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What does a senior manager of business operations do?

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

A senior manager of business operations is in charge of overseeing procedures to ensure that everything is running smoothly and efficiently. They are responsible for delegating tasks, managing budgets and schedules, assessing workforce performance, performing research and analysis, and devising strategies to optimize operations. They may also coordinate with analysts and specialists to improve procedures and attain optimal operations. Furthermore, as a senior manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

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Senior manager of business operations responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior manager of business operations resumes:

  • Manage a global team that deliver executive dashboards, financial analysis and operational KPIs.
  • Manage a portfolio of inpatient and outpatient products market to major academic medical centers, community hospitals and nursing homes.
  • Create financial dashboard to provide real time sales metrics and KPIs by sales division.
  • Print direct mail catalog, develop and expand organization's website and e-commerce operation, and implement new donor database program.
  • Enable communications/showing of revenue programs across GSM Americas customer base.
  • Procure and return required equipment/supplies for all surgery cases.

Senior manager of business operations skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Senior Managers Of Business Operations are proficient in Business Operations, Continuous Improvement, and Project Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Management skills.

We break down the percentage of Senior Managers Of Business Operations that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Business Operations, 14%

    Program Re-Structuring: Senior Business Operations Manager on two critical, state-of-the-art development program re-structuring efforts over last eight years.

  • Continuous Improvement, 10%

    Analyzed competitive statistics to develop and implement strategies for continuous improvement resulting in record recovery resolution rates for 5 consecutive months.

  • Project Management, 10%

    Developed a due diligence playbook and project management tools that revealed material risks relating to a proposed acquisition.

  • Cloud, 6%

    Web Services / Cloud operations manager responsible for strategic and tactical site operations for our customer facing web services.

  • KPIs, 5%

    Managed a global team that delivered executive dashboards, financial analysis and operational KPIs.

  • Process Improvement, 4%

    Developed practical process improvement tools, methods and training initiatives to ensure a solid business understanding and process improvement methodology usage.

"business operations," "continuous improvement," and "project management" are among the most common skills that senior managers of business operations use at work. You can find even more senior manager of business operations responsibilities below, including:

Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a senior manager of business operations to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what senior managers of business operations do because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Additionally, a senior manager of business operations resume shows how senior managers of business operations use communication skills: "develop and roll out cross functional partner communication matrix and process improvements. "

Leadership skills. Another essential skill to perform senior manager of business operations duties is leadership skills. Senior managers of business operations responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Senior managers of business operations also use leadership skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provide leadership for the business operations function for the business applications and strategic sourcing teams within the cio organization. "

Problem-solving skills. For certain senior manager of business operations responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "problem-solving skills." The day-to-day duties of a senior manager of business operations 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 senior managers of business operations do: "support the business development team in the analysis and creation of new solutions and improvements of current operations. "

Time-management skills. Another crucial skill for a senior manager of business operations to carry out their responsibilities is "time-management skills." A big part of what senior managers of business operations relies on this skill, since "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." How this skill relates to senior manager of business operations duties can be seen in an example from a senior manager of business operations resume snippet: "implemented successful process improvement projects increasing throughput and on time delivery to customers. "

See the full list of senior manager of business operations skills

Choose from 10+ customizable senior manager of business operations resume templates

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Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
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Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
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Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
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Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume
Senior Manager Of Business Operations Resume

Compare different senior managers of business operations

Senior manager of business operations vs. Operations program manager

The role of operations program managers is to help improve organizational efficiency, particularly in the areas of administrative, financial, and programmatic operations. Their key duties and responsibilities include overseeing the collection, analysis, and reporting of data, overseeing and leading teams to achieve business goals, and managing the development and execution of operational procedures. In addition, they are responsible for developing and monitoring dashboards to measure business health and assisting with planning, reporting, and budgeting.

