Operations Manager Resume Example and KPIs

Operations managers keep the work running every day, which makes the role hard to describe on paper. Hiring managers want to know what you run, such as a plant, a distribution center, a service team or a group of locations, how many people report to you, the budget you own and which numbers improved because of your decisions. Safety, quality, delivery, cost and staffing are the usual measures.

This example is for an operations manager with ten years of experience in distribution and packaging manufacturing. Managers in healthcare, hospitality, retail or service businesses can keep the structure and use the measures their leaders track, such as patient wait times, guest satisfaction or cost per order. If your work is mostly time-bound projects, the project manager example may fit better.

Use This Example Browse Templates

Recommended resume format for an operations manager

Reverse-chronological, one or two pages. Open each role with a line on scope: the site or function, headcount, number of shifts and budget. Follow it with improvements to safety, quality, delivery and cost. One page works for most managers with a few years in leadership; longer careers can follow the two-page resume guide.

Operations manager resume example

This example is fictional: the name, employers and numbers are invented to show structure and wording. It uses the Professional template. Replace every detail with your own, truthful information.

Preview of the operations manager example in the Professional template.

Operations Manager resume text

Rebecca Stone
Operations Manager
rebecca.stone@example.com | (555) 036-5541 | Indianapolis, IN | linkedin.com/in/rebecca-stone-example

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Operations manager with 10 years of experience leading manufacturing and distribution operations. Runs a 140-employee packaging plant across 2 shifts with 4 supervisors and an $18 million operating budget. Accountable for safety, quality, on-time delivery and cost per unit, and uses lean and Six Sigma methods to make improvements that last.

WORK EXPERIENCE
Operations Manager | Feb 2021 – Present
Circle City Packaging | Indianapolis, IN
- Lead daily operations for a 140-employee packaging plant running 2 shifts, managing 4 supervisors and an $18 million annual operating budget.
- Raised on-time, in-full delivery from 88% to 97% in 18 months by introducing daily production meetings and a visual schedule board.
- Cut overtime hours by 22% through cross-training and a shift staffing model based on customer order forecasts.
- Reduced recordable injuries from 7 to 2 a year by leading weekly safety walks and closing every hazard report within 10 days.

Operations Supervisor | Jul 2016 – Jan 2021
Wabash Valley Distribution | Lafayette, IN
- Supervised 35 associates on the inbound and inventory teams of a 400,000-square-foot regional distribution center.
- Led a Six Sigma project that lowered receiving errors by 45% and saved about $120,000 a year in chargebacks and rework.
- Built a weekly KPI report on productivity, accuracy and labor cost that leadership adopted for all 3 departments.

SKILLS
Operations: Operations planning, KPI management, Budget management, Workforce planning, Safety programs, Vendor management
Improvement methods: Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S, Root cause analysis
Systems: SAP, Microsoft Excel, Power BI, UKG

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management | May 2016
Indiana University | Bloomington, IN

CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB) | Sep 2020
ASQ

Start from this example in the builder, then replace the details with your own. It opens as a new resume saved on your device.

Use This Example

Operations manager resume summary examples

Give the type of operation you run, the size of your team and budget, and the measures you are responsible for. A hiring manager should be able to tell within a few seconds whether your environment is close to theirs.

Manufacturing operationsOperations manager with 10 years in packaging manufacturing and distribution. Leads 140 employees across 2 shifts, owns an $18 million budget and raised on-time delivery to 97%.
Multi-site service operationsOperations manager overseeing 6 service locations and 85 employees, responsible for staffing, customer satisfaction scores, vendor contracts and a $9 million budget.
Healthcare operationsClinic operations manager for a 12-provider practice, leading front desk and support staff and managing patient scheduling, supply spending and vendor relationships.
Supervisor moving upOperations supervisor with 5 years of experience leading 30 associates in a distribution center, ready for an operations manager role. Runs daily KPI meetings and has completed a Six Sigma Green Belt project.

More ideas: resume summary examples.

