Operations manager

What does an operations manager do?

An operations manager runs the daily work of a manufacturing site or production unit.

You plan output, manage people and materials, and keep the line within quality, cost and safety targets.

In a Singapore plant, the role usually reports to a plant manager, operations director or general manager. Larger firms have several operations managers, each covering a line, a shift or a product group.

You work with production supervisors, engineers, quality and procurement teams, planners, finance and HR. You also deal with customers and suppliers when orders, schedules or specifications change.

What the work involves

• Check the production plan against orders, manpower, materials and machine availability, then adjust it when something changes.
• Walk the shop floor to confirm that teams follow standard operating procedures and process control plans.
• Review output, yield, scrap and delivery figures with supervisors, and agree actions on any gaps.
• Lead improvement projects with engineering, quality and planning staff to cut waste, cycle time and cost.
• Coach supervisors, set performance goals, and take part in hiring and training plans.
• Report results and risks to senior management, and respond to customer and supplier issues.

Pay in Singapore

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Skills an operations manager needs

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Operations manager job description

A manufacturing company in Singapore hires an operations manager to lead production.

The manager plans output, leads supervisors and operators, and improves cost, quality and delivery. The role reports to a plant manager or operations director and works with engineering, quality and supply chain teams.

Responsibilities

• Plan and schedule production to meet customer orders using available people, materials and machines.
• Run shop floor operations in line with process control plans and quality requirements.
• Set and track KPIs such as output, yield, scrap, on-time delivery and downtime.
• Lead Lean and continuous improvement projects across production, engineering and quality teams.
• Write and update standard operating procedures, and make sure staff are trained on them.
• Prepare and control the operations budget, including manpower, materials and maintenance costs.
• Manage supplier and contractor performance with procurement and supply chain teams.
• Enforce workplace safety, health and environment practices on site.
• Manage staff performance, development and hiring for the production team.
• Report operational results, risks and improvement plans to senior management.

Requirements

• A diploma or degree in engineering, manufacturing, industrial management or business is typical.
• Often 5 to 10 years in manufacturing, including time as a supervisor, executive or team leader.
• Working knowledge of Lean or Six Sigma methods. A Green Belt or similar certificate helps.
• Hands-on use of an ERP system such as SAP, Oracle or NetSuite, and strong Excel skills.
• Proven ability to lead shift teams, including staff from different backgrounds and work passes.

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Operations manager career path

Most operations managers start in a coordinator or executive role and move up through supervisor posts.

Larger plants add senior manager and director levels above the manager role.

1. Operations coordinator

   Entry · SkillsFuture title

   You support daily operations by tracking orders, updating records and helping teams keep to the schedule.

2. Operations executive or supervisor

   Mid · SkillsFuture title

   You run a line or shift, follow up on daily targets and report problems to the manager.

3. Operations manager

   Senior · SkillsFuture title

   You own production results for a site or unit, including people, budget, quality and delivery.

4. Senior operations manager

   Lead · SkillsFuture title

   You oversee several lines or functions and lead larger improvement and cost programmes.

5. Operations director or head of operations

   Head · SkillsFuture title

   You set operations strategy, run the plant or business unit and answer to the general manager or board.

Steps marked "SkillsFuture title" follow the career pathway in the SkillsFuture Skills Framework. The others are titles commonly used in Singapore.

Related jobs and their pay

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Operations manager interview questions

We wrote these questions from the skills this job needs. They are not an official question bank.

1. How do you calculate overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), and what do you do with the result?

   What a good answer covers

   • Multiplies availability, performance and quality rates.
   • Breaks losses into downtime, slow running and defects.
   • Uses a Pareto chart to pick the biggest loss first.
   • Compares like with like, such as the same product and line.

2. Describe a Lean project you led. What waste did you find and what changed?

   What a good answer covers

   • States the starting problem with a measured baseline.
   • Names the tools used, such as value stream mapping or 5S.
   • Explains how operators were involved.
   • Gives the result in output, cycle time or cost.
   • Describes how the gain was kept after the project.

3. How do you plan a week of production when machines are limited and orders change often?

   What a good answer covers

   • Starts from confirmed orders, capacity and material availability.
   • Uses the ERP planning run, then checks it by hand.
   • Sequences jobs to cut changeovers.
   • Keeps some buffer for rush orders and breakdowns.
   • Sets a regular time to review and reschedule.

4. Which KPIs would you track on a production line, and how do you set targets for them?

   What a good answer covers

   • Picks a short set: output, yield, scrap, on-time delivery, safety incidents.
   • Sets targets from past data and customer needs.
   • Makes each KPI visible to the team that controls it.
   • Reviews KPIs daily or weekly and acts on trends.

5. How do you use an ERP system such as SAP in daily operations?

   What a good answer covers

   • Uses work orders, bills of materials and routings for planning.
   • Checks stock levels and material shortages.
   • Records production and scrap so data stays accurate.
   • Pulls standard reports for output and cost.
   • Works with IT or planners to fix errors in core item and routing data.

6. Scrap rose last month on one line. How would you use Excel to find the cause?

   What a good answer covers

   • Collects scrap data by product, shift, machine and defect type.
   • Builds pivot tables to compare groups.
   • Charts the trend to see when it began.
   • Checks for links to material batches or operators.
   • Shares findings with quality and engineering before acting.

7. How do you build an annual operations budget and track it during the year?

   What a good answer covers

   • Starts from volume forecasts and past actuals.
   • Lists manpower, materials, maintenance, utilities and capital needs.
   • Agrees assumptions with finance and planning.
   • Reviews variances monthly and explains them.
   • Plans actions when costs drift.

8. A key supplier keeps delivering late. How do you handle it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Measures on-time and in-full delivery over time.
   • Meets the supplier to find the root cause.
   • Agrees a recovery plan with dates.
   • Qualifies a backup source if the issue continues.
   • Checks contract terms and works with procurement.

9. Which manual routine in a plant would you automate with a tool like n8n or Zapier?

   What a good answer covers

   • Picks a clear case, such as a daily production report or low-stock alert.
   • Maps the current steps and data sources first.
   • Adds checks and error alerts.
   • Keeps a person approving anything that affects orders or quality.
   • Measures time saved after launch.

1. Your main line has missed its output target three weeks in a row. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Confirms the numbers and the size of the gap.
   • Walks the line and speaks to operators and supervisors.
   • Sorts causes into downtime, speed, quality and material issues.
   • Fixes the largest cause first and sets a short-term recovery plan.
   • Updates the customer and management on timing.

2. A major customer asks you to ship a large order a week early. How do you respond?

   What a good answer covers

   • Checks material, capacity and quality checks before answering.
   • Looks at overtime, extra shifts and moving other orders.
   • Costs the options and informs finance and sales.
   • Tells the customer what is possible and what is not.
   • Protects safety and quality while speeding up.

1. Tell me about a time you managed a supervisor or operator whose performance was falling.

   What a good answer covers

   • Describes the issue with facts, not opinions.
   • Meets the person privately and listens to their side.
   • Agrees clear goals and support, such as training.
   • Follows up on a set schedule.
   • States the outcome, including if it ended in a formal step.

2. Describe a change you introduced on the shop floor that staff resisted. How did you handle it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Explains why the change was needed.
   • Involves operators early and takes their feedback.
   • Trials the change on one line or shift.
   • Trains staff and answers concerns.
   • Shows the result and what was adjusted.

1. How do you manage a shop floor team that includes local staff and workers on work passes?

   What a good answer covers

   • Knows that Ministry of Manpower (MOM) rules apply to hiring and employing foreign workers.
   • Works with HR to track pass conditions and renewals.
   • Gives safety and task training in clear, simple language.
   • Sets the same standards for everyone.
   • Builds skills in local staff for supervisor roles.

2. A worker has a near-miss on your line. What are your duties and next steps under Singapore workplace safety rules?

   What a good answer covers

   • Secures the area and makes sure nobody is hurt.
   • Records the incident and starts an investigation.
   • Knows that some incidents must be reported to MOM, and checks the current rules.
   • Finds the root cause and updates the risk assessment.
   • Briefs the team and follows up on actions.

Common questions about an operations manager job

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