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What is a president of operations and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Eric Olsen

The president of operations will oversee the daily activities across functions such as IT, finance, and regulatory compliance. You will create the business strategy with the other executive team. You will ensure that there is smooth running of customer service operations and find a way to ensure customers are retained. All expenses and budgeting to help the organization optimize cost and benefits will be handled by the president of operations. You must also ensure that the company complies with the local and international laws. In addition, you will mentor and motivate teams to achieve productivity and engagement. Lastly, you will report on operational performance and suggest improvements.

A proven experience as Head of operations, operations director, or a similar leadership role is important before you will be considered as the President of Operations. You must have excellent organizational and leadership ability. Outstanding communication and negotiation skills are important for the role. The educational requirement for the role is a degree in Business, computer science, or a relevant field.

What general advice would you give to a president of operations?

Eric OlsenEric Olsen LinkedIn profile

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

Times of change are also times of great opportunities. We are going to need new technical solutions to address problems we are just learning about. You have to lean into the issues. Don't be a technologist - be a problem solver. That is why we also emphasize soft skills like lean six sigma, teamwork, and change management.
ScorePresident Of OperationsUS Average
Salary
9.9

Avg. Salary $189,832

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.40%

Black or African American 6.22%

Hispanic or Latino 15.31%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.27%

Gender

female 16.91%

male 83.09%

Age - 44
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 - 44
Stress level
9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

President of operations career paths

Key steps to become a president of operations

  1. Explore president of operations education requirements

    Most common president of operations degrees

    Bachelor's

    63.9 %

    Associate

    13.9 %

    Master's

    12.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific president of operations skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Financial Management10.92%
    Revenue Growth9.19%
    Payroll7.61%
    R5.59%
    Strategic Plan5.26%
  3. Complete relevant president of operations training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New presidents of operations 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 a president of operations based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real president of operations resumes.
  4. Research president of operations duties and responsibilities

    • Manage payroll and accounts payable; balanced/reconcile accounts.
    • Manage business start-up from formation including development of business and marketing plans, equipment selection/installation, staffing, and product offerings.
    • Carry full oversight for programming for VoIP switches to local administration and multi-site routing.
    • Create advertising strategy for clients, research competitor strategy and follow through with ROI.
  5. Get president of operations experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a president of operations. The most common roles before becoming a president of operations include general manager, operations vice president team lead and president.
  6. Prepare your president of operations resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your president of operations 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 a president of operations resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable president of operations resume templates

    Build a professional president of operations 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 president of operations resume.
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    President Of Operations Resume
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    President Of Operations Resume
    President Of Operations Resume
  7. Apply for president of operations jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a president of operations job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first president of operations job

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Average president of operations salary

The average president of operations salary in the United States is $189,832 per year or $91 per hour. President of operations salaries range between $115,000 and $312,000 per year.

Average president of operations salary
$189,832 Yearly
$91.27 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do presidents of operations rate their job?

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President of operations reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

I love being able to mold my team and the distribution center to the culture of respect and accountability! Having senior and executive leadership support is a huge positive factor in making this happen!!

Cons

Long hours and calls outside of regular business hours are the norm!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Pros

Increase the revenue potential of an entire sales organization through repeatable, scalable, and predictable processes.

Cons

There's not much I dislike about the role, but the slow down from having to align multiple departments and functions together before being able to more forward with an initiative is a drain.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019
Pros

I love it and I wish I was back at my old job but I guess it is what it is

Cons

Not being loyal


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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