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What is a senior manager engineering and operations and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Yi Yang PhD,
Steven Fernandez

A senior manager of engineering and operations is responsible for the logistical aspects that allow an engineering team to complete their project successfully. Senior managers of engineering and operations take care of administrative tasks such as developing KPI (Key Performance Indicator) reports, following company standards and handling project scheduling.

They also need excellent people skills in order to manage the rest of the engineering team. However, that doesn't mean that the senior manager of engineering and operations never gets to flex their technical knowledge. They get to work directly on the projects that they manage by designing new infrastructure, providing technical support, and more.

Before they can earn this senior role, senior managers of engineering and operations need to prove their knowledge and experience. Most have at least a bachelor's degree in business or engineering. They also have several years of professional experience working as engineers and managers.

It takes many years of work to become a senior manager of engineering and operations, but it's worth it. They earn an average salary of $133,348 a year.

What general advice would you give to a senior manager engineering and operations?

Yi Yang PhDYi Yang PhD LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University - Abington

For new graduates beginning their careers in engineering, I would advise them to consider the broader impact of their work and look for opportunities to expand their management potential. While engineering is a highly technical field, it's important to recognize the value of leadership roles in preserving a culture of innovation. By taking on these positions, you can help ensure that companies prioritize long-term innovation over short-term gains (cutting R&D to boost the balance sheet), thus preserving the engineering culture that drives meaningful progress.
ScoreSenior Manager Engineering And OperationsUS Average
Salary
8.6

Avg. Salary $138,867

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 11.83%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.66%

Unknown 4.64%

White 71.66%

Gender

female 9.23%

male 90.77%

Age - 48
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 - 48
Stress level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Senior manager engineering and operations career paths

Key steps to become a senior manager engineering and operations

  1. Explore senior manager engineering and operations education requirements

    Most common senior manager engineering and operations degrees

    Bachelor's

    68.1 %

    Master's

    15.7 %

    Associate

    12.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior manager engineering and operations skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Continuous Improvement10.42%
    Project Management10.40%
    Direct Reports10.01%
    Lean Six Sigma6.18%
    Sigma5.55%
  3. Complete relevant senior manager engineering and operations training and internships

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

    • Manage relationships with LEC and IXC carriers as well as IP, transport and equipment vendors.
    • Manage scheduling and implementation of technology for applications migrations to cloud, ensuring consistency adherence to university practices.
    • Support the Linux infrastructure for customer email of 15MM+ users.
    • Maintain KPI reports used for proactive / reactive repair and optimization of deploy IP networks.
  5. Get senior manager engineering and operations experience

    Generally, it takes more than 10 years to become a senior manager engineering and operations. The most common roles before becoming a senior manager engineering and operations include project engineer, engineering manager team lead and senior engineer.
  6. Apply for senior manager engineering and operations jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior manager engineering and 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 senior manager engineering and operations job

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Average senior manager engineering and operations salary

The average senior manager engineering and operations salary in the United States is $138,867 per year or $67 per hour. Senior manager engineering and operations salaries range between $106,000 and $180,000 per year.

Average senior manager engineering and operations salary
$138,867 Yearly
$66.76 hourly

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How do senior managers engineering and operations rate their job?

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Senior manager engineering and operations reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

Being able to solve technical problems and manage staff for work

Cons

Less pay and not being able to freely speak what's on my mind


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

Solving problems with the utmost educated confidence

Cons

Indecisive colleagues and related problems because if their lack of ability and skills


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

The logic and precision required as well as the ability to create something

Cons

The amount of time spent in the office


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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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