🧾 Role Summary: Operations Director / Head of Ops
The Operations Director leads the design, execution, and continuous improvement of business operations. This role is central to ensuring service excellence, process efficiency, and operational resilience across the enterprise.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead daily operations and service delivery functions
- Drive continuous improvement and operational KPIs
- Align operations with strategic goals and transformation efforts
- Oversee risk management, business continuity, and compliance
Ideal Candidates:
- Experienced service or operations managers seeking to scale operational excellence and improve enterprise delivery
Core Competencies:
- Process design and improvement (Lean/Six Sigma)
- Service delivery and performance metrics
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Operational risk and resilience management
Operations Director / Head of Ops: Strategic Role Pathway
🎯 Role Purpose
Lead operational excellence by optimizing processes, ensuring service quality, managing risks, and aligning operations with enterprise strategy for sustainable business performance.
🧾 Role Profile
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Role Name | Operations Director / Head of Ops |
| Reports To | COO, CEO, or Executive Leadership Team |
| Primary Focus | Service delivery, process optimization, operational resilience |
| Scope | Enterprise-wide operations, cross-functional coordination, risk management |
| Outcomes | Efficient workflows, service excellence, operational continuity |
🔹 Stage 1: Operational Foundations and Service Awareness
Audience: Emerging operations managers, team leads, service coordinators
Objectives:
- Understand core operational processes and service delivery models
- Learn basics of customer service excellence and operational roles
- Develop awareness of operational KPIs and SLAs
Key Competencies:
- Operational process basics
- Service quality principles
- Customer-centric mindset
Suggested Readings:
-
The Goal – Eliyahu M. Goldratt
A novel on process improvement and the Theory of Constraints to optimize operations. -
Lean Thinking – James P. Womack & Daniel T. Jones
Introduces Lean principles to eliminate waste and improve flow in business processes. -
Service Operations Management – Robert Johnston et al
Practical introduction to service operations models.
📊 Success Metrics
- Understanding of core operational processes and service metrics
- Ability to identify basic process bottlenecks or service gaps
- Participation in service delivery or ops improvement initiatives
⚠️ Watch For
- Ignoring frontline feedback on service issues
- Overlooking simple process inefficiencies
- Focusing on cost-cutting at expense of service quality
🎓 Development Tips
- Shadow frontline service teams
- Attend workshops on customer service and operational basics
- Lead small process improvement pilots
🔹 Stage 2: Process Improvement and Delivery Maturity
“At this level, operations professionals move from task execution to diagnosing and improving systemic inefficiencies.”
Audience: Mid-level operations managers, process analysts
Objectives:
- Apply Lean and Six Sigma tools to improve processes
- Develop metrics to measure service delivery performance
- Build cross-functional collaboration for operational improvements
Key Competencies:
- Process mapping and analysis
- Performance measurement
- Change management fundamentals
Suggested Readings:
-
Managing to Learn – John Shook
A3 thinking and problem solving at operational level. -
The Lean Toolbox – John Bicheno
Tools and frameworks for process improvement. -
Operations Management for Dummies – Mary Ann Anderson
Retainable for applied examples.
📊 Success Metrics
- Documented process improvements with measurable impact
- Established service delivery KPIs and tracking mechanisms
- Improved cross-team collaboration in operations projects
⚠️ Watch For
- Resistance to process changes from teams
- Focusing on tools without understanding business context
- Neglecting communication during change initiatives
🎓 Development Tips
- Lead Kaizen or process improvement events
- Use data to identify and prioritize operational bottlenecks
- Facilitate cross-functional workshops on process challenges
🔹 Stage 3: Performance Management and Operational KPIs
“The focus expands to risk mitigation, compliance assurance, and aligning performance measures with enterprise goals.”