Skills for an operations manager resume

Operations postings combine leadership, process improvement and systems. List the methods you have used to deliver results, the systems you work in and the parts of the operation you own, such as staffing, safety or budget.

Leadership

Supervisor development
Shift and workforce planning
Hiring and coaching
Performance management
Labor relations

Process improvement

Lean
Six Sigma
5S
Root cause analysis
Standard work
Value stream mapping

Performance measures

Total recordable incident rate (TRIR)
On-time delivery
Scrap and quality rates
Labor productivity
Cost per unit

Systems

SAP
Oracle NetSuite
Microsoft Excel
Power BI
UKG
Warehouse management systems

See the resume skills guide for how to choose and present skills.

Operations manager experience bullet point examples

Operations bullets should name the measure, the starting point, the result and how you got there. Safety, quality, delivery, cost and people metrics all count, and so does a recurring problem you solved for good.

Opened a second production shift in 10 weeks, hiring and training 38 employees to support a new customer contract.
Lowered scrap from 4.1% to 2.6% by standardizing changeover procedures and adding first-piece quality checks.
Negotiated freight and packaging supply contracts that saved $310,000 a year without lowering service levels.
Cut annual employee turnover from 48% to 31% with a structured onboarding plan and monthly one-on-ones between supervisors and their teams.
Moved daily performance reporting from paper to a Power BI dashboard that supervisors review at the start of every shift.
Led the site through an ISO 9001 surveillance audit with no major findings.

Education section guidance

Operations managers often hold a bachelor's degree in business, supply chain management or industrial engineering, though many reach the role by moving up from supervisor positions. List your degree after your experience.

If you moved up without a degree, your record of leadership and measurable improvement matters more. Add relevant training, such as lean or Six Sigma courses, in a short Certifications or Training section.

Certifications and licenses for an operations manager resume

Few operations manager jobs require a certification, but process improvement and supply chain credentials can support your experience. List the full name, the issuing organization and the year, and describe it in a bullet only if you used it on a real project.

Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB) or Black Belt (CSSBB), from ASQ
Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM), from ASCM
Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), from ASCM
Project Management Professional (PMP), for managers who also lead large projects
OSHA 30-Hour General Industry training, for manufacturing and warehouse settings

Common operations manager resume mistakes

Duties instead of results. "Responsible for daily operations" could describe any manager. Say what improved, by how much and over what period.
Leaving out scope. Headcount, shifts, sites and budget tell a reviewer the level you work at. Put them in the first bullet of each role.
Taking credit for everything. Use verbs that show what you led and what you supported, and be ready to explain how each improvement happened.
Unexplained internal terms. If you are changing industries, replace company-specific names and acronyms with plain descriptions so the reader understands your results.

ATS tips for an operations manager resume

Use the title from the posting, such as "Operations Manager" or "Site Operations Manager", when it matches your work.
Spell out terms once, such as "key performance indicators (KPIs)" and "Lean Six Sigma".
Name your systems, such as "SAP" or "Oracle NetSuite", instead of writing "ERP system".
Include measures from the posting, such as "on-time delivery" or "labor productivity", when you have improved them.
Keep each role's location and dates in the same format on every line.

Check your draft with the free ATS Resume Checker, which shows your resume completeness and the plain text an applicant tracking system reads.

Helpful resume guides

Operations manager resume FAQ

What is the difference between an operations manager and a project manager?

A project manager leads work with a defined start and finish, such as a new building or a system rollout. An operations manager runs the ongoing work of a site, team or service and improves it over time. Many operations managers also lead projects, so include those as bullets.

How do I show leadership on an operations resume?

Give the number of people and supervisors you lead, then show results that came from developing them, such as lower turnover, cross-training or promotions from within.

Should I list Lean or Six Sigma training?

Yes, if you completed it. Name the program and the issuing organization, and describe a project where you used it.

How do I move from supervisor to operations manager?

Show the parts of the operation you already own, such as a shift, a budget line or a key measure, and the improvements you led. A summary that names the role you want also helps.

Operations Manager Resume Example