How to hire a technical operations manager

How to hire a technical operations manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step technical operations manager hiring guide:

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

What does a technical operations manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a technical operations manager, 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

   A technical operations manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, technical operations managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents technical operations manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Technical Operations Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Technical Operations Manager	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.	$41-73
   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... Show more	$18-46
   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:

   • Technical Operations
   • Customer Service
   • Project Management
   • Oversight
   • Process Improvement
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Service Delivery
   • Emerging Technologies
   • Linux
   • Incident Management
   • Technical Support
   • Windows
   • OSHA
   • HR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the administration of both the UNIX and NT domains.
   • Reduce deployment times to ensure that production maintenance windows are achieved.
   • Perform installation and administration of VMware ESXi and manage virtual machines with VCenter.
   • Delegate assignments and tasks; manage plant reliability, outage repair, and CLI compliance.
   • Assemble, network, maintain, manage, and implement security on POS and all company PCs.
   • Manage EDI processing which include the setting up of new customers and all the communications facilitating procedures.

   More technical operations manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your technical operations manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A technical operations manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a technical operations manager in Montana may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level technical operations manager usually earns less than a senior-level technical operations manager. Additionally, a technical operations manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average technical operations manager salary

   $115,501yearly

   $55.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level technical operations manager salary

   $87,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average technical operations manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$138,001	$66
   2	Washington	$137,485	$66
   3	Connecticut	$130,410	$63
   4	District of Columbia	$121,818	$59
   5	New Jersey	$121,177	$58
   6	New York	$119,714	$58
   7	Colorado	$115,083	$55
   8	Virginia	$114,478	$55
   9	Arizona	$113,008	$54
   10	Wisconsin	$112,681	$54
   11	Illinois	$111,653	$54
   12	Georgia	$111,411	$54
   13	Massachusetts	$109,906	$53
   14	Texas	$109,031	$52
   15	Pennsylvania	$105,097	$51
   16	Ohio	$102,075	$49
   17	North Carolina	$101,472	$49
   18	Minnesota	$100,515	$48
   19	Indiana	$96,250	$46
   20	Missouri	$94,785	$46

   Average technical operations manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PayPal	$152,667	$73.40	23
   2	Netflix	$148,343	$71.32	21
   3	Apple	$144,236	$69.34	65
   4	Google	$143,939	$69.20	226
   5	Twitter	$143,720	$69.10	9
   6	Palo Alto Networks	$139,887	$67.25	96
   7	Cruise Automation	$134,186	$64.51
   8	Amazon	$132,152	$63.53	1,744
   9	Exelixis	$130,850	$62.91	4
   10	Vonage	$130,576	$62.78	1
   11	Expedia Group	$129,844	$62.42	20
   12	Proofpoint	$129,569	$62.29	47
   13	Toyota Financial Svc	$128,800	$61.92	1
   14	One Kings Lane	$128,445	$61.75
   15	Cisco	$128,365	$61.71	163
   16	IntraHealth International	$127,493	$61.29
   17	Activision Blizzard	$127,362	$61.23	14
   18	Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama	$126,890	$61.00
   19	Motion Recruitment	$126,706	$60.92	17
   20	Walmart	$126,437	$60.79	1,638

4. Writing a technical operations manager job description

   A technical operations manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a technical operations manager job description:

   Technical operations manager job description example

   ABL Space Systems was founded in 2017 by veterans of SpaceX and Morgan Stanley to develop low-cost launch vehicles for the small satellite industry. More importantly, we're building a launch system we are truly proud of - no gimmicks or over-design, just reliable, rapidly deployable launches. We're an ambitious team with big goals and, together, we're determined to prove that reaching space can be simple, efficient, and routine.
   When launch day arrives, we want you by our side
   
   RESPONSIBILITIES:Lead the Mission Ops Specialist team through install and operations of mission critical communication systems to include: networking, hyper-converged infrastructure, Active Directory, audio, video, and data processing Prioritize and schedule work to meet required timelines Provide feedback and progress updates to project stakeholders Evaluate, diagnose, troubleshoot cabling infrastructure systems and perform repairs as necessary Coordinate with other contractors and project teams as needed Collaborate with the communication engineers and telecommunication specialist in system designs, selection of materials, and creation of documentation Interface with external carriers (private and government) at cross-connect facilities, and transition points Provide superior customer service to ABL launch customers Provide QA and auditing before and after work Maintain the integrity of the documentation of all installations including assets, locations, connectivity, and the patch record databases Assist with the creation of local and companywide installation and workmanship standards Provide ongoing feedback, periodic review, and corrective action to direct reports Review timesheets, manage overtime and time off requests Verify compliance with OSHA regulations and ABL safety requirements Evaluate, recruit, and hire stellar candidates for open positions in the team
   BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:High school diploma or equivalency certificate8+ years of communication systems experience5+ years prior leadership experience (leading teams, projects or people) Fundamental understanding of IT systems Expert understanding of IT operations
   PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:Proven ability to install, terminate and test low voltage and fiber optical cables; including twisted pair cable, coax, stranded and solid conductor low voltage cable, single mode and multi-mode fiber optical cables Proficient in the use of Visio or other CAD software to read and develop system documentation Experience in the installation and operation of RF communication systems IP and HD-SDI Video cameras and infrastructure Comprehension of modern networking architecture and what is necessary for physical layer inter-connectivity Working knowledge of electrical systems including UPS and standby power systems Sound knowledge of computer skills, MS Words, Excel, and Power Point
   WHAT WE LOOK FORCritical thinking: ABL engineers understand the “why” behind all design decisions, operational events and test outcomes Ability to deal with ambiguity: ABL engineers must be comfortable defining their own pathway to an objective End-to end ownership: projects are delivered fully complete and ready for flight
   PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENTS:Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time Ability to use a computer to complete assignments Ability to communicate with individuals and groups in person, by phone and telepresence While performing the duties of this job, the employee will typically work in an office environment Previous launch company or hazardous industrial IT systems experience Ability to travel (up to 50% ) as required to common destinations including El Segundo, Mojave Air & Space Port, Kodiak Alaska, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and SaxaVord (UK)
   ITAR Requirement
   This position requires access to information protected under US export control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and/or the Export Administration Regulations. As such, US person status (including US citizens, permanent residents, asylees, and refugees) is a required qualification for this position.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer
   We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, genetics, or citizenship status (when otherwise legally authorized to work and access export-controlled data) and will not be discriminated against on the basis of such characteristics or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We encourage applicants of all ages.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right technical operations manager 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 technical operations manager job on Zippia to find and recruit technical operations manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting technical operations managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 technical operations manager

   Once you've selected the best technical operations manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new technical operations manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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