Operations Manager Resume Sample & Writing Guide 2025
Regardless of your experience, writing a resume can be a challenge—it requires a lot of thought, detail, organization, and formatting. With that in mind, the information provided below, including operations manager resume samples, will give you everything you need to create a polished, professional resume.
Operations Manager Resume Example
One of the best attributes an operations manager can possess is organization. The good thing is that we've incorporated the same mentality into the resume sample for operations managers we've posted below. While we do want you to focus on the format, keywords, and how the entire document flows from start to finish, it's also essential to learn how we came up with the finished product.
The samples in this article are all written by our team of professional writers. They all use a similar organizational program—or what we call a master resume—to outline, organize, write, edit, optimize, and format each section of the resume. These are all key items we'll show you in the rest of the article.
However, before we get too in-depth, take some time to review the retail operations manager resume posted below. It's for our mythical candidate, Jane Jackson, who is applying to become the head manager for a local retail store in San Diego, California.
When multiple candidates are applying for the same leadership position, you'll need to find a creative way to showcase the skills that prove you're the best candidate. The resume posted above is an excellent example of articulating skills and organization into an easy-to-read document.
Our candidate, Jane, hopes to be promoted at Lewis & Stevens — a home décor retail store where she currently serves as a night supervisor. In the first significant section of the resume (the professional summary), you can see her attention to detail on full display, as she's written this section specifically for the company. This type of attention to detail is an easy way to make an instant impression.
As you progress into the heart of the resume, you'll notice that she has listed her current position in the work experience section, showcasing her years of experience and some of the key accomplishments during her leadership term. She's also provided a previous operations manager position and highlighted the key success stories in that position.
Finally, you'll notice that she's listed her highest level of education, some great references, and the skills that make her a great leader. These are all sections listed in a job description posting — so always pay special attention to the application before writing the resume.
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What to Include in an Operations Manager Resume?
You’ve probably looked through the provided operations manager resume examples above, but here’s an overview of what you should include, the order to include them, and finally how to format each section.
Of course, if that all sounds like a bit too much to handle, you also have the option of using a resume template or resume writing service. CVMaker offers both.
The sections you’ll want to include are as follows:
- Personal Details: Like most project management outlines, simplicity is your best friend with the contact section. Just write your full legal name, complete mailing address, email address, and mobile phone number.
- Personal Profile: The most challenging section for many job candidates to write is the professional summary – or operations manager resume objective. It's your best chance to showcase your communication and organizational skills, so take your time with this section.
- Skills: For your skills section, it's best to select common ones used by the best managers. Some of the skills to consider for an operations manager include multitasking, human resources, leadership, organization, conflict resolution, and analytic thinking.
- Work Experience: All managers need to showcase leadership, organization, multitasking, and problem-solving skills. Your relevant work history can assist.
- Education: For a management position, listing your highest level of completed education is satisfactory on a resume.
- Projects: This could include projects you were a part of in school or perhaps part of a volunteer effort. Only list projects that are relevant to the job description.
- Published Contributions: If you have published articles in any industry publications throughout your career — or while still in school — list them here.
- Professional Associations: If you have current membership status in any professional associations relevant to the job position or industry you’re applying for, add them to your resume.
After you set up the layout by writing each of the following primary sections on your master resume, it's time to fill each with relevant content. Here are some helpful tips and hints to help you create the correct language to convince readers of your qualifications.
Personal Details in an Operations Manager Resume
If there is a message we'll drive home in this article, it's to maintain consistency throughout the application process. Most hiring managers and recruiting agencies are highly keen on applicants who tell the same story through their application, cover letter, and resume. They question candidates who list different information on multiple documents – including simple items such as the candidate's contact information.
We strongly recommend adding your accurate contact information to the resume. But more than that, make sure everything you list is precisely what you've noted on your application and the cover letter. This would include:
- Your full professional name.
- Your complete mailing address, including city, state, and zip code.
- Your email address (It’s a good idea to create a professional-sounding email address specific for job hunting).
- Your mobile phone number.
Bonus Tip: It's always a good idea to use a mobile phone that has connectivity to your email address listed on your application and resume. This is because many recruiters and larger companies will use an automated software solution to send SMS text notifications to alert you to potential interviews. The quicker you can apply, the more likely they will select you for that vital interview.
