In today's fast-paced business world, operations managers need more than just traditional command-and-control skills. Insights from a Harvard Business Review article show that agility, trust, and tech-savviness are now crucial in management.
If you're looking for your next job as an operations manager or changing industries, your resume should highlight your ability to make independent decisions and adapt to the constantly shifting landscape of supply and demand.
This guide will help you build a resume that shines a light on your strengths and gives you confidence you can meet today's job market expectations.
Key takeaways
- Emphasize your ability to adapt to changing business landscapes and proficiency with modern technology and tools.
- Demonstrate your capacity for making autonomous decisions that positively impact operations and business outcomes.
- Use specific metrics to illustrate your accomplishments, such as percentage improvements in efficiency, cost reductions, or productivity gains.
- Customize your resume to align with the job description, using relevant keywords and focusing on experiences that match the company's needs.
- Highlight your experience in working with various teams and departments to drive strategic initiatives and achieve common goals.
- List certifications like Lean Six Sigma, PMP, or CPIM to underscore your specialized knowledge and commitment to professional growth.
Pressed for time? Feel free to use our ready-made template below.
Operations manager resume sample
This operations manager resume sample contains all the information recruiters may want to know about you. Simply replace the content with your own details.
James Tyler
Manufacturing operations manager
tyler@enhancv.com @LinkedIn Foley, AL
Summary
CPIM-certified professional with over 8 years in manufacturing operations, specializing in driving process improvements, team leadership, and customer satisfaction. Proven track record in managing production requirements, developing high-performing teams, and fostering strong cross-functional collaborations. Adept at influencing business objectives and implementing continuous improvement methodologies.
Experience
Manager, Manufacturing Operations
Boeing, Seattle, WA
January 2015 — Present
- Managed daily operations, ensuring production goals were met and addressing any deviations with corrective actions.
- Served as a key liaison between the company and external customers, representing the organization internally and externally.
- Led and developed a high-performing team, providing coaching and professional development opportunities.
- Collaborated with business development, strategy, and engineering teams to identify and secure new business opportunities.
- Implemented lean manufacturing and continuous improvement practices, enhancing operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
- Ensured adherence to customer quality, delivery, and cost requirements.
- Optimized material processes, scheduling, and inventory management.
Operations Supervisor
General Electric Aviation, Cincinnati, OH
June 2010 - December 2014
- Supervised a team of 30 in the production of aerospace components, ensuring compliance with industry standards and company policies.
- Developed and implemented process improvements that reduced waste and increased efficiency by 15%.
- Coordinated with quality assurance teams to address and resolve production issues.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Graduated: May 2010
- Coursework in Manufacturing Processes and Systems & Lean Manufacturing Principles
Certifications
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (ASQ — American Society for Quality)
- Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE) (SME — Society of Manufacturing Engineers)
Skills
- Manufacturing Operations Management
- Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement (CORE, QCPC)
- Team Leadership and Development
- Customer Relationship Management
- Strategic Planning and Business Development
- Inventory Management and Optimization
- Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Excel)
Languages
- English (Fluent)
- Spanish (Conversational)
For those who prefer to build their resume from scratch, we provide all the necessary details in the sections below.
How to format an operations manager resume
For operations managers, the best resume format is typically the reverse-chronological. This structure highlights your most recent and relevant work experience first, making it easier for recruiters to see your career progression and the impact you've made in previous roles.
Given that operations management often involves specific skills and achievements, the reverse-chronological resume allows you to underscore all your qualifications. Plus, it’s easily read by both applicant tracking systems (ATS) and hiring managers.
Our tests show that fonts, colors, columns, and resume length generally don't affect ATS parsing. Focus on clear formatting details like dates and bullet symbols, as these can impact how the software reads your resume. A well-organized resume not only helps with ATS but is also appreciated by busy hiring managers.
So, let’s delve into the details of resume writing.
Resume order
When creating a reverse-chronological resume, ensure the sections are arranged in a logical, predictable order:
- Header
- Summary
- Professional Experience
- Education & Certifications
- Skills & Area of Expertise
- Special Achievements
Design tips for operations manager resumes
- Use standard margins (0.5-1") to keep your resume neat and readable.
- Consider a double-column layout to effectively present your managerial skills and notable achievements.
- Opt for traditional fonts in sizes 10-12 pt and use subtle color accents to maintain a professional look.
- Strive to keep your resume concise, ideally one page, to demonstrate your efficiency and ability to communicate key information succinctly. However, if you have more than 10 years of experience, a 2-page document works great, too.
Contact information
- Place your name, phone number, and professional email in the resume header. Ensure your job title is aligned with the role you're seeking, and consider adding a brief headline that describes your area of expertise.
- Include a link to your LinkedIn profile to highlight your professional connections and relevant achievements.
- Omit a photo to keep the focus on your skills and experience and to reduce potential biases.
