What does a plans and operations manager do?
A plans and operations manager is responsible for leading operational processes and developing strategic plans to ensure efficiency and maximize staff's productivity. These operations managers identify opportunities to enhance the development of operations in achieving the organization's long-term goals and objectives. They also coordinate with clients and business partners for updates and additional specifications. A plans and operations manager handles budgeting and allocation of resources for the department, guides the staff towards growth, and resolves any discrepancies to the process as they arise.
Plans and operations manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real plans and operations manager resumes:
- Manage all incoming orders via ERP system, e-mail and phone.
- Switch company to a new WFM platform, achieve an ROI of $500K within 8 months.
- Coordinate the service design phase, manage the RFP process, develop the business justification and obtain executive approval.
- Design and manage the organization s planning team collaborative SharePoint portal enhancing information flow, and security of classify information.
- Finance and billing accountability across Medicaid, manage care commercial insurance, insurance verification, contract management, and benefits administration.
- Develop KPIs, dashboards and performance reporting.
- Provide MRP requirements for all components and finish goods for domestic and international suppliers.
- Create and maintain scorecard to track objectives and performance via KPIs and report monthly progress.
- Retrieve and schedule all MRP generate work orders to each individual work center or best available option.
- Handle and resolve any ERP system warehouse integration issues, such as reconcile, reprocess, cancel files.
- Serve as corporate liaison between internal customers and logistics.
- Provide strategic direction for resolution of multiple vendor contract issues and oversight.
- Coordinate logistics and operations for major engineering projects, including training, resource allocation / procurement, warehousing and transportation.
- Design company website, PowerPoint presentation, brochure, profile, machinery list & factory production capacity information for marketing purposes.
- Develop protocols to measure the effectiveness of MVD marketing and customer interaction initiatives and evaluate response, profitability and ROI.
Plans and operations manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Plans And Operations Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Project Management, and Employee Development. They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills, Management skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Plans And Operations Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 16%
Lead department activities, identified training and development opportunities and personnel issue resolution that ensured the highest level of customer service.
- Project Management, 11%
Position included project management, management reporting, financial support, and cost savings initiatives.
- Employee Development, 9%
Facilitated succession planning and high potential employee development.
- Customer Satisfaction, 8%
Developed recommendations, conducted leadership reviews and executed staffing strategies that improved customer satisfaction and generated cost savings.
- Direct Reports, 6%
Developed successful succession planning process for direct reports.
- Process Improvement, 5%
Reduced operating costs through targeted manufacturing lean process improvements.
"customer service," "project management," and "employee development" are among the most common skills that plans and operations managers use at work. You can find even more plans and operations manager responsibilities below, including:
Leadership skills. One of the key soft skills for a plans and operations manager to have is leadership skills. You can see how this relates to what plans and operations managers do because "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Additionally, a plans and operations manager resume shows how plans and operations managers use leadership skills: "increased the company's operational efficiency through superior organizational, mentorship, and leadership skills. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of plans and operations managers is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday plans and operations manager duties, as "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "redesigned business process, validated changes with the users and developed the technical solution. "
Time-management skills. For certain plans and operations manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "time-management skills." The day-to-day duties of a plans and operations manager rely on this skill, as "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what plans and operations managers do: "manage pre-production planning and supplier allocation during the product creation timeline to ensure customer demand was achieved. "
Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in plans and operations manager job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what plans and operations managers do. Plans and operations manager responsibilities rely on this skill because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." You can also see how plans and operations manager duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "designed and deployed high-profile customer communication, follow-up and relationship-management program that delivered 30% improvement in customer satisfaction. "
The three companies that hire the most plans and operations managers are:
Compare different plans and operations managers
Plans and operations manager 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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a plans and operations manager are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "project management," "employee development," and "kpis." On the other hand, a job as an assistant manager of operations requires skills like "sales floor," "front end," "cash handling," and "store associates." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Assistant managers of operations earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $65,818. On the other hand, plans and operations managers are paid more in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $103,064.On average, assistant managers of operations reach lower levels of education than plans and operations managers. Assistant managers of operations are 12.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Plans and operations manager vs. General manager of operations
General managers of operations are employed to oversee the overall operations of businesses. Their responsibilities include the improvement of the efficiency of the operations and overall management. They coordinate the primary performance goals for direct reporting functions and set the strategies for the organization. It is their responsibility to communicate strategy as well as results to employees. They also engage with the corporate officers in the strategic planning and development of the organization or enterprise.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real plans and operations manager resumes. While plans and operations manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "project management," "employee development," "customer satisfaction," and "kpis," general managers of operations use skills like "develop team," "financial statements," "payroll," and "personnel processes."
General managers of operations earn lower levels of education than plans and operations managers in general. They're 8.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for plans and operations managers in the next 3-5 years?
Eric Olsen
Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business
Plans and operations manager vs. 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. Moreover, there are also instances where they have to produce progress reports, devise strategies for optimal business performance, delegate tasks, and even manage the budget. As a manager, it is crucial to lead and encourage the team to reach goals and sales targets while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, plans and operations managers are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "employee development," "logistics," and "oversight." But a manager, center operations is more likely to have skills like "infrastructure," "osha," "standard operating procedure," and "quality standards."
Managers, center operations make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $68,400. On the other hand, plans and operations managers are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $103,064.Most managers, center operations achieve a lower degree level compared to plans and operations managers. For example, they're 7.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Plans and operations manager vs. Customer service/operations manager
A customer service/operations manager is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the efforts of a customer service team, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include setting goals and objectives, establishing guidelines and schedules, managing the employees, creating new programs for customers, and developing strategies to optimize customer service operations. They may also participate in reaching out to clients through calls and correspondence, resolving issues promptly and professionally. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Types of plans and operations manager
Updated January 8, 2025