The annual salary of operations program managers is $11,184 lower than the average salary of senior managers of business operations.Even though senior managers of business operations and operations program managers are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require business operations, continuous improvement, and project management in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between senior managers of business operations and operations program manager. For instance, senior manager of business operations responsibilities require skills such as "cloud," "sr," "business intelligence," and "pre sales." Whereas a operations program manager is skilled in "customer service," "infrastructure," "logistics," and "excellent interpersonal." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Operations program managers tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $109,929. In contrast, senior managers of business operations make the biggest average salary, $128,167, in the technology industry.operations program managers tend to reach lower levels of education than senior managers of business operations. In fact, operations program managers are 7.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Senior manager of business operations vs. Operations support manager

Operations Support Managers are employees who handle different support initiatives for the employees or operations-related departments. These support initiatives may come in people management and upskilling, IT infrastructure assistance, or process improvement, among others. Operations Support Managers must have a deep understanding of company operations and the employees' needs. They manage processes and standards to ensure that company operations are fully supported and will not be disrupted. They resolve concerns and anticipate problems that may come. They can plan and create safeguards to ensure that such problems will not arise in the future.

Operations support manager positions earn lower pay than senior manager of business operations roles. They earn a $42,832 lower salary than senior managers of business operations per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Senior managers of business operations and operations support managers both require similar skills like "project management," "kpis," and "process improvement" to carry out their responsibilities.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real senior manager of business operations resumes. While senior manager of business operations responsibilities can utilize skills like "business operations," "continuous improvement," "cloud," and "sr," operations support managers use skills like "customer service," "professional development," "support operations," and "customer satisfaction."

Operations support managers earn a lower average salary than senior managers of business operations. But operations support managers earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $68,847. Additionally, senior managers of business operations earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $128,167 annually.operations support managers earn lower levels of education than senior managers of business operations in general. They're 13.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Senior managers of business operations in the next 3-5 years?

Eric OlsenEric Olsen LinkedIn profile

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

We are doubling down on what we call "digital fabrication." Most manufacturing technologies we deal with now have a growing digital component that our students need to understand and be competent in. Of course, that means current hot exotics like additive manufacturing, but our students need to look at any process and realize there is probably a digitally enhanced path forward.

Senior manager of business operations vs. Operations project manager

An operations project manager is responsible for monitoring the performance of the project team, ensuring that the operations meet the clients' standards and internal regulations with maximum productivity and efficiency. Operations project managers manage the department's budget and allocate materials and resources accurately, maintaining a record of expenses and costs forecasting. They coordinate with the clients, discussing project adjustments or additional tasks as needed, and lead project execution and deliverables by determining the team's needs and concerns, and enforcing strategic procedures.

On average, operations project managers earn lower salaries than senior managers of business operations, with a $32,210 difference per year.By looking over several senior managers of business operations and operations project managers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "business operations," "project management," and "process improvement." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from senior manager of business operations resumes include skills like "continuous improvement," "cloud," "kpis," and "sr," whereas an operations project manager is more likely to list skills in "risk management," "business process," "provide management," and "operations project. "

Operations project managers earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $90,596. Comparatively, senior managers of business operations have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $128,167.Most operations project managers achieve a lower degree level compared to senior managers of business operations. For example, they're 11.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Senior manager of business operations vs. Operations director

Operations directors oversee all company operations. They have the power to set the direction, change the course of the organization, and reform strategies to ensure efficiency in how the company operates. Operations directors manage business operations effectively by constantly analyzing company data and by anticipating any challenge that may come their way. As such, they make sound business decisions and recommendations that will help strengthen the organization. Operations directors oversee finances, quality control, and even human resources. They ensure that all aspects of the business are considered in making business operations decisions.

Operations directors average a lower salary than the annual salary of senior managers of business operations. The difference is about $18,512 per year.While their salaries may vary, senior managers of business operations and operations directors both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "business operations," "continuous improvement," and "project management. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A senior manager of business operations uses "cloud," "sr," "program management," and "business intelligence." Operations directors are more likely to have duties that require skills in "customer service," "oversight," "patients," and "logistics. "operations directors enjoy the best pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $120,460. For comparison, senior managers of business operations earn the highest salary in the technology industry.operations directors reach lower levels of education compared to senior managers of business operations, in general. The difference is that they're 11.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of senior manager of business operations

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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