| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Operations |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Assistant Operations Manager |
| Direct reports | Operations Executive, Process Associate, Operations Assistant |
| Experience | 3 to 6 years in operations, with at least 1 year leading a small team |
Operations Supervisor job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Operations Supervisor
Department: Operations
Reports to: Assistant Operations Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Operations Supervisor leads a shift or a team of executives or workers on the floor, making sure the day's work is done correctly, safely and on time. The role allocates tasks, watches output hour by hour, handles attendance and discipline, checks quality and reports to the assistant operations manager. A good supervisor knows each person's strengths, spots problems before they grow and keeps the team calm on difficult days.
Key responsibilities
- Take the shift handover, check pending work and attendance, and allocate tasks to each team member at shift start.
- Monitor output against hourly targets and move people between tasks to clear bottlenecks.
- Check quality on a sample of completed work and correct errors before they reach the customer.
- Record late arrivals and absentees for the shift and arrange replacements from the reserve pool.
- Enforce SOPs, safety rules and discipline on the floor, and report serious breaches to the assistant manager.
- Handle first-level problems such as system issues, material shortage or customer queries during the shift.
- Train new team members on the job and pair them with experienced staff until they are ready.
- Complete the shift report with output, quality issues, downtime and attendance at shift end.
- Give daily feedback and recognition to team members, and raise performance concerns early.
- Hand over open issues to the next shift supervisor in person or in writing.
Requirements
- Graduate or diploma holder in any discipline
- Supervisory training is an advantage
- Ability to write shift reports in English or Hindi
- 3 to 6 years in operations, with at least 1 year leading a small team
KRAs and KPIs for a Operations Supervisor
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Shift output | Shift target met on at least 95 percent of shifts |
| Quality | Errors or rework from the shift below the agreed limit |
| Absentee cover | Replacements for absentees arranged within the first hour of the shift |
| Safety and discipline | Zero safety incidents, with every SOP breach recorded |
| Shift reporting | Shift report completed and handed over on every shift |
| On-the-job training | New joiners working independently within 10 days |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Shift report sheet, Operations system or ERP, MS Excel basics, Attendance reports, Walkie-talkie or team chat group.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Assistant Operations Manager, Operations Manager
Interview questions for a Operations Supervisor
- Three people call in sick at 6 am and the shift starts at 7. What do you do?
- How do you handle a team member who is fast but careless?
- What do you check in the first 15 minutes of your shift?
- A worker refuses an assigned task in front of others. How do you respond?
- How do you hand over a shift so that nothing is missed?
- Tell me about a time you caught a quality problem before it reached a customer.
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What does an operations supervisor do?
An operations supervisor runs a shift or floor team. They allocate tasks, watch output against hourly targets, check quality, arrange cover for absentees, enforce SOPs and safety, solve small problems during the shift, train new staff and complete the shift report and handover.
What skills does an operations supervisor need?
Supervisors need practical knowledge of the process, the ability to allocate work quickly, basic Excel for shift reports and a firm but fair way with people. They must stay calm when absentees, breakdowns and urgent orders all arrive on the same morning.
What is the difference between an operations supervisor and an operations manager?
A supervisor leads one shift or team directly on the floor. An operations manager plans the work for several supervisors, sets targets and rosters, manages budgets and vendors, and handles escalations. The supervisor makes the shift plan work; the manager decides what the plan should be.