Operations Director / Head of Operations
What is in the Operations Director job description?
An Operations Director has the responsibility to lead all procurement operational matters, driving cross-team and customer collaboration. Creating, setting and leading the overall direction for the procurement policy, technology enablement, spend analytics, procurement regulatory standards, risk, assurance, governance and compliance matters.
What will be your responsibilities?
An Operations Director responsibilities broadly consist of the following things:
- Leadership, development and integration of the end-to-end suite of procurement technology solutions.
- Lead strategic development, improvement and implementation of best practice procurement frameworks and tools; adapting with customer needs, changing business and external market priorities.
- Lead the engagement and influence of senior leaders, challenging operational and governance-based decision making.
- Create a collaborative platform for sustainable procurement operational success.
- Lead regular external market assessments specific to operational, sustainability and CSR matters e.g. market trend analysis, market dynamics, market shifts, new product offerings, innovation and trends.
- Bring innovation, expertise and ideas back into the support of solving real business problems and supporting the delivery and success of the other procurement teams.
- Oversee and report on business-critical supplier risk and assurance matters.
- Develop a judgement on all procurement risk, capability and risk culture matters throughout the organisation.
- Create and lead a team of qualified procurement operations specialists; delivering operational excellence, monitoring performance management, providing specialised training schemes, fostering team-work, promoting talent management, with a succession plan implemented.
The CIPS Digital Academy
The CIPS Digital Academy provides access to learning programmes in procurement and supply. It enables your organisation to develop consistency in knowledge and skills and helps to reduce supply chain risk throughout your organisation.
What qualifications do you need?
If you’re looking to move in a role of an Operations Director, you’ll need the following qualifications and skills.
- Procurement operational expert, with an outstanding track record of delivering procurement operational and technology enabled efficiencies.
- A demonstrable depth of senior procurement leadership: extensive experience with planning and implementing processes/systems for operations, risks and governance.
- Outstanding track record of analytics, problem-solving, innovator and risk mitigation.
- Proven senior level solution-driven/value-led approach with issue resolution skills.
- Experience with cross-functional collaborative working methods.
- Leading edge knowledge of procurement operation tools, system implementation, supply base, risk and procurement techniques.
- Demonstrable leadership skills and problem-solving experience and in large, complex organisations.
CIPS Qualifications
Browse through our university partners and accreditation statements to find an undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme that suits your needs to help you achieve your internationally recognised professional designation. Upon completion of one of our accredited degree programmes and following a minimum of three years' work experience in the procurement and supply profession, you’ll be eligible to apply for MCIPS.
Salary benchmarking: What does an Operations Director get paid?
In the UK, typically the Operations Director gets paid on average £87,179 based on the UK Salary Guide 2023. An Operations Director sits in the Advanced Professional level, the breakdown is as follows.
Advanced Professional
- UK: £87,179
- Australia: $208,066
- New Zealand: $182,900
- MENA: $123,790
- South Africa: ZAR 1,237K
- Sub-Saharan Africa $90,400
- North America: $125,504
- Europe: €127,846
Salaries may increase if you are studying with CIPS or change sector. To find out more about the salaries of procurement and supply professionals let our salary calculator do the hard work for you.
Further your career
The Management Entry Route (MER) is designed for procurement professionals, operating in a senior strategic role. You'll receive a practical pathway that will guide you to MCIPS status, without having to go down the traditional learning and exam route. You will be assessed for your experience, knowledge and responsibility through an online assessment and a remote (Zoom/Teams) interview.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR MANAGEMENT ENTRY ROUTE