Senior Manager, Business Operations

Manager of a large team or managers

Career Explorer · Business Operations & Shared Services · Business Operations Management

M2 · Senior ManagerIndividual contributorSenior Manager

Standard where organizational scale supports the level

What the role involves

Autonomy: Multiple teams / one capability
Scope: Multiple teams / one capability
Time horizon: Quarterly-annual
Expertise and judgement: Balances portfolios, develops managers, allocates resources
Expected impact: Multi-team outcomes and bench strength

Expected skills (22)

Grouped as human, professional and technical. Target proficiency uses the P1–P