File format
- Name your resume file clearly, for example, "JordanSmithOperationsManagerResume.pdf."
- Save your resume as a PDF unless the job posting requests a different format.
Use our resume-checking tool to see how well your current resume performs with applicant tracking systems.
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With all the finer details in place, let's move on to discussing your most prominent resume section—your work experience.
How to write your operations manager resume experience
Perfecting the experience section of your resume is key for operations managers because it shows the real difference you’ve made in business outcomes. However, merely listing responsibilities isn’t the way to go.
Instead, you want to tailor your resume to fit your target job. The key is to identify the overlap between your experience and the company’s needs, and then highlight them to your advantage.
Creating a targeted resume experience section
Do some research on your target company. What are their goals? What are the biggest challenges they're dealing with? How can you help them?
A targeted resume is one that is customized specifically for the job you want. It uses keywords from the job description to guide your content, underlining your most relevant projects and achievements, along with precise metrics and data to support your claims.
Below, we demonstrate how to adapt an experience section to match a real-world operations manager job description.
Operations manager
Responsibilities
- Implement innovation initiatives across the region while working with the IPM Manager, Directors, and district leadership to execute the region’s strategy.
- Plan, organize, and oversee adoption of innovations across functional teams to deliver defined objectives and meet company strategic objectives.
- Develop processes, workflows, and trainings to ensure usage consistency among teams throughout the region.
- Develop district OKRs that drive national and regional KPI results.
- Develop reports to identify and assess areas of opportunity for improved process efficiencies and performance.
- Monitor performance trends to drive meeting or exceeding targeted results.
- Maintain knowledge of technology in use and/or innovations under development for its impact or potential impact on the operational business process
- Engage regional cross-functional teams and national Business Process Improvement teams with strong collaboration and effective communication for process improvement & OKR/KPI attainment.
Education/Certifications
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience required
- Master of Business Administration preferred
Experience/Minimum Requirements
- Minimum 5 years of telecommunications experience or equivalent work experience required
- Minimum 5 years of project management experience with measured results
- Experience with Six Sigma, Lean Principles and/or PMP a plus but not required
Other Skills/Abilities
- Must have strong cross-functional collaboration skills and demonstrated ability to successfully influence other cross-functional teams from managers to individual contributors.
- The ideal candidate will possess both an expertise in reporting and analytics as well as an understanding of workflows, customer needs, and underlying technology
- He/she must exhibit the ability to assess the priority and severity of issues by understanding business objectives, technical costs, and user needs as well as weigh alternatives for resolution.
- Ability to diagnose workflow problems and institute remedies.
Here’s the targeted experience section:
05/2016 - 08/2022 
- •Implemented innovation initiatives across the region, collaborating with IPM Manager and district leadership to execute regional strategies, resulting in a 25% improvement in process efficiency.
- •Organized and oversaw the adoption of innovations across functional teams, achieving a 20% increase in project delivery speed.
- •Developed and standardized processes, workflows, and training programs, which contributed to a 30% reduction in operational inconsistencies.
- •Established district OKRs aligned with national and regional KPIs, leading to a 15% increase in key performance indicator results.
- •Created comprehensive reports to identify and assess opportunities for process improvements, which led to a 10% increase in overall performance.
- •Monitored performance trends, using data-driven insights to ensure targets were met or exceeded, including achieving a 5% above-target performance in key areas.
This entry incorporates keywords like "process efficiency" and "OKRs," aligning well with the provided job description. What’s more, the quantified achievements further highlight the candidate's successes in the role.
As you can see, using numbers helps solidify your image as a well-rounded professional. In the following section of the guide, we'll provide some ideas on how you can quantify your impact on a resume.
Quantified achievements on a resume
Just like how metrics and KPIs gauge business performance, using numbers and results on your resume spotlights your impact. For operations managers, think of it as showing how you streamlined processes or cut costs—it's all about making your achievements clear and easy to grasp. Here’s what you can focus on:
- Mention percentage reductions in costs, such as cutting operational expenses by 15% through process improvements.
- Quantify increases in efficiency, like boosting production line output by 20% after implementing new systems.
- Specify the financial impact of projects, such as saving the company $500,000 annually through improved supply chain management.
- Include data on time savings, for example, reducing order processing time by 30% with streamlined workflows.
- Highlight any growth in key performance indicators (KPIs), such as a 10% increase in customer satisfaction scores due to better service delivery.
One final tip is to avoid listing every workplace you've ever worked in. Limit your work history to the past 10 years and focus on including experiences that are directly relevant to the job and industry you're targeting. This approach keeps your resume concise and focused.
We encourage people to go to meetings, hand out their resume, and start to build a network among the operations management profession. The best way to break into the profession is to build a professional network. A lot of the time, this can and does lead to a job interview.
