What is an operations team leader and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

R. Scott Hengen

An operations team leader oversees the day-to-day operations of a team. They manage workflow, ensure operational efficiency, and develop strategies to improve productivity. Operations team leaders also supervise teams, provide coaching, and resolve conflicts. They work with others to complete tasks on time and within budget. An operations team leader may also implement policies, monitor performance, and analyze data to identify areas for improvement. Success in this role requires effective communication, leadership, and problem-solving.

What general advice would you give to an operations team leader?

R. Scott Hengen

Technical Theatre Faculty/Production Coordinator, Montgomery College

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.

ScoreOperations Team LeaderUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $55,160

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%

Asian 4.73%

Black or African American 12.92%

Hispanic or Latino 16.99%

Unknown 4.10%

White 60.56%

Gender

female 33.84%

male 66.16%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an operations team leader?

Pros

Opportunity for career advancement
Hands-on problem solving
Influence over the team's direction and strategy
Collaborative work environment
Competitive salary and benefits

Cons

Responsibility for team member performance and discipline
Limited control over external factors that affect operations
High level of accountability for team performance
Risk of burnout due to high demands and expectations
Emotional toll of managing a diverse group of individuals

Key steps to become an operations team leader

Explore operations team leader education requirements

Most common operations team leader degrees

Bachelor's

53.0 %

Associate

17.8 %

High School Diploma

14.6 %

Start to develop specific operations team leader skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	14.89%
Continuous Improvement	6.99%
Excellent Interpersonal	6.33%
Sales Floor	5.54%
Safety Procedures	5.26%

Complete relevant operations team leader training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New operations team leaders learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an operations team leader based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real operations team leader resumes.

Gain additional operations team leader certifications

Operations team leader certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific operations team leader certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for operations team leaders include Forklift Safety and Inspector and Six Sigma Green Belt.

More About Certifications

Research operations team leader duties and responsibilities

Manage a team of CNC operators during the facility's exit strategy for machining.
Help develop new WMS system and implement real time visual control charts to achieve production and quality KPI metrics.
Manage SLA by prioritizing and resolving requests/Incidents in accordance with agree service level agreement.
Manage an embed Facebook executive protection team that provide security and logistical support for a corporate executive and his family.

Get operations team leader experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become an operations team leader. The most common roles before becoming an operations team leader include team leader, customer service representative team lead and cashier.

Prepare your operations team leader resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your operations team leader resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an operations team leader resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable operations team leader resume templates

Build a professional operations team leader resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your operations team leader resume.