An operations manager is responsible for making sure the day-to-day machinery of a business runs efficiently — managing processes, teams, budgets, and supplier relationships. They report to a COO or General Manager and often sit at the intersection of multiple departments. A typical week includes reviewing KPIs, resolving workflow bottlenecks, running team standups, and working on process improvement projects. Manufacturing, logistics, retail, healthcare, and tech companies all rely heavily on ops managers.
Rachel Ndungu
Operations Manager
📍 Manchester, UK✉️ rachel.ndungu@email.com
Summary
Operations Manager with 8 years of experience streamlining logistics and supply chain operations for FMCG and e-commerce businesses. Delivered £5M+ in operational savings through process excellence and team leadership.
Operations Manager CVs must show measurable improvements. Recruiters want to see specific metrics: throughput improvements, cost reductions, error rate decreases, and efficiency gains.
Key Skills to Include
Supply chain management, process optimisation, Lean Six Sigma, workforce planning, KPI dashboards, vendor management, health and safety compliance, and budget management.
Common Mistakes
Writing about maintaining operations rather than improving them. "Oversaw warehouse operations" is a duty. "Implemented Lean Six Sigma reducing picking errors by 42%" is an achievement.
Formatting Tips
Two pages maximum. Lead with a summary that states your operational scope and biggest improvement metric.
Average Salary — Operations Manager
United States
$75,000 – $120,000
United Kingdom
$55,000 – $88,000
Germany
$55,000 – $85,000
UAE / Dubai
$60,000 – $100,000
Canada
$68,000 – $105,000
Australia
$80,000 – $115,000
Figures in USD. Ranges reflect mid-level experience (3–7 years). Senior roles and major metro areas typically sit at the top of these bands.
Top 5 Interview Questions — Operations Manager
1Tell me about a process you improved that had a measurable impact on the business.
Lead with the problem, your solution, and the result — give numbers. Cycle time reduced by 30%, cost saved by $200K, headcount avoided. Quantifiable outcomes are what land in operations roles.
2How do you manage underperforming teams or departments?
Show a structured approach — diagnosis before judgment. Talk about data review, direct conversations, support structures, and clear expectations before escalating to HR.
3Walk me through how you would implement a new operational process across a 50-person team.
Cover stakeholder buy-in, documentation, training, rollout phasing, and feedback loops. Change management is as important as the process design itself in this type of question.
4How do you manage a budget and what do you do when you're tracking over spend?
Talk about how you structure budget tracking, the cadence of your reviews, and the specific levers you pull when you're overspending. Show you're proactive, not reactive.
5Describe a time you had to make a tough operational call with incomplete information.
Show decisiveness balanced with humility. Walk through what information you had, what you did to fill gaps quickly, and how you managed the risk of being wrong.
How to Tailor Your CV
Amazon, DHL, NHS, Marks & Spencer, and fast-growing tech companies like Deliveroo all hire operations managers regularly. Amazon operations roles are highly process-driven — Lean, Six Sigma, and familiarity with metrics like DPMO and OEE are a real advantage. NHS and healthcare want compliance experience and staff management at scale. Logistics companies want warehouse or supply chain operations experience specifically. Retail and e-commerce businesses want someone with seasonal scaling experience and strong vendor management.