents are:
- Praxair3 operations superintendents jobs
- American Water2 operations superintendents jobs
- Freeport-McMoRan2 operations superintendents jobs
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Compare different operations superintendents
Operations superintendent vs. Assistant vice president operations
An assistant vice president of operations is responsible for monitoring the company's operational and production processes to ensure high-quality deliverables and achieve the highest client satisfaction. Assistant vice presidents of operations join the senior management team in implementing corporate decisions to enhance the efficiency and stability of the company to provide timely services for the clients and business partners. They also review financial and business transactions, identify cost-reduction methodologies, and develop opportunities to generate revenues and increase profits.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, operations superintendent responsibilities require skills like "safety program," "osha," "direct supervision," and "safety standards." Meanwhile a typical assistant vice president operations has skills in areas such as "oversight," "avp," "risk management," and "project management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Assistant vice presidents operations earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $96,274. On the other hand, operations superintendents are paid more in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $106,725.The education levels that assistant vice presidents operations earn slightly differ from operations superintendents. In particular, assistant vice presidents operations are 4.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an operations superintendent. Additionally, they're 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Operations superintendent vs. Assistant director of operations
An assistant director of operations is responsible for overseeing the effectiveness of the department's operational processes, ensuring that the policies provide the highest customer satisfaction and outputs. Assistant directors of operations strategize goals and objectives to reach departmental targets according to business functions and requirements. They also identify training opportunities and programs to increase the productivity and efficiency of the staff. An assistant director of operations monitors the cost and expenses report, allocates resources, and develop business plans that would increase revenues for the business.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real operations superintendent resumes. While operations superintendent responsibilities can utilize skills like "safety program," "osha," "safety standards," and "epa," assistant directors of operations use skills like "customer service," "patients," "oversight," and "human resources."
On average, assistant directors of operations earn a lower salary than operations superintendents. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, assistant directors of operations earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $80,936. Whereas operations superintendents have higher pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $106,725.In general, assistant directors of operations achieve similar levels of education than operations superintendents. They're 4.7% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for operations superintendents in the next 3-5 years?
Eric Olsen
Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business
Operations superintendent vs. Senior vice president-operations
Senior Vice Presidents for Operations are top management employees who oversee the company's operations. They report to the company's Chief Executive Officer or roles equivalent to such. They are expected to be very familiar with everything related to the company, such as its products, services, and production activities, among others. As such, they would be able to create strategies that would elevate the performance of the company. They are heavily involved in the decision-making related to the different departments in operations. Senior Vice Presidents for Operations manage different departments related to operations. They ensure that all factors in operations contribute to the company's success.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, operations superintendents are more likely to have skills like "safety program," "osha," "direct supervision," and "safety standards." But a senior vice president-operations is more likely to have skills like "oversight," "financial performance," "svp," and "project management."
Senior vice presidents-operations earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $174,554. Operations superintendents earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $106,725.Most senior vice presidents-operations achieve a higher degree level compared to operations superintendents. For example, they're 9.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Operations superintendent vs. Assistant manager of operations
An assistant operations manager is responsible for supervising staff performance and operation processes under the guidance of an operations manager. The assistant operations manager ensures the efficiency and accuracy of project management to boost client satisfaction, drive revenues, and achieve the company's objectives and profitability goals. They also help with developing strategic procedures to increase productivity and identify business opportunities to build a strong company reputation. An assistant operations manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially when meeting with existing and potential clients, close partnerships, and lead teams towards project goals.
Types of operations superintendent
Updated January 8, 2025
