How to hire a senior operations supervisor

How to hire a senior operations supervisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior operations supervisor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior operations supervisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior operations supervisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a senior operations supervisor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect senior operations supervisor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior operations supervisors.

   Type of Senior Operations Supervisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Operations Supervisor	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$18-46
   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... Show more	$37-75
   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... Show more	$23-79

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Logistics
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Process Improvement
   • Quality Standards
   • PowerPoint
   • Performance Reviews
   • Corrective Action
   • Performance Standards
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • OSHA
   • Warehouse Operations
   • Lean Six Sigma
   • SR
   • Disciplinary Actions

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage administrative expenses and budgets including labor, training, petty cash, payroll, and awards.
   • Manage logistics operations relate to strategic military contingency maneuvers.
   • Manage team of database administrators, database technicians and systems administrators responsible for maintaining all production, development and QA systems.
   • Calculate payroll pay roll and work load to determine manpower to hand the work load for future dates.
   • General management responsibilities include production, manufacturing engineering, personnel development and internal logistics.
   • Design company website, PowerPoint presentation, brochure, profile, machinery list & factory production capacity information for marketing purposes.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior operations supervisor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A senior operations supervisor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, senior operations supervisors' average salary in kentucky is 52% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior operations supervisors earn 61% less than senior-level senior operations supervisors.
   • Certifications. A senior operations supervisor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a senior operations supervisor's salary.

   Average senior operations supervisor salary

   $61,392yearly

   $29.52 hourly rate

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   Entry-level senior operations supervisor salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 13, 2026

4. Writing a senior operations supervisor job description

   A job description for a senior operations supervisor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a senior operations supervisor job description:

   Senior operations supervisor job description example

   * • Develops weekly goals and schedules and set priorities for staff. Reviews weekly production schedule and priorities to determine unit assignments and critical actions.
   
   * • Reviews all materials and batch records required to support shift and any off shift needs for the day.
   
   * • Provides on the floor training to support formalized technical and GMP training. Check that operator training files match and support the processes they are required to carry out.
   * • Monitors operator training files and work with compliance specialist to keep files up to date.
   * • Works with QA and Subject Matter Expert (Tech Ops or Process Sciences) to resolve exceptions. Reviews new Batch records and SOPs.
   * • Works with technology transfer team to incorporate new processes in the plant.
   * • Works interdepartmentally to see that work orders, dispensing, preventative maintenance, QC, and documentation issues are resolved and enhances communications at all levels.
   * • Ensures that direct materials budgets and overtime budgets are met.
   * • Provides supervision primarily to skilled nonexempt and junior level exempt employees. Acts as advisor to unit or sub-unit, becomes actively involved as required. Acts as mentor for less senior personnel.
   * • Evaluates staff performance.
   * • Requires a Bachelor's degree or equivalent; Eight plus years' experience in all aspects of manufacturing/ production processes
   * • Computer proficiency and scheduling experience required; good writing skills.
   * • Working knowledge of safety, quality systems, and cGMPs is required
   * • Familiarity with industrial automation (e.g., distributed control and PLC-based systems
   * • Familiarity with equipment and facilities validation
   
   At AbbVie, we value bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds to develop new and innovative solutions for patients. As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. If you would like to view a copy of the company's affirmative action plan or policy statement, please email

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior operations supervisor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior operations supervisor job on Zippia to find and recruit senior operations supervisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior operations supervisor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior operations supervisor

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior operations supervisor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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