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Which Operations job titles make sense for you and your team?
I reviewed Operations job titles searched for by candidates (and employers!) and my findings are below. This mini-report is the latest chapter in Ongig’s Job Titles: The Definitive Guide.
Below you’ll find:
- What is Operations? — Best practices on roles and department names.
- Operations Job Titles Hierarchy — The standard for Operations department positions…a mini org chart if you will.
- The 20 Most Searched-For Operations Titles — A pie chart of the top 20 Operations positions that candidates search for on Google.
- Operations Job Titles and Descriptions — A list of the top 11 Operations job titles and descriptions that employers request.
What is Operations?
Operations positions make an organization run smoothly. Here is a simple definition from Operations Job Titles Explained (Monster) article.
“…an Operations employee contributes to making an employer’s wheels run less expensively with fewer squeaks and bumps.”
Most large companies have an Operations department and usually, it is simply called “Operations”. That’s the approach taken at leading companies (both old and new) such as:
- JPMorgan Chase
- AT&T
- Fastly
However, some companies have Operations positions with slightly different names, often overlapping related teams such as Project & Program Management or Supply Chain & Logistics departments. After scouring the career pages of top public companies we found:
- Walmart refers to its Operations roles as “Business Operations”
- Popular online fitness company Peloton Interactive has a combined approach with “Operations & Logistics”
- Facebook uses “Global Operations”, which includes both Marketing & Project Management Roles
- Uber uses “Operations & Launch” which encompasses Product Launch, Business Operations, and Strategy
- UnitedHealth Group, being in the medical industry, uses “Clinical Operations”
You will notice that depending on the size of a company and the industry it serves, job categories may vary. Operations and Administrative jobs are also a common overlap. You can read about their similarities, and differences, in The Top 20 Administrative Job Titles [with Descriptions].
Operations Job Titles Hierarchy
Here’s a typical org chart of Operations position titles.
- Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Chief Operations Officer, President & COO, Executive VP of Operations
- VP of Operations – Vice President of Operations, SVP Operations, VP Business Operations, Operations Management, VP of Finance & Operations,
- Director of Operations – Operations Director, Business Operations Director, Team Lead Operations, Director of Business Operations, Senior Director Business Operations, Strategy & Operations Leader
- Operations Manager – Business Operations Manager, Office Operations Manager, Operations Supervisor, General Manager of Operations
- Individual Contributors – Operations Coordinator, Operations Specialist, Operations Analyst, Operations Engineer, Process Engineer, Program Manager, Project Manager, Business Operations Specialist, Operations Technician, Operations Consultant.
- Entry Level – Operations Intern, Operations Management Trainee, Operations Assistant, Global Operations Intern, Entry Level Operations Analyst.
Here’s a little more texture on each of the 6 levels of Operations roles:
Job Titles for Operations Leaders
Operations usually reports into the Operations team run by the Chief Operations Officer.
Examples of job titles for Operations leaders include:
- Chief Operating Officer (Facebook, Beyond Meat)
- President and COO (Salesforce)
- Executive Vice President (EVP) of Global Operations (Microsoft has 2 business line leaders with such EVP Ops-related titles)
- Chief Operations Officer (TechCrunch uses)
- Chief Technology & Operations Officer (Docusign)
- Chief Legal & Operations Officer (Eventbrite)
- Co-Founder/Operations (Keep Truckin’)
VP of Operations Titles
Examples of Operations Vice President titles commonly used include:
- Vice President of Operations (Zeus Living uses)
- VP Global Operations
- Vice President and Head of Global Operations (Facebook)
- VP Commerce Business & Operations (Facebook)
- Operations Management Executive
- Senior VP of Operations
- EVP Strategic Business Operations (Salesforce) (an EVP is usuall the #1 Operations person but in Salesforce’s case, it’s the #2 Ops role because Salesforce has a President and COO)
- SVP Operations (Sprout Social, Inc.)
- SVP Growth & Operations (Splunk)
- Head of Operations (Keep Truckin’)
- Head of People and Operations (VSC)
- Head of Business Operations (Juniper Square)
Director of Operations Titles
Here are some of the top most used Operations director titles:
- Director of Operations
- Operations Management Lead
- Director Business Operations
- Continuous Improvement Lead (Cargill uses)
- Director of International Operations (Spin)
- Business Operations Director
- Assistant Director Operations
- Senior Director Business Operations (Beyond Meat)
- Strategy & Operations Leader (Slack)
Operations Manager Titles
There are numerous Operations Manager alternative titles to use. Here are some examples:
- Operations Manager
- Sr. Manager Business Operations & Strategy (SurveyMonkey uses)
- Manager of Operations
- Operations Supervisor (DoorDash)
- Office Operations Manager
- General Manager of Operations
- Account Operations Manager
- Senior Manager Business Operations (Slack)
Individual Contributor Operations Titles
When you get to the individual contributor level of Operations positions, there is more granularity.
- Operations Coordinator
- Continuous Improvement Consultant
- Senior Process Engineer (Tesla uses)
- Operations Analyst
- Business Operations Specialist
- Operations Associate
- Logistician (Salesforce)
- Operations Management Consultant
- Operations Engineer (Facebook)
- Operations Geologist
- Business Operations Associate (Linkedin)
- Operations Tech
- Operations Management Officer
Entry-Level Operations Job Titles
Examples of entry-level Operations titles include:
- Operations Management Trainee
- Global Operations Intern (Facebook)
- Operations Administrative Assistant
- Operations Management Intern
- Entry Level Operations Project Manager
- Business Operations Intern
- Strategy & Operations Intern (Salesforce)
- Operations Admin Assistant
- Operations Intern
- Entry Level Operations Analyst
- Operations Assistant
Top Operations Job Titles (Candidates)
Below is a list of the top 20 Operations job titles based on Google queries we found on ahrefs.