How to Format this Section
The best way to simplify the formatting of any resume is by using a professional template. No matter what type of operations management resumes are being created, a template will ensure that your information is clean, organized, and professional. It's best to have personal information listed in the center of the page or the upper left-hand corner.
How to Write a Good Personal Profile for an Operations Manager
In this section you want to articulate and summarize the skills and experience you bring to the table—especially any that are in line with the job description—and your career goals. If your goals match your prospective employer’s goals, all the better.
Write this section in a way that highlights why you’re the most qualified candidate for the position. Your skills, professional strengths, and career goals should be exactly what the employer is looking for.
But remember this is just a summary. You don’t want to go into too much detail. If you look at the sample operations manager resume above, our candidate Jane has clearly explained why she would be the best candidate for the position at Lewis & Stevens, where she’s currently the night supervisor. She highlights her growth within the company and further outlines the key hard and soft skills that make her an exceptional candidate for this position.
If you’re not applying for an internal job change, you’ll still want to share your most recent position and qualifications. Then add any relevant skills, achievements or experience. Finally, be sure to mention your career goals.
How to Format this Section
Ideally, your personal profile shouldn’t be longer than three or four sentences. But make those sentences count! They should be clear and concise. Don’t be vague and avoid using jargon if possible. And never list any information that isn’t relevant to the position.
Top Skills to Include on an Operations Manager Resume
When you assume an operations manager position, you'll be tasked with overseeing multiple departments, including manufacturing (if applicable), sales, human resources, shipping and receiving, communications, marketing, and more.
Managing each of these departments will also require a specific set of resume skills, including soft skills like multitasking, crisis management, problem-solving, auditing, decision-making, quality assurance, and organizational skills.
How to Format This Section
If you look at our operations manager resume sample above, you can see how Jane’s resume is formatted. You can follow that and simply list your skills toward the bottom, or you might choose to use a template. CVMaker provides several professional templates to choose from.
How to Showcase Operations Manager Experience on a Resume
Showing that you have practical experience in similar industries or work environments can help you jump over less qualified candidates for operations managers. But there are employers who prefer to hire an in-house employee who understands their procedures, policies, people, and business philosophy.
Whether you're an experienced operations manager or seeking your first position, the work history should be handled the same way.
Looking at our operations manager resume sample above, you can see that Jane has selected her previous two positions. The first is her current employment where she is applying for the operations manager job. She's listed her employer's name, location, employment dates, and a few key bullet points of accomplishments.
Her second position was with a former employer, where she served as an operations manager. She follows a similar format but provides operational management experiences in the bullet points.
How to Format this Section
Formatting is straightforward with the work history section. As noted in the sample posted above, you'll list the relevant information about the company — such as its name, location, dates of employment, and position held. Pick your top four or five accomplishments for the bullet points and place them in order of relevance to the job you're hoping to obtain.
How to Write an Operations Manager Resume with No Experience
Understandably, filling out the work experience section when applying for an entry-level position can be challenging. However, a lack of experience doesn’t have to be a deal breaker—and you don’t need to leave this section empty.
Here are some things you can add to this section if you have little or no work experience:
- Volunteer roles: Even if you weren’t working as a paid employee, you can still have work experience. If you’ve had a volunteer role somewhere in the global community as an operations manager, this is valid experience to add to your resume.
- Academic projects: If you were part of any projects in university where you acted as the operations manager, add this to your resume.
- Internships: Regardless of the length of your internship, list it if it’s pertinent to the role you’re applying for.
How to Format this Section
You want to format this exactly as you would if you were a highly experienced job applicant. Using the operations manager resume example above as your guideline, list the relevant information about the organization, whether charitable or for-profit, or the school where you volunteered, interned, or worked on a project. This would include the name, location, applicable dates, and your position. Use bullet points.
How to Add Education to an Operations Manager Resume
Typically, an operations management position won’t require more than a bachelor's degree. But it’s worth noting that while it's important to list the required education specific to the job posting, it's more important to list your highest completed level of education.
