Who is an operations manager and how to become one in 2025

Companies aiming for stable growth, high profitability, and cost reduction cannot do without specialists capable of managing internal processes. The key figure in the structure is the business process coordinator. Such a specialist ensures the smoothness of daily operations, is responsible for coordination between departments, and monitors the efficiency of task execution.

Understanding who an operations manager is allows one to view the business as a system where there are no random actions. It is the operations manager who coordinates work in such a way that every detail of the mechanism moves synchronously.

What Does an Operations Manager Do?

The main task is organizing and controlling the execution of technical processes. These include production, logistics, supply, customer service, as well as internal company functions: from IT to accounting. Such a specialist manages the flow of information, resources, and tasks between departments. They eliminate bottlenecks, identify failures, establish regulations, and monitor compliance with quality standards.

The work is not limited to current tasks. It includes strategic planning, implementing changes, and ensuring the sustainability of the business model in uncertain conditions. This position is for those who think systematically and are ready to manage under high responsibility.

Who Is an Operations Manager: Specialist’s Responsibilities

To better understand the functionality, it is worth considering the key areas that the specialist works with every day. Responsibilities are distributed among several directions:

• Monitoring daily operations and troubleshooting;
• Implementing and adjusting regulations;
• Analyzing business processes and optimizing them;
• Working with suppliers and logistics partners;
• Cost management, efficiency calculation, and margin control;
• Setting indicators, monitoring plan execution;
• Interacting with the IT team and participating in automation;
• Staff planning, motivation, task allocation.

Only when all blocks are balanced can a specialist ensure the stable operation of the company. What should an operations manager know? Everything becomes evident from the set of functions — a connecting link, controller, analyst, and crisis coordinator in one person.

Why Is the Profession Becoming More and More in Demand?

Technological development, automation, and global competition force companies to adapt promptly. Organizational efficiency comes to the forefront. Leaders increasingly seek specialists who can not only administer processes but also implement optimal practices. The labor market is seeing an increased demand for those who understand the internal workings of a business and can improve them daily.

Understanding who an operations manager is not only helps build a career but also participate in the transformation of a company. The ability to build processes, manage quality, and optimize supply chains becomes a strategic advantage for any business.

Skills Required for a Specialist

To successfully handle responsibilities, a specialist needs a broad set of practical and analytical skills. The most important ones are considered to be:

• Systems thinking and results orientation;
• Knowledge of lean production principles and cost optimization;
• Experience with KPIs and analytics;
• Understanding of logistics chains and resource planning;
• Skills in working with CRM, ERP, and BI systems;
• Risk management and troubleshooting skills;
• Ability to manage a team and build communications.

Without competencies, it is impossible to build a sustainable system. Anyone who wants to understand who an operations manager is should study not only the theory but also real cases of managing complex structures.

Building a Career: Step-by-Step Strategy

To become a coordinator of internal operations, it is important to develop a consistent path. It can start from an analytical or coordinator position and gradually lead to a director role.

You can build a career within a large company, in process outsourcing agencies, logistics centers, manufacturing clusters, or startups. The path may involve obtaining economic or technical education, working in related fields, mastering project and team management, participating in company transformation initiatives, advancing qualifications in business analysis, process management, LEAN methodology, and more.

The career of an operations manager requires flexibility and readiness to work under stressful conditions. But those who persevere gain real influence on the company’s results.

Where Can You Work: Directions and Sectors

Understanding who an operations manager is allows you to assess the universality of the profession. A successful specialist is in demand in various industries — from logistics and retail to IT and manufacturing. Flexibility in skills and the ability to manage processes make such a role crucial in any company. Among popular directions are:

• Logistics and transportation companies;
• Manufacturing enterprises;
• Retail chains and e-commerce;
• Delivery services and fulfillment centers;
• Pharmaceuticals and food production;
• Hotels and resorts;
• Telecommunications and IT companies;
• Educational and medical institutions;
• Consulting agencies.

An operations manager can start from an entry-level position and grow to become a department or branch manager. The broader the skill set, the higher the chance of occupying a position in a promising industry.

Salary and Growth Prospects

As of 2025, entry-level positions offer salaries ranging from 60 to 100 thousand rubles per month. The average level in Moscow and major cities is 130–200 thousand. Department heads and directors earn from 250 to 500 thousand rubles. Much depends on the industry, responsibilities, task volume, and geography.

An operations manager’s salary is based on results: how much costs are reduced, deadlines are met, and indicators have improved. Where a person directly impacts profit, they will always be in demand.

So Who Is an Operations Manager?

To answer the question, one needs to understand one thing: the specialist manages not people but the logic of the system. Their work begins where order, stability, speed, and results are needed. A career in the field requires discipline, flexibility, and a systematic approach. But those who choose this path gain a profession capable of changing the business from within and making it competitive anywhere in the world.