Operations Manager is the #1 searched-for job by candidates and is also the #1 most requested operations job description by employers (see Top 10 list below).
Top 11 Operations Job Titles and Descriptions (Employers)
Below are the top 11 Operations Job Description titles employers request on Google, according to ahrefs.
I’ve included a brief description for each as well as the # of job title searches per month by employers.
Operations Manager
An Operations Manager is a key upper-level manager that leads company efficiency and productivity. The duties of an Operations Manager are:
- Overseeing financial information and budgets
- Managing staffing and workflow processes
- Overseeing supply chain and inventory control
- Creating company-wide policies
- Developing long-term excellence initiatives
# of job title searches per month: 8,300
COO
A COO, also known as a Chief Operating Officer, manages the day-to-day operations and logistics of an organization. As a senior executive, a COO works directly with the Chief Executive Officer to implement strategies and projects to help the business run smoothly. A COO manages major company-wide changes and communicates across departments to ensure proper workflow.
# of job title searches per month: 3,200; Chief Operating Officer: 1,700; Chief Operations Officer: 250; Head of Operations: 150
Director of Operations
A Director of Operations is sometimes known as the COO in larger organizations. A Director of Operations helps senior management develop long-term business strategies and manages the planning of department budgets and objectives. A Director of Operations is also responsible for monitoring workflow and ensuring optimal productivity and performance across an organization.
# of job title searches per month: 3,200; Operations Director: 250
Operations Coordinator
An Operations Coordinator works with an Operations Manager to ensure the goals, meetings, and schedules of each department work in harmony. Daily duties of an Operations Coordinator include:
- Conflict resolution
- Planning and scheduling projects
- Sending internal communications
- Managing the Operations Manager’s schedule
- Creating departmental presentations
# of job title searches per month: 700
Operations Analyst
An Operations Analyst conducts research and analyzes workflow processes to improve business procedures. An Operations Analyst conducts internal audits and creates reports to propose plans and processes to improve an organization’s bottom line. Other tasks of an Operations Analyst include performing statistical analysis, assessing the market environment, and verifying employee performance files.
# of job title searches per month: 600; Ops Analyst: 450; Operations Research Analyst: 250; Business Process Analyst: 150; Business Operations Analyst: 150
Operations Specialist
An Operations Specialist is an experienced Operations professional that works with the senior management to help improve workflow and day-to-day business activities. Duties of an Operations Specialist include:
- Identifying customer needs
- Developing company improvement plans
- Assisting with departmental changes and improvements
- Ensuring company policies are upheld
- Assessing employee performance
# of job title searches per month: 600; Business Operations Specialist: 150
Operations Assistant
An Operations Assistant is an entry-level role and completes administrative tasks that are related to the day-to-day activities of an organization. An Operations Assistant works directly with an Operations Manager to ensure a smooth workflow. An Operations Assistant duties vary buy industry but may include:
- Inspecting products
- Managing company communications
- Scheduling meetings
- Answering phone calls
- Ordering company supplies
# of job title searches per month: 450
VP of Operations
A VP of Operations is a leadership role that manages the efficiency of an organization. A VP of Operations tracks industry changes and recommends processes to improve organizational goals and processes. A VP of Operations develops new processes and makes recommendations for streamlining processes based on research by other Operations employees. Monitoring profit margins and employee productivity are also tasks of a VP Of Operations.
# of job title searches per month: 400; Vice President of Operations: 200; VP Operations: 150
Operations Supervisor
An Operations Supervisor, or Business Operations Manager, leads the Operations team in increasing productivity and workflow. Duties of an Operations Supervisor include:
- Provide training for employees to upgrade skills
- Performace-related coaching
- Maintain employee attendance records
- Delegate operations tasks to employees
- Provide support to senior management for improvement plans
# of job title searches per month: 250; Operations Officer: 200; Business Operations Manager: 150; Manager of Operations:150
Operations Associate
An Operations Associate works directly with the Operations Management team to make recommendations for business performance improvement. Other tasks of an Operations Associate are:
- Complete administrative tasks
- Manage employee schedules and rosters
- Assist in creating company-wide standards
# of job title searches per month: 250
Operations Engineer
An Operations Engineer is responsible for analyzing organizational systems and performance reports. An Operations Engineer uses data to create reports and make recommendations for the improvement of workflow. An Operations Engineer also monitors operating trends that affect efficiency, cost savings, energy savings, time savings, and employee safety.
# of job title searches per month: 150
Creative Job Titles for Operations
We also found these other funny/creative Operations job titles :
- Chief Inspiration Officer (Head of Operations)
- Chief Rockstar (COO)…SCVNGR COO Michael Hagan,
- Culture Operations Manager (Operations/HR Officer)
- Operations Ninja (Operations Generalist)
Here are some funny Operations titles too:
- COO: “Chief of Other” Stuff No One Wants to Take Care Of) (COO)
- COO: Chief Obedience Officer (COO)
- One of the Main Maniacs for Sure (COO)…This was on an unnamed COO’s business card
Check out more examples of funny ops titles (including for the Head of Operations) here: 100+ Creative & Funny Job Titles [by Department & Position]
Thank you, Operations Job Title Experts!
In addition to the sources cited above, special thanks to these experts on operations titles:
- Robinhood’s article on What is a COO?
- wiseGeek’s article on What is an Operations Coordinator?
- Study.com’s Operations Assistant Job Description.
- Y Scouts article on What To Look for In A VP Of Operations.
Why I wrote this?
My team and I share this research on Operations job titles to help you optimize your own titles. This supports our mission to transform job descriptions. Check out Ongig.com to learn more.
