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What does a vice president, business operations do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read

The vice president of business operations will be responsible for directing, planning, coordinating, and overseeing the day-to-day operations of an organization. In this role, you will perform various duties and responsibilities that include recruiting, interviewing, and training management-level staff, overseeing the department's daily workflow, and collaborating with the leadership to develop and meet company goals and objectives. Additionally, you will be responsible for establishing and administering the department's budget. You will also be responsible for identifying training needs and keeping abreast of the latest trends in operations management.

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Vice president, business operations responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real vice president, business operations resumes:

  • Manage a portfolio of inpatient and outpatient products market to major academic medical centers, community hospitals and nursing homes.
  • Create and prepare financial reports and reporting system including payroll.
  • Investigate and implement the company benefits package, payroll processor, and general operating procedures
  • Manage a portfolio of inpatient and outpatient products market to major academic medical centers, community hospitals and nursing homes.
  • Set up QuickBooks or other accounting software, enter and structure data; train personnel.
  • Set up tracking of inventory, orders, accounts receivable and payments through QuickBooks software.
  • Launch SharePoint as the documentation and control point for all operations groups improving internal group communication and reporting.

Vice president, business operations skills and personality traits

We calculated that 16% of Vice Presidents, Business Operations are proficient in Business Operations, Oversight, 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 Vice Presidents, Business Operations that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Business Operations, 16%

    Developed and managed the strategic and annual operating plans with focus on streamlining business operations and reduction of overall cost structure.

  • Oversight, 7%

    Directed process development and maintained project management oversight creating and implementing numerous enhancements to the sales process.

  • Project Management, 6%

    Conducted catastrophe risk management, treaty and budget analysis, procedure development, and project management.

  • Business Strategy, 6%

    Developed and implemented new Application Development Business Strategy.

  • Financial Statements, 5%

    Prepared financial statements for internal and external stakeholders, including governmental agencies.

  • Process Improvement, 4%

    Established Commercial Wholesale Division's first operational service and productivity metrics and reporting via process improvements and technology support.

Common skills that a vice president, business operations uses to do their job include "business operations," "oversight," and "project management." You can find details on the most important vice president, business operations responsibilities below.

Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a vice president, business operations 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 vice president, business operations resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "conducted due diligence on multiple potential l-3 communications acquisitions. "

Leadership skills. Many vice president, business operations duties rely on leadership skills. "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources.," so a vice president, business operations will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways vice president, business operations responsibilities rely on leadership skills: "provided executive support, leadership, and sponsorship in deploying people, process, and technology across business operations. "

Problem-solving skills. vice president, business operations 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 vice presidents, business operations do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "resolved client service issues or escalated issue to a manager and or the vp of business operations. "

Time-management skills. Another common skill required for vice president, business operations responsibilities is "time-management skills." This skill comes up in the duties of vice presidents, business operations 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 vice president, business operations resume shows how this skill is central to what a vice president, business operations does: "apply strategic planning, prioritization, and project management skills toward consistently achieving critical deadlines. "

Most common vice president, business operations skills

Compare different vice presidents, business operations

Vice president, 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.

The annual salary of operations directors is $55,261 lower than the average salary of vice presidents, business operations.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both vice president, business operations and operations director positions are skilled in business operations, oversight, and project management.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between vice presidents, business operations and operations director. For instance, vice president, business operations responsibilities require skills such as "business strategy," "crm," "business processes," and "risk management." Whereas a operations director is skilled in "customer service," "continuous improvement," "patients," and "financial management." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Operations directors earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $120,460. On the other hand, vice presidents, business operations are paid more in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $162,798.operations directors tend to reach lower levels of education than vice presidents, business operations. In fact, operations directors are 7.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Vice president, business operations vs. Operations manager

Operations managers are in charge of running the main business of the organization. They ensure that the business is running smoothly from an operations standpoint. They make sure that the processes in place produce the necessary output by implementing quality control measures. They also manage finances and ensure that there is enough budget to keep the operations of the business running. They also ensure that the production of goods or services is cost-efficient. Operations managers also handle people-related concerns. They are responsible for interviewing candidates, choosing the ones to hire, and ensuring that individuals assigned to operations are properly trained.

A career as a operations manager brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a vice president, business operations. In fact, operations managers salary is $82,417 lower than the salary of vice presidents, business operations per year.A few skills overlap for vice presidents, business operations and operations managers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "business operations," "oversight," and "project management. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, vice president, business operations responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "business strategy," "crm," "business processes," and "risk management." Meanwhile, an operations manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "continuous improvement," "customer satisfaction," and "powerpoint." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Operations managers earn a lower average salary than vice presidents, business operations. But operations managers earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $96,779. Additionally, vice presidents, business operations earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $162,798 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Operations managers tend to reach lower levels of education than vice presidents, business operations. In fact, they're 12.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Vice president, business operations vs. Business director

Business directors are responsible for overseeing the development of an organization's business goals and objectives. They typically work to increase business revenue, identify and develop business opportunities, and expand the company's presence and its brands. Other duties and responsibilities may include establishing effective company policies, goals, and sales targets, overseeing financial and budgetary activities, and identifying ways to minimize cost and boost financial performance. Business directors are also expected to negotiate contracts with clients and suppliers and propose and develop new partnerships.

On average scale, business directors bring in lower salaries than vice presidents, business operations. In fact, they earn a $34,748 lower salary per year.vice presidents, business operations and business directors both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "business operations," "oversight," and "project management," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a vice president, business operations is likely to be skilled in "crm," "business processes," "performance management," and "shared services," while a typical business director is skilled in "healthcare," "customer service," "patients," and "medicare."

Business directors earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $129,623. Vice presidents, business operations earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $162,798.Most business directors achieve a similar degree level compared to vice presidents, business operations. For example, they're 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Vice president, business operations vs. Business partner

A business partner is an individual who is involved in a legal business partnership with other individuals to manage a business as co-owners. Business partners invest their money into the business, and each partner benefits from any profits and sustains part of any losses. They must file with the state in which they do business and are governed mostly by state laws. Business partners can also be either liable or not for the actions taken by the company.

Business partners average a lower salary than the annual salary of vice presidents, business operations. The difference is about $62,987 per year.According to resumes from vice presidents, business operations and business partners, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "business operations," "project management," and "business strategy. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A vice president, business operations uses "oversight," "business processes," "risk management," and "product development." Business partners are more likely to have duties that require skills in "analytics," "customer service," "excellent interpersonal," and "healthcare. "The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for business partners, with average annual pay of $94,676. Comparatively, the highest vice president, business operations annual salary comes from the manufacturing industry.business partners reach similar levels of education compared to vice presidents, business operations, in general. The difference is that they're 4.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of vice president, 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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