General and Operations Manager

Occupation Description Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations. 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.

• Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
• Direct non-merchandising departments of businesses, such as advertising or purchasing.
• Plan or direct activities such as sales promotions that require coordination with other department managers.
• Recommend locations for new facilities or oversee the remodeling or renovating of current facilities.
• Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
• Set prices or credit terms for goods or services based on forecasts of customer demand.

General and Operations Managers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work:

• Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

General and Operations Managers make between $44,710 and $208,000 a year.

General and Operations Managers who work in District of Columbia, New Jersey, or Rhode Island, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that General and Operations Managers may use on a daily basis:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Access
• SAP
• Microsoft Windows
• Microsoft Project
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Microsoft SharePoint
• Microsoft Visio
• The MathWorks MATLAB
• Microsoft Dynamics
• SAS

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Those who work as a General and Operations Manager sometimes switch careers to one of these choices: