Operations roles
A failed handover, a client service that is difficult to coordinate or a cross-functional project without an owner can reveal an operational need. The first step is to name the process that needs to be made reliable and the decisions to assign.
A remit defined by the business’s activities
Operational responsibilities depend on the business’s model and size. Here, this family brings together operations leadership, cross-functional organisation, internal services and client support. It does not describe all industrial or logistics roles. Where each role sits remains an organisational choice.
Improving the organisation involves processes and coordinating change, among other areas. To define a role, establish the boundaries of the service to provide, its users and the teams involved. A problem spanning several functions also requires clarity on who can decide when their priorities differ.
Understanding the different roles
Lead and organise operational activity
For a COO or Operations Manager, clarify the activities assigned, the teams to coordinate and the results to monitor. The balance between leadership and day-to-day operations varies by business. The title must correspond to a concrete mandate over the operations concerned.
- COO
- Operations manager
Lead cross-functional work
Business Ops and Chief of Staff are titles to explore in more detail according to the need. Distinguish process improvement, project delivery and support for leadership. At GitLab, for example, the Chief of Staff advises the CEO and takes on delegated work; this does not define a universal operations leadership role.
- Business ops & strategy
- Chief of staff
Support clients and resolve their difficulties
Customer Success supports the value the client gains from the service. Support handles the problems they encounter. To allocate these responsibilities, clarify the requests covered, the handovers and the sales contacts on the account.
- Customer success
- Customer care & support
Define an internal service or a local remit
Needs for general services vary according to size and activity. For an Office Manager, list the internal services to provide. For a Country Manager, describe the local activity assigned, the decisions that remain central and the support available from other functions.
- Office manager
- Country manager
Job profiles in this family
- COO (Chief Operating Officer)Holds the company's execution together: operations, processes, cross-functional coordination and turning strategy into results.
- Office ManagerKeeps the company running day to day: offices, vendors, onboarding logistics, events and a thousand topics nobody else owns.
- Operations ManagerStructures and optimizes operations: processes, service delivery, team efficiency and cross-functional project execution.
- Business Ops (BizOps)The executive's analytical strike force: strategic problems framed, analyzed and solved through to execution.
- Chief of StaffMultiplies the CEO: priorities protected, exec committee orchestrated, strategic projects driven in their name, organization aligned.
- Customer Success ManagerThe Customer Success Manager works with customers after the sale to develop their use of the solution and help them achieve their objectives.
- Customer Care / SupportSolves customers' problems daily: responsiveness, answer quality and turning irritants into product improvements.
- Country ManagerLaunches and leads a market: local P&L, team hiring, offer adaptation and growing the country like a mini-company.
Four situations that help clarify responsibilities
A request passes through several teams without being resolved
If nobody follows the request from start to finish, map the stages and decisions expected. Assign follow-up to an identified owner and define how teams will help resolve obstacles.
Client requests reach the wrong person
If clients repeat their problem to several people, distinguish incident resolution, support with using the service and commercial discussions. Organise handovers and tell the client who is following their request through to resolution.
A new country needs someone in charge
If the business establishes a local operation, clarify the activities to develop and the decisions that can be made locally. Agree with central functions on resources, approvals and the matters to address together.
Leadership projects lack follow-up
If decisions are difficult to turn into actions, identify the projects to coordinate and the trade-offs to prepare for a decision. A support role may be appropriate, provided coordination is distinguished from operational leaders’ decision-making authority.
Give a mandate that goes beyond informal coordination
Describe the service expected
Name the users, the requests covered and the stages of the process. A cross-functional role must have an observable responsibility, even if it works with many teams.
Enable decisions on competing priorities
Specify what the person can decide, the resources they can draw on and the disagreements they must refer to leadership. This allocation is essential when the role operates without line management authority.
Choose the working relationships to organise
Define the information expected from Sales, Finance, HR or Product according to the process concerned. Keep an identified contact in each function and clarify the matters that remain their responsibility.
Frequently asked questions
How do you name a role that works across several functions?
Start by writing its purpose and expected deliverables. Then choose a title that helps explain this remit, adding the activity concerned if needed. Avoid combining needs under one title without priorities or a decision-maker.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics : Top Executives
- Apec : Responsable des services généraux
- Apec : Chef de projet en organisation
- GitLab : Chief of Staff to the CEO
- Salesforce : How To Differentiate Customer Success vs. Customer Support