In any large corporation, there are few roles more senior than that of Operations Director. The responsibilities are many, the pressure is often intense and the expectations will always be high, but the rewards will be significant. While the other Directors within the organisation will usually have specific areas of control, an Operations Director will often effectively be the manager of managers.

If you have a strong history in senior management, you could be eligible for such a role. As a general rule, you’re likely to need a degree in a relevant subject, such as business administration, finance, business management or similar. Those who work as Operations Directors with the largest corporations, the blue chip organisations that operate on a global scale, will often have been head-hunted in the past.

One of the more pleasing aspects of the role will be the opportunity to oversee a diverse range of departments within the company, as well as to interact with outside agencies such as customers, suppliers and support services. You’ll enjoy a working week that includes plenty of variety, but of course you’ll also need to have a clear understanding of a number of processes and systems along the way.

Your overall duties could include the likes of:

• Overseeing future strategies
• Implementing strategic goals
• Setting departmental budgets
• Negotiating with major suppliers
• Assessing business trends
• Opening new overseas markets
• Directing supply chain processes
• Evaluating individual, departmental and company performance

…and more. As well as appropriate qualifications, you should have a great deal of experience in similar roles, preferably within the same industry sector. You’ll have a thorough understanding of the company’s products and systems and a sound knowledge of aspects of the business such as logistics, recruitment, marketing, finance and procurement.

A top job for the top individual

If you have experience of working in similar roles, you could legitimately progress to that of Operations Director. They include Operations Manager, Director of Operations, Business Operations Director, Office Operations Manager, General Manager and Senior Operational Manager. If you enjoy the challenge of great responsibility that transcends traditional departmental demarcation, this is the perfect role for you.

In Singapore, the role of Operations Director carries with it a great deal of prestige, and postings offer excellent salaries, plenty of benefits and an exciting business environment. This is a hugely important business hub that’s home to many of the world’s market-leading corporations with reputations to match.

If you see Operations Director as the next step on your chosen career path, Michael Page would like to hear from you. Simply forward your CV to us for consideration, and  make sure you set up an email job alert so you can hear about the best vacancies at an early stage.