As you can see in Jane’s resume sample, she listed her bachelor's degree in business management or business administration from the University of San Diego. But in her professional summary, she noted that she’s currently working on her master's degree. It’s helpful information for a prospective employer, but since the education isn’t complete, it shouldn’t be listed in the education section.
How to Format this Section
It's best to list the basics — such as your school's name, location, the dates of attendance, and any degree earned. If your profession requires certifications, list them in a separate section below education — but format it the same.
Adding Projects to Your Operations Manager Resume
If you have any personal or educational projects that are relevant to the position you’re applying for, this is the place to put them. And if you don’t have a lot of professional experience, this section is all the more important.
Projects you could include will be things like:
- Implementation of a new inventory management system that led to a 10% reduction in warehousing combined with a 5% increase in product availability.
- Developed a set of employee retention strategies to reduce turnover by 20% while improving morale.
- Organized logistics for a large university event while in my final year.
List any Industry Publications You’ve Contributed To
Even if you’ve contributed to multiple publications, keep this section short and sweet. Adding these contributions adds credibility to your list of skills and experience. However, be sure to only include things that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. It’s also a good idea to ensure you only include peer-reviewed articles.
As far as formatting goes, keep this section to a single line. You can do this by creating a web page of your own that lists your publications and then linking to it.
For example, you may say something like: In the last 10 years I’ve contributed X articles about Y in top tier industry journals. For a complete list, see [link].
Professional Associations You Belong To
Showing one or more professional associations you’re a part of can help solidify or prove your dedication to your career. The place to add this would be at the end of your resume, just after a list of publications.
Use the section headings such as Professional Memberships or Professional Affiliations and then list the name of the organization, your membership status, and how long you’ve been a member. Just be sure to only include associations that are relevant to the job description. And finally, keep this section short.
Key Takeaways
Structure Matters: An operations manager resume should be well-organized and tailored for the role/position you’re applying for. Sections that are a must include Contact Information, Personal Profile, Skills, Work Experience, and Education. Additional sections you might want to consider are Projects, Publications, and Professional Associations.
Personal Profile Tips: Use the profile section to highlight skills and experience that align with the job description. This brief summary should perfectly articulate your qualifications and career goals in the most concise manner possible.
Highlight Key Skills: Essential skills for operations managers include multitasking, problem-solving, leadership, and organization.
Experience Format: List positions in reverse chronological order, focusing on relevant achievements. For entry-level candidates, volunteer roles, internships, and academic projects can effectively fill this section.
Project Section: Including relevant projects demonstrates initiative and problem-solving ability. Use specific examples to showcase the impact of your contributions.
Professional Memberships & Publications: Listing relevant associations and published work can lend credibility to your resume. However, keep these sections concise and focused.
Consistency: Ensure information across the resume, and cover letter if you include one, is consistent. This demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail.
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FAQ
1. What are the key responsibilities to include in an operations manager resume?
You should state your experience in overseeing daily operations, managing resources, optimizing processes, leading teams, ensuring quality standards, and reporting on metrics.
2. What skills should be emphasized in an operations manager resume?
Important skills should include strategic planning, process optimization, resource allocation, data analysis, and quality control.
3. How can I make my operations manager resume stand out?
Be sure to highlight any quantifiable achievements that you have — for example, cost reductions or efficiency gains. And then tailor that experience to match the job description.
4. Should an operations manager resume include technical skills?
Yes. It should include any relevant technical skills that you have. For example, proficiency in project management software, ERP systems, data analysis tools, and any industry-specific software.
5. How much work experience is necessary to be an operations manager?
Companies are typically looking for someone with 5 to 10 years of experience in operations, that should include leadership.
6. What is the best format for an operations manager resume?
A reverse chronological format.
7. How do I highlight achievements on an operations manager resume?
Use metrics that you can prove, such as cost savings, efficiency improvements, or team productivity gains.
8. Should I include certifications on my operations manager resume?
Yes. As long as they are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
9. How can I demonstrate leadership on my operations manager resume?
Highlight any experience you have in leading teams, managing cross-functional projects, or even mentoring other employees.
10. What common mistakes should I avoid on an operations manager resume?
Avoid using generic objectives or failing to tailor your resume to fit a specific job. Never use unclear or weak language.