operations manager
Operations managers plan, oversee and coordinate the daily operations of production of goods and provision of services. They also formulate and implement company policies and plan the use of human resources and materials.
operations manager operations managers plan, oversee and coordinate the daily operations of production of goods and provision of services. They also formulate and implement company policies and plan the use of human resources and materials. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include operations management, corporate social responsibility, project management, quality standards, energy conservation.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £58,640 a year for Production managers and directors in manufacturing (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £42,885 to £85,000 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 1121). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Managers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only operations manager, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 1. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
8 open listings on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Administrative
- Economics and Accounting
What you'd actually do
- Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.
- Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
- Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
- Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
- Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
- Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does operations manager do?
Operations managers plan, oversee and coordinate the daily operations of production of goods and provision of services. They also formulate and implement company policies and plan the use of human resources and materials.
What skills does operations manager need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include operations management, corporate social responsibility, project management, quality standards, energy conservation, supply chain management. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace operations manager?
Our AI-durability model gives operations manager a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.