Audience: Senior operations managers, heads of service delivery
Objectives:
- Develop comprehensive operational dashboards and KPIs
- Drive accountability and continuous performance improvement
- Manage operational risks and compliance requirements
Key Competencies:
- Data-driven performance management
- Risk and compliance oversight
- Leadership and team motivation
Suggested Readings:
-
Performance Dashboards – Wayne Eckerson
Developing effective operational metrics. -
Measure What Matters – John Doerr
OKRs for performance alignment. -
Competing in the Age of AI – Marco Iansiti & Karim R. Lakhani (AI-driven risk & compliance context)
📊 Success Metrics
- Operational KPIs aligned with business goals
- Reduced incidents and operational disruptions
- Positive feedback from stakeholders on service reliability
⚠️ Watch For
- Overemphasis on metrics without action
- Ignoring emerging operational risks
- Lack of transparency in performance reporting
🎓 Development Tips
- Implement regular performance review cycles
- Develop risk mitigation and business continuity plans
- Mentor teams on data-driven decision making
🔹 Stage 4: Strategic Operations Alignment
“Operations leaders now drive transformation, fostering innovation and cultural change while supporting strategic agility.”
Audience: Directors of Operations, senior leaders
Objectives:
- Align operational strategy with enterprise goals
- Lead transformation initiatives to improve operational agility
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation
Key Competencies:
- Strategic planning and execution
- Change leadership
- Innovation in operations
Suggested Readings:
-
The High-Velocity Edge – Steven Spear
Strategic agility in operations. -
Good Strategy Bad Strategy – Richard Rumelt
Strategic alignment and operations execution. -
Crucial Conversations – Patterson, Grenny, McMillan & Switzler (managing change conversations)
📊 Success Metrics
- Operational strategy integrated with corporate objectives
- Successful delivery of transformation projects
- Culture of continuous improvement embedded in teams
⚠️ Watch For
- Misalignment between operations and business units
- Resistance to strategic change
- Siloed operational teams
🎓 Development Tips
- Participate in enterprise strategy sessions
- Lead cross-functional operational transformation efforts
- Promote innovation forums within operations teams
🔹 Stage 5: Enterprise Operations Leadership
“At the executive level, operational mastery scales across functions to deliver resilience, trust, and enterprise readiness.”
Audience: Executive operations leaders, COOs
Objectives:
- Drive enterprise-wide operational excellence and resilience
- Oversee risk management, compliance, and business continuity
- Represent operations in executive leadership and stakeholder engagements
Key Competencies:
- Enterprise operations leadership
- Risk, compliance, and resilience management
- Executive communication and influence
Suggested Readings:
-
Beyond Performance 2.0 – Scott Keller & Bill Schaninger (resilience leadership)
-
Enterprise Risk Management – James Lam
-
The Fearless Organization – Amy Edmondson
📊 Success Metrics
- % of strategic objectives enabled by operational transformation
- Enterprise risk mitigation performance (e.g. audit and resilience scores)
- Internal stakeholder satisfaction with ops delivery
⚠️ Watch For
- Over-focusing on operational details vs. strategic priorities
- Underestimating complexity of enterprise risk
- Poor communication with executive peers
🎓 Development Tips
- Engage in executive leadership development programs
- Build external networks in operations leadership
- Lead enterprise risk and resilience initiatives
🧱 Core Capabilities Framework
| Category | Skills |
|---|---|
| Operational | Process design, Lean/Six Sigma, service delivery |
| Strategic | Operational strategy, transformation leadership |
| Analytical | Performance metrics, data-driven decision making |
| Risk & Compliance | Business continuity, risk management, compliance |
| Leadership | Cross-functional collaboration, change management, executive influence |
🔍 Example Titles Along the Pathway
- Service Delivery Manager
- Operations Manager
- Head of Business Operations
- Director of Operations
- COO
- VP Global Operations
- Head of Operational Transformation
💡 Strategic Value to the Organization
| Time Horizon | Value |
|---|---|
| Short-term | Efficient workflows, reduced downtime, visible SLAs |
| Mid-term | Improved resource utilization, cross-functional ops collaboration |
| Long-term | Enterprise-wide operational maturity, risk resilience, executive decision-making enablement |