Eric Schaudt, Manager of Operations Programs, Material Planning and Analysis at Northrop Grumman
Next, we'll cover how to best describe your managerial skills on your resume.
Operations manager skills on a resume
operations managers should emphasize a range of abilities, including both their existing expertise and the skills they are actively developing. The latter is paramount, as the job demands staying current on a variety of areas and technologies.
To move forward in the hiring process, feature your key competencies in a dedicated section. When selecting which skills to go in, prioritize those that align with the job description keywords. This approach helps recruiters quickly see your suitability for the role.
Here are some common hard skills found on operations manager resumes:
Best hard skills for your operations manager resume
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
- Lean Six Sigma methodologies
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software
- Supply Chain Management (SCM) software
- Data analysis tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)
- Inventory management systems
- Project management software (e.g., Asana, Trello, Microsoft Project)
- Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) systems
- Automation software (e.g., RPA tools)
- Workforce management systems
- Business Intelligence (BI) tools
- Warehouse management systems
- Quality management systems (QMS)
- Predictive analytics software
- Logistics management software
- Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) tools
- Vendor management systems
- Time tracking software
- Procurement software
- Performance management systems
When listing skills, don’t just enumerate them but provide short descriptions or put them in context. Many Enhnacv users prefer to put tools and technologies under their experience entries where they add more weight to previous roles.
The same applies to your soft skills; they should be backed by evidence. For instance, if you list "time management" as a skill, include a brief description in your Strengths or Achievements section, such as: "Managed operations for 3 departments, leading to a 17% increase in production goals in the last quarter."
Take a look at these common people skills on an operations management resume:
Best soft skills for your operations manager resume
- Leadership
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Time management
- Team collaboration
- Decision-making
- Adaptability
- Strategic thinking
- Conflict resolution
- Attention to detail
- Critical thinking
- Negotiation
- Organizational skills
- Customer focus
- Project management
- Stress management
- Multitasking
- Process improvement
- Emotional intelligence
- Delegation
Another way to enhance your resume is by adding relevant education and certifications. They help you underline your specialized knowledge and commitment to professional growth in operations management.
How to list your education and certifications on your resume
Operations management is a field where your educational background can make a big difference. In this role, having at least a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field is often expected, with many professionals also pursuing advanced degrees. This is why it's important to perfect the education section of your resume.
It should include:
- Your degree and major (e.g., B.A. in Business Administration)
- The name of the university and the year of graduation
- Relevant coursework or projects
- Any honors, awards, or distinctions
Here’s an example tailored to the operations manager role we've been discussing.
2006 - 2010 - •Coursework in Manufacturing Processes and Systems, Lean Manufacturing Principles
This entry is relevant to the job opening, but what if your academic background doesn't align with the requirements? In that case, emphasize your professional certifications, which can often carry more weight than your education.
Here are some specific examples of operations management credentials:
Best certifications for an operations manager resume
With your certifications validating your key skills, let's focus on crafting an impressive resume summary that sets you apart as an operations manager.
How to write your operations manager resume summary
The summary section of your operations manager resume provides a quick overview of your skills and achievements. Here are the essential elements for an impactful resume summary:
- Start with your professional title and years of experience in operations management.
- Highlight key skills and accomplishments and support them with concrete examples.
- Mention your familiarity with relevant technologies and methodologies, like ERP systems and Lean Six Sigma.
- Keep it concise with 3-5 strong sentences, using powerful adjectives to describe your achievements, and avoid using the first-person perspective.
Here’s an example summary tailored to the operations manager role we discussed earlier.
This summary clearly highlights key skills like process optimization and team leadership, which are crucial for an operations manager. It also includes quantifiable achievements, like a 15% increase in production efficiency, and recruiters can easily see the candidate's value and impact.
Only what gets measured, gets managed.
Peter Drucker, management consultant
With the main points covered and the numbers adding up, it's time to gear down and explore the optional sections of your resume, where you can add those extra touches that make you a standout operations manager.
Additional sections for an operations manager resume
Optional sections can be a great way to highlight unique aspects of your background that distinguish you from other candidates. Include these only if space allows or if they add value to the target job.
- Professional affiliations: List memberships in industry organizations, such as APICS or the Institute for Supply Management, to show your engagement with the field.
- Volunteer experience: Include relevant volunteer work, especially if it involves leadership or mentoring aspiring managers.
- Language skills: Mention any additional languages you speak, particularly if they’re relevant to the company's global operations.
- Publications or speaking engagements: Highlight any articles you've written or presentations you've given on industry-related topics. This demonstrates thought leadership and expertise.
In conclusion
This guide is all about helping operations managers craft an impressive resume by highlighting key skills, achievements, and relevant certifications. It also emphasizes the importance of tailoring your resume to fit the specific industry or job you're aiming for, making sure you underline the qualifications that matter most. With a well-structured resume, you'll be set to make a great impression on potential employers.
Operations Manager resume examples
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