What does a service operations manager do?
Service operations managers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of service-oriented businesses. Typical duties of a service operations manager include hiring, training, and managing employees, developing and approving organizational policies and budgets, and managing all aspects of marketing. Additional duties include ensuring the successful and effective management of productivity, labor and quality control, communicating job expectations, and planning and reviewing compensation actions. Service operations managers are also expected to analyze space and employee requirements and process workflow, and to ensure that a safe and healthy work environment is maintained.
Service operations manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real service operations manager resumes:
- Lead heating and air conditioning (HVAC) service department increasing revenue, profit, safety achievements and employee morale.
- Manage external warehouse and serve as primary liaison to outsource logistics and field support providers.
- Manage and perform a broad scope of operational capacities, from payroll administration and budgeting to quality assurance and safety audits.
- Coordinate and participate with the installation teams to help troubleshoot problems and resolve customer concerns while managing service and commissioning engineers.
- Institute a quality management system in accordance with ISO standards.
- Spearhead logistics solutions for moving from California to a new facility in Massachusetts.
- Develop and implement in-house educational programs that increase staff productivity and OSHA environmental regulation compliance.
- Implement operating and preventative maintenance procedures bringing airborne cadmium level in casting below OSHA standards.
- Expedite service recovery relate to benefit, payroll and technology issues resulting in enhance partnerships and retention.
- Assess KPIs and identify opportunities to increase profitability across several business lines by improving fill rates with existing clients.
- Design company website, PowerPoint presentation, brochure, profile, machinery list & factory production capacity information for marketing purposes.
- Function as a SME and provide logistics analyses to include acquisition planning and maintenance.
- Function as subject-matter expert (SME) in aviation operations, program management and program analysis.
- Insure that all e-Navigation and content is accurately depict in the submission against the new FDA specification on a daily basis.
- Focuse on accuracy and timeliness to meet Medicare, Medicaid and key account groups' regulations and requirements.
Service operations manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Service Operations Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Patients, and Customer Satisfaction. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Management skills.
We break down the percentage of Service Operations Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 18%
Have implemented/refined comprehensive training programs for new and existing employees to develop and improve customer service and supervisory skills.
- Patients, 7%
Conducted daily patient and environmental rounds, conduct patients satisfaction surveys and generate reports for presentation to administration.
- Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Developed new settlement process for credit card payments received via wire transfer compressing settlement and reconciliation time and boosting customer satisfaction.
- Service Operations, 5%
Promoted to Electrical Field Service Manager and eventually promoted to field service Operations Manager including Mechanical and Compressor Service.
- Direct Reports, 5%
Performed biannual/yearly performance evaluations for 20+ direct reports.
- Project Management, 5%
Project management and implementation of internal infrastructure improvements and data center consolidation resulting in company savings in over $50K annually.
Most service operations managers use their skills in "customer service," "patients," and "customer satisfaction" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential service operations manager responsibilities here:
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a service operations manager to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Additionally, a service operations manager resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "played pivotal role in fostering long-term customer relationships, maintaining productive communications between manufacturing facilities and various edwards' global operations. "
Leadership skills. Another essential skill to perform service operations manager duties is leadership skills. Service operations managers responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Service operations managers also use leadership skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provided primary leadership during a 37% increase in business and iso certification. "
Problem-solving skills. service operations manager responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This resume example shows what service operations managers do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "track and trend incident reporting to determine root cause, resolution and identifiers for process improvement. "
Time-management skills. Another common skill required for service operations manager responsibilities is "time-management skills." This skill comes up in the duties of service operations managers all the time, as "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." An excerpt from a real service operations manager resume shows how this skill is central to what a service operations manager does: "manage outside field technicians for quality of workmanship, on time delivery of service requests, customer service and sales. "
The three companies that hire the most service operations managers are:
- Deloitte240 service operations managers jobs
- Ernst & Young47 service operations managers jobs
- Sodexo Management, Inc.42 service operations managers jobs
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Compare different service operations managers
Service 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.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between service operations managers and assistant manager of operations. For instance, service operations manager responsibilities require skills such as "customer service," "patients," "related training," and "service operations." Whereas a assistant manager of operations is skilled in "sales floor," "front end," "cash handling," and "store associates." This is part of what separates the two careers.
The education levels that assistant managers of operations earn slightly differ from service operations managers. In particular, assistant managers of operations are 3.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a service operations manager. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Service 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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, service operations manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "customer satisfaction," "related training," and "service operations." Meanwhile, a general manager of operations has duties that require skills in areas such as "develop team," "financial statements," "oversight," and "personnel processes." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
General managers of operations earn similar levels of education than service operations managers in general. They're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for service operations managers in the next 3-5 years?
Eric Olsen
Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business
Service 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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from service operations manager resumes include skills like "customer service," "related training," "service operations," and "service delivery," whereas a manager, center operations is more likely to list skills in "infrastructure," "standard operating procedure," "quality standards," and "professional work. "
Most managers, center operations achieve a similar degree level compared to service operations managers. For example, they're 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Service operations manager vs. General service manager
General service managers are professionals who manage the administrative activities of a company to ensure that a proper environment for its operations is achieved. These managers are required to supervise the maintenance activities and upgrades of equipment and systems so that they can minimize disruptions of business activities. Under the direction of the finance manager, general service managers must coordinate with service providers on matters related to finance and tax. They must also manage teams to ensure that they comply with local and occupational health laws.
Types of service operations manager
Updated January 8, 2025
