Operations manager job description template
The Operations Manager leads the day-to-day business and service delivery operations for [ORGANIZATION_NAME], ensuring customer orders, operational workflows, and facility activities proceed safely, on time, and within budget. A free, ready-to-edit job description for Canadian employers: duties, qualifications, skills, working conditions and performance measures.
The National Occupational Classification code for this role, used on Job Bank and LMIA forms. See the official NOC profile · What is a NOC code?
Use our operations manager interview questions with a 1 to 5 scoring guide.
Table 1: Position Identification
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Job title | Operations Manager |
| Reports to | [REPORTS_TO_TITLE] |
| Direct reports | [DIRECT_REPORTS_TITLES] |
| Employment type | [EMPLOYMENT_TYPE] |
| Work schedule | [WORK_SCHEDULE] |
| Location | [WORK_LOCATION] |
| Overtime eligibility | [OVERTIME_ELIGIBILITY] |
| NOC code | 00014 (Senior managers - trade, broadcasting and other services, n.e.c.), NOC 2021 |
| Salary range | [SALARY_RANGE_MIN] to [SALARY_RANGE_MAX] |
| Effective date | [EFFECTIVE_DATE] |
| Last reviewed | [LAST_REVIEWED_DATE] |
1. Position Summary
The Operations Manager leads the day-to-day business and service delivery operations for [ORGANIZATION_NAME], ensuring customer orders, operational workflows, and facility activities proceed safely, on time, and within budget. Reporting directly to [REPORTS_TO_TITLE], this role holds direct accountability for front-line team productivity, vendor coordination, inventory management, and operational standard compliance across [WORK_LOCATION]. The Operations Manager bridges executive priorities and front-line execution by translating business goals into standard operating procedures, removing operational bottlenecks, and fostering an inclusive, high-accountability workplace. The primary outcome of this position is the dependable, cost-effective, and safe delivery of organizational commitments while maintaining high standards of quality, customer satisfaction, and regulatory adherence.
2. Key Responsibilities
Table 2: Key Operational Responsibilities
| Accountability Area | Allocation (%) | Core Responsibilities and Expected Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Operational Planning & Daily Workflow Execution | 25% | - Directs daily scheduling, task distribution, and workflow priorities to meet customer and operational milestones. - Monitors daily throughput against targets, immediately resolving floor-level disruptions, equipment issues, or staffing shortages. - Conducts daily operational check-ins with supervisory staff to align shift goals and resource allocation. - Maintains standard operating procedures ([HRIS_NAME] or [FILE_LOCATION]) to standardize operational execution. |
| Team Leadership & Performance Management | 20% | - Supervise front-line employees and team leads, providing regular coaching, direct feedback, and formal reviews. - Coordinates onboarding, job-specific training, and competency evaluations for operational staff in accordance with organizational training standards. - Manages attendance, approves timecards in [PAYROLL_SYSTEM], and coordinates shift coverage to control unapproved overtime. - Addresses workplace performance gaps and employee concerns promptly in alignment with [ORGANIZATION_NAME] internal policies. |
| Health, Safety, & Environmental Compliance | 15% | - Enforces all applicable occupational health and safety standards, company safety rules, and mandatory [REQUIRED_PPE] usage across [WORK_LOCATION]. - Investigates workplace incidents, near-misses, and safety hazards, reporting findings to [OWNER_OR_MANAGER] within [N_BUSINESS_DAYS]. - Ensures WHMIS SDS sheets, emergency eye-wash stations, and first aid supplies are inspected on schedule. - Participates in return-to-work planning and accommodates modified work duties in consultation with [OWNER_OR_MANAGER]. |
| Inventory, Supply Chain, & Vendor Oversight | 15% | - Monitors raw material, supply, and finished inventory levels to prevent operational downtime and excess carrying costs. - Issues purchase requisitions for operational consumables and services within authorized spending thresholds. - Evaluates vendor delivery performance, product quality, and invoice accuracy before submitting records to bookkeeping. - Coordinates inbound freight receiving and outbound dispatch logistics to maintain delivery schedules. |
