| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Operations |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Assistant Operations Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 3 to 5 years in operations, with at least 2 years on the same or a similar process |
Senior Operations Executive 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: Senior Operations Executive
Department: Operations
Reports to: Assistant Operations Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Senior Operations Executive handles the complex and sensitive cases in an operations team, checks the work of junior executives and stands in for the supervisor when needed. The role still carries a personal work target, but adds maker-checker approvals, escalation handling, training of new joiners and first-level reporting. A good senior executive is the person the team asks when a case does not fit the SOP.
Key responsibilities
- Process complex, high-value or escalated cases that junior executives are not authorised to handle.
- Act as checker for transactions prepared by executives, approving them or returning them with reasons.
- Resolve escalated queries from customers, branches or other departments within the agreed timeline.
- Train new executives on SOPs and systems, and sit with them on live work until they are signed off.
- Lead the shift or team when the supervisor is on leave, including work allocation and handover.
- Prepare daily productivity and pending reports for the team and flag ageing cases.
- Spot recurring errors or unclear SOP steps and suggest fixes to the supervisor or quality team.
- Coordinate with finance, IT or sales teams to clear blocked cases.
- Maintain records for audit and answer auditor queries on processed cases.
Requirements
- Graduate in commerce or any discipline
- Product or process certification from the employer
- Advanced Excel is an advantage
- 3 to 5 years in operations, with at least 2 years on the same or a similar process
KRAs and KPIs for a Senior Operations Executive
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 |
|---|---|
| Personal productivity | Personal case target achieved on nine in ten working days or better |
| Checker accuracy | No error passed at checking and found later in audit |
| Escalation closure | Escalated cases resolved within 2 working days |
| Joiner training | New joiners signed off within the planned training period |
| Ageing control | No case older than the SLA without a documented reason |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Process or ERP system, MS Excel, Workflow or ticketing tool, Email, Audit trail reports.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Operations Supervisor, Quality and Process Executive, Assistant Operations Manager
Interview questions for a Senior Operations Executive
- What do you check when you act as checker on a case prepared by someone else?
- A case does not fit any SOP. How do you decide what to do?
- How do you train a new joiner who learns slowly but works carefully?
- Tell me about an escalation you resolved after others had given up on it.
- Your supervisor is on leave and the team is behind target by noon. What do you do?
- How do you balance your own target with helping others?
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What does a senior operations executive do?
A senior operations executive handles complex and escalated cases, checks the work of junior executives in a maker-checker setup, trains new joiners, prepares daily team reports and leads the team when the supervisor is away. They still carry a personal target but act as the team's go-to person for difficult cases.
What is the difference between an operations executive and a senior operations executive?
An operations executive processes standard cases as per the SOP and escalates exceptions. A senior operations executive handles those exceptions, checks others' work, trains new people and stands in for the supervisor. The senior role needs deeper process knowledge and the judgement to act when the SOP is silent.
After how many years does an operations executive become senior?
Most companies promote an operations executive to senior after two to three years of consistent productivity and quality on the process. Promotion depends more on reliability, audit results and willingness to help others than on years alone, and some companies require a process certification before the move.