Business Operations Manager: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a Business Operations Manager?

A Business Operations Manager improves how your business runs by identifying inefficiencies in daily processes and working with teams to resolve them. They often build project tracking dashboards or workflow checklists, streamline cross-team handoffs and ensure tasks stay on schedule. Many also meet with leadership to share progress and recommend changes that support company goals.

Why hire a Business Operations Manager?

A Business Operations Manager can bring structure to areas of your company that feel scattered. If your teams rely on ad-hoc processes or you’re losing time switching between different tools, platforms and meetings, this role can help. 

They provide focus to everyday work and support leaders by solving problems that aren’t clearly owned by one team. You may also want to hire for this role when you’re adding new departments or changing how your business operates. 

Contributions of a great Business Operations Manager:

• Better coordination between teams working on shared tasks
• Faster decisions due to clearer reporting and workflows
• Fewer delays caused by gaps in roles or unclear ownership

Defining your hiring needs for a Business Operations Manager

As you decide how to hire a Business Operations Manager, clearly defining your hiring needs will help guide the selection process. Identify the employment type, which could be full-time, part-time or fractional, depending on your budget and the scope of work. 

It’s also helpful to clarify whether the role will support company-wide operations or focus on a specific team, such as finance or logistics. Other related roles to consider include Operations Manager and Operations Analyst.

What are the types of Business Operations Managers?

Business Operations Managers can take on different focuses depending on the size of your company and the type of support you need. Some roles cover day-to-day planning across departments, while others concentrate on a specific area of the business.

• Operations Managers: Working closely with team leads to ensure daily work aligns with broader company goals, they may help set schedules, review performance reports and adjust workflows when things fall behind.
• Operations Coordinators: Handle internal systems such as software, reporting tools, checklists and documentation, typically working closely with HR or office staff to keep operations organized.
• Operations Directors: Review how departments work together and step in when teams aren’t aligned. Many also manage department budgets or report directly to company leaders on high-level progress. This is a more senior role.
• Business Change Managers: Assist during times of transition, helping implement changes to tools, staffing and systems. 

When writing your Business Operations Manager job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on Business Operations Manager jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Operations manager
• Operations Manager
• Office Manager
• Amazon
• Coordinator
• Healthcare administration
• Business Manager
• Management
• Business

Want more hiring insights for your Business Operations Manager? Sign in or create your free Indeed account.

Where to find Business Operations Managers

Business Operations Managers can be found through professional networks, business job boards, industry associations and MBA or business programs at local universities. 

To find the right Business Operations Manager for your team, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Internal promotions: Review your current teams to find employees who already understand your systems.
• Recruitment agencies: Some staffing firms focus on business operations roles. These agencies often work with active job seekers and can help you find candidates.
• Networking: Engaging with business contacts or former coworkers can help you identify people who understand the type of support your company needs.
• Social media: Posting your job on social media platforms can help you reach people who already follow your company.
• Post your job online: Try posting your Purchaser job on Indeed to find and attract quality candidates.

Skills to check for in a Business Operations Manager

A successful Business Operations Manager candidate will typically have the following skills and competencies, which may be gained through various experiences, training or education:

• Experience using tools such as Asana, Trello, Monday.com or ClickUp to track tasks and help teams stay organized 
• Familiarity with workflow design tools, such as Lucidchart, Miro or Whimsical, to map out steps and identify slow or unclear areas
• Ability to collect and explain business data using Excel, Google Sheets or Airtable, including pivot tables and visual dashboards 
• Understanding of how to use CRM systems like Salesforce, HubSpot or Zoho to view customer activity and support team planning
• Comfort reviewing budgets and spending using QuickBooks, NetSuite or Float to spot trends, reduce waste and support planning
• Experience running team meetings and building clear agendas that help resolve blockers and keep work moving forward 
• Ability to write, update and organize internal process documents so teams have clear, repeatable steps for common tasks 
• Familiarity with OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) or SMART goals to track team progress
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to delegate, ask for input, share updates and guide others through change
• Problem-solving ability, especially when facing unexpected delays, conflicting priorities or outdated systems

Writing a Business Operations Manager job description

Now that you know the key skills, salary expectations, popular job seeker search terms and hiring insights for a Business Operations Manager, you’re ready to write a job description.

A Business Operations Manager job description typically includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position. You may also want to include information about your company culture, benefits and perks to attract candidates to your open role.

Ready to get started? Check out our full guide on writing job descriptions.

Interviewing Business Operations Manager candidates

Strong candidates for Business Operations Manager positions will be confident answering questions about:

• Improving workflows across teams or departments
• Using project tracking or planning tools to manage tasks
• Solving problems caused by unclear ownership or delays
• Working with staff to introduce new systems or tools
• Explaining updates or changes to leadership and team members

Need help coming up with interview questions? Our Operations Manager interview questions are a helpful starting point for hiring a Business Operations Manager.