| Quality Control & Process Optimization | 15% | - Inspects finished work and operational processes against quality assurance standards to minimize defect rates and customer returns. - Analyzes recurring operational errors or delays to identify root causes and implement corrective actions. - Solicits feedback from front-line staff to streamline workflows, eliminate non-value-added steps, and reduce scrap. - Audits operational records, production logs, and shipping documentation for accuracy and compliance. |
| Resource Allocation & Operational Reporting | 10% | - Compiles weekly and monthly operational summary reports covering labour hours, scrap, volume, and facility costs for [REPORTS_TO_TITLE]. - Identifies facility maintenance requirements and schedules preventative maintenance with approved external contractors. - Recommends equipment upgrades, tooling purchases, and process automation opportunities to improve operational margins. - Participates in annual operational budgeting and workforce planning discussions with [OWNER_OR_MANAGER]. |
3. Qualifications & Experience
Table 3: Required and Preferred Role Qualifications
| Qualification Category | Required Criteria (Bona Fide Occupational Requirements) | Preferred Criteria (Asset Qualifications) |
|---|---|---|
| Education | - High school diploma or equivalent. - Formal coursework or foundational training in operations, business administration, logistics, or related field. |
- Post-secondary diploma or bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or Engineering. |
| Licences & Certifications | - Standard First Aid / CPR Level C certification (or willingness to complete within [N_BUSINESS_DAYS] of hire). - Valid provincial driver's licence ([PROVINCE]) if role requires travel between sites. |
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or foundational Continuous Improvement certification. - Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) certification in [PROVINCE]. |
| Work Experience | - [N_YEARS_EXPERIENCE] years of progressive operational experience in [INDUSTRY] or a comparable light industrial, logistics, or service environment. - Minimum 2 years of direct supervisory experience leading a front-line team of 5 or more employees. |
- Prior operational experience within a small-to-medium enterprise (5–75 employees) managing multiple concurrent functions. |
| Technical & Systems Skills | - Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) or Google Workspace for data tracking and internal communication. - Working knowledge of inventory tracking, enterprise resource planning, or operational management software ([HRIS_NAME] / inventory system). |
- Hands-on experience with advanced inventory management systems, computerised maintenance management software (CMMS), or timekeeping portals. |
| Language & Communication | - Professional working proficiency in English (oral and written) to direct teams, write operational incident reports, and liaise with suppliers. | - Functional French proficiency where business operations interact with bilingual Canadian markets or vendors. |
4. Competencies
Table 4: Core Role Competencies
| Competency | Definition | Behavioural Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Operational Decision-Making | Analyzes operational constraints quickly and takes practical, timely action to maintain workflow momentum. | - Identifies operational bottlenecks immediately and reallocates resources without stalling the shift. - Applies sound judgement when balancing operational speed against safety and quality standards. - Escalates complex facility or contractual issues to [OWNER_OR_MANAGER] with actionable recommendations. |
| Team Leadership & Coaching | Guides, motivates, and develops front-line staff to achieve performance benchmarks and maintain engagement. | - Sets clear daily expectations and confirms team understanding before work commences. - Delivers constructive performance feedback in private and recognizes team contributions consistently. - Resolves inter-personal friction among team members fairly before it disrupts productivity. |
| Process & Quality Focus | Establishes, monitors, and improves operating standards to ensure reliable, high-quality deliverables. | - Conducts regular floor audits to ensure standard operating procedures are strictly followed. - Identifies recurring defects or rework patterns and applies systematic corrective actions. - Instills personal accountability for final product and service quality across the operating unit. |
