General and Operations Managers

What the job really is

Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services. Usually manage through subordinate supervisors. Excludes First-Line Supervisors.

At a glance

• Sector: Management
• O*NET-SOC code: 11-1021
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Perform personnel functions, such as selection, training, or evaluation.
• Establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members.
• Monitor suppliers to ensure that they efficiently and effectively provide needed goods or services within budgetary limits.
• Manage the movement of goods into and out of production facilities to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, or sustainability of operations.
• Set prices or credit terms for goods or services, based on forecasts of customer demand.
• Perform sales floor work, such as greeting or assisting customers, stocking shelves, or taking inventory.

Tools and technology

Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Photoshop, Amazon Web Services AWS software, Apache Hadoop, Apple macOS, Atlassian Confluence, Atlassian JIRA, Autodesk AutoCAD, Extensible markup language XML, Facebook, Google Analytics

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Chief Executives
• Administrative Services Managers
• Industrial Production Managers
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
• Facilities Managers
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
• Project Management Specialists
• Construction Managers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: General and Operations Managers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.