| Safety & Compliance Stewardship | Demonstrates and enforces an uncompromising commitment to workplace health, safety, and legislative rules. | - Corrects unsafe behaviours immediately and models required use of [REQUIRED_PPE] at all times. - Investigates incidents objectively and implements preventative measures within [N_BUSINESS_DAYS]. - Supports accommodation plans and modified work duties proactively. |
| Resource & Cost Prudence | Manages labour hours, materials, consumable supplies, and facility assets to minimize operational waste. | - Schedules shift labour strictly aligned with customer demand and production volume. - Tracks consumable usage and vendor charges, addressing variances promptly. - Implements practical waste reduction and inventory control measures on the floor. |
5. Working Conditions & Performance Measures
5.1 Working Conditions and Physical Demands
Table 5: Physical and Environmental Demands
| Demand Category | Frequency | Description and Operational Context |
|---|---|---|
| Lifting & Material Handling | Occasional | Lifting, moving, and positioning operational supplies, boxes, or tooling weighing up to [MAX_LIFT_WEIGHT_KG] to assist floor operations or inspect inventory. |
| Standing & Walking | Frequent | Moving throughout the facility floor, warehouse, loading areas, and production zones to inspect operations and consult with staff (4–6 hours per shift). |
| Sitting & Computer Use | Occasional | Performing administrative tasks, scheduling, report generation, and system entries in an office workstation setting (2–4 hours per shift). |
| Environmental Exposure | Frequent | Exposure to temperature fluctuations, dust, industrial noise, and moving mechanical equipment in accordance with [INDUSTRY] facility conditions. |
| Personal Protective Equipment | Continuous | Mandatory wearing of required safety gear, including [REQUIRED_PPE], whenever present in designated operating, storage, or manufacturing areas. |
| Travel Requirements | Rare | Local travel between [ORGANIZATION_NAME] operational sites, supplier facilities, or logistics depots within [PROVINCE]. |
| Overtime & Shift Demands | Occasional | Extended shifts, early morning starts, or occasional weekend oversight during operational peaks, equipment maintenance windows, or emergency disruptions. |
5.2 Performance Measures
Table 6: Key Performance Indicators
| Performance Measure | Metric Definition | Target Benchmark | Evaluation Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-Time Delivery / Order Fulfillment | Percentage of customer orders or operational tasks delivered complete and on schedule. | [TARGET_OTD_PERCENTAGE] | Monthly |
| Labour & Operational Cost Variance | Variance between budgeted operational expenditures (overtime, consumables) and actual costs. | Under [TARGET_BUDGET_VARIANCE_PERCENTAGE] variance | Monthly |
| Safety Compliance & Incident Rate | Number of recordable safety incidents, completed monthly facility inspections, and hazard closures. | Zero lost-time incidents; 100% on-time inspection completion | Quarterly |
| Quality & Defect Rate | Percentage of completed outputs requiring rework, scrap disposal, or customer credit issuance. | Under [TARGET_DEFECT_RATE_PERCENTAGE] | Monthly |
| Team Retention & Training Completion | Retention rate of operational staff and completion percentage of mandatory safety/SOP training. | [TARGET_RETENTION_PERCENTAGE] retention; 100% training completion | Semi-Annually |
5.3 Career Path
- Typical Prior Roles: Team Lead, Production Supervisor, Logistics Coordinator, Assistant Operations Manager, Maintenance Coordinator.
- Typical Next Roles: Director of Operations, General Manager, Business Operations Director, Supply Chain Director.
5.4 Position Acknowledgement
This job description represents an accurate summary of the primary duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of the Operations Manager role. It does not constitute an exhaustive list of all tasks that may be assigned. [ORGANIZATION_NAME] reserves the right to modify job duties, working schedules, and operational assignments to meet ongoing business requirements, subject to reasonable notice and applicable employment standards legislation.
Employee Acknowledgement:
I acknowledge that I have received, read, and understood this job description. I confirm that I am able to perform the essential duties of this position, with any accommodation required under applicable human rights legislation.
Employee Name (Printed): [EMPLOYEE_NAME]
Employee Signature:
Date (DD-MMM-YYYY):
Manager Approval:
Manager Name (Printed): [MANAGER_NAME]
Manager Signature:
Date (DD-MMM-YYYY):
What to fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Who provides it | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
[ORGANIZATION_NAME] |
Full operating name of the employer | Business Owner / Office Manager | Yes |
[REPORTS_TO_TITLE] |
Job title of direct supervisor (e.g., General Manager, President, Owner) | Business Owner / HR | Yes |
[DIRECT_REPORTS_TITLES] |
Specific titles reporting to this role (e.g., Team Leads, Operators, Drivers) | Hiring Manager / Business Owner | Yes |
[EMPLOYMENT_TYPE] |
Permanent Full-Time, Permanent Part-Time, or Contract | Hiring Manager | Yes |
[WORK_SCHEDULE] |
Standard hours of work (e.g., Monday to Friday, 40 hours/week, Day Shift) | Hiring Manager | Yes |
[WORK_LOCATION] |
Physical facility address or plant location | Hiring Manager | Yes |
[OVERTIME_ELIGIBILITY] |
Eligible or Not eligible. Managers and supervisors are excluded from overtime in some provinces and territories, and the exclusion depends on the duties of the job (overtime, holidays and vacation by province). Check the exclusion for your province before you mark this role Not eligible. | HR / Business Owner | Yes |
[NOC_CODE] |
Applicable National Occupational Classification code (e.g., 90010, 70020 or 10019, matched to sector) | HR / Recruiter | Yes |
[SALARY_RANGE_MIN] |
Lowest and highest base pay for the role. Pay must be at least the minimum wage where the work is done (minimum wage by province). If you advertise the job publicly in Ontario (25 or more employees), British Columbia or Prince Edward Island, the posting must state the pay or range (pay in job postings by province). | Business Owner / Compensation | Yes |
[SALARY_RANGE_MAX] |
Maximum base salary or hourly rate for position compensation band | Business Owner / Compensation | Yes |
[EFFECTIVE_DATE] |
Date this version of the job description takes effect (DD-MMM-YYYY) | HR / Business Owner | Yes |
[LAST_REVIEWED_DATE] |
Date this job description was last audited or updated (DD-MMM-YYYY) | HR / Business Owner | Yes |
[HRIS_NAME] |
Name of HR / SOP repository software or shared drive system | Office Manager / IT | Yes |
[FILE_LOCATION] |
Specific electronic folder or repository where standard procedures are stored | Operations / HR | Yes |
[PAYROLL_SYSTEM] |
Name of payroll and time-tracking application | Bookkeeper / Payroll | Yes |
[OWNER_OR_MANAGER] |
Title or role name of primary small-business decision maker | Business Owner | Yes |
[REQUIRED_PPE] |
Specific mandatory safety equipment (e.g., CSA steel-toe boots, safety glasses, high-vis vest) | Safety Officer / Operations | Yes |
[N_BUSINESS_DAYS] |
Specific required notification or completion window in working days | Business Owner / HR | Yes |
[PROVINCE] |
Canadian province or territory of employment | HR / Business Owner | Yes |
[N_YEARS_EXPERIENCE] |
Minimum required years of practical industry experience | Hiring Manager | Yes |
[INDUSTRY] |
Specific operating sector (e.g., Light Manufacturing, Warehousing, Commercial Distribution) | Business Owner | Yes |
[MAX_LIFT_WEIGHT_KG] |
Maximum unassisted lifting threshold required (e.g., 15 kg, 23 kg) | Safety Officer / Operations | Yes |
[TARGET_OTD_PERCENTAGE] |
Target operational benchmark (e.g., 95%, 98%) | Business Owner / Operations | Yes |
[TARGET_BUDGET_VARIANCE_PERCENTAGE] |
Maximum allowable budget variance threshold (e.g., 3%, 5%) | Business Owner / Finance | Yes |
[TARGET_DEFECT_RATE_PERCENTAGE] |
Target maximum scrap or rework allowance (e.g., 1.5%, 2.0%) | Quality Manager / Operations | Yes |
[TARGET_RETENTION_PERCENTAGE] |
Target annual departmental retention rate (e.g., 85%, 90%) | HR / Operations | Yes |
[EMPLOYEE_NAME] |
Full legal name of the incumbent employee | Hiring Manager / Employee | Yes |
[MANAGER_NAME] |
Full legal name of the supervising manager | Hiring Manager | Yes |
Employment standards where you hire
Pay, overtime, holidays and notice for a operations manager are set by the province or territory where the work is done. Federally regulated employers (such as banks, airlines and interprovincial trucking) follow the Canada Labour Code. These are the minimums as of 7 October 2026. Most managers and some other roles are excluded from overtime, and the exclusions differ by province.
| Where the work is done | Minimum wage (per hour) | Overtime after (hours) | Paid public holidays | Notice owed after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | $18.15 | 8 a day or 40 a week | 10 | 3 months |
| Nova Scotia | $17.00 | 48 a week | 6 | 3 months |
| New Brunswick | $15.90 | 44 a week | 8 | 6 months |
| Prince Edward Island | $17.30 | 44 a week | 8 | 90 days |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.35 | 40 a week | 6 | 3 months |
| Quebec | $16.60 | 40 a week | 8 | 3 months |
| Ontario | $17.95 | 44 a week | 9 | 3 months |
| Manitoba | $16.40 | 8 a day or 40 a week | 9 | 30 days |
| Saskatchewan | $15.70 | 8 a day or 40 a week | 10 | 13 weeks |
| Alberta | $15.00 | 8 a day or 44 a week | 9 | 90 days |
| British Columbia | $18.25 | 8 a day or 40 a week | 11 | 3 months |
| Yukon | $18.51 | 8 a day or 40 a week | 11 | 6 months |
| Northwest Territories | $17.20 | 8 a day or 40 a week | 11 | 90 days |
| Nunavut | $20.17 | 8 a day or 40 a week | 11 | 90 days |
Public job postings must state the pay or a range in Ontario (25 or more employees), British Columbia and Prince Edward Island. Full rules, vacation pay, final pay and sources: employment standards by province.
Official sources
Government and professional sources for this template. Pay, hours, holidays and notice are set by the province or territory where the work is done.
- Government of Canada — Inclusive Workplace
- National Occupational Classification
- Canadian Human Rights Commission — Duty to Accommodate
- CPHR Canada
- Employment standards and human rights offices for each province and territory
This template is general information for Canadian employers, not legal advice. Employment standards, human rights and privacy rules differ by province. Checked against official government sources on 7 October 2026. See employment standards by province.
Questions
What does an operations manager do?
The Operations Manager leads the day-to-day business and service delivery operations for [ORGANIZATION_NAME], ensuring customer orders, operational workflows, and facility activities proceed safely, on time, and within budget. Reporting directly to [REPORTS_TO_TITLE], this role holds direct accountability for front-line team productivity, vendor coordination, inventory management, and operational standard compliance across [WORK_LOCATION]. The Operations Manager bridges executive priorities and front-line execution by translating business goals into standard operating procedures, removing operational bottlenecks, and fostering an inclusive, high-accountability workplace. The primary outcome of this position is the dependable, cost-effective, and safe delivery of organizational commitments while maintaining high standards of quality, customer satisfaction, and regulatory adherence.
What is the NOC code for an operations manager?
00014 (Senior managers - trade, broadcasting and other services, n.e.c.) in the 2021 National Occupational Classification, TEER 0. The NOC code is used on Job Bank postings, Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications and other government forms. Check the official NOC profile to confirm it matches the duties of your job.
What should an operations manager job description include?
A short summary of the role, the main duties with a rough share of time, required and preferred qualifications, the skills you'll assess, working conditions and physical demands, and how performance is measured. State the pay range and who the person reports to; Ontario (25 or more employees), British Columbia and Prince Edward Island require the pay or a range in public postings. This template covers all of it; fill in the highlighted blanks and remove anything that doesn't apply.
Can I use this template for free?
Yes. Download it as a Word file, copy the text, or print it. Staffkin can also turn it into a prescreen and interview guide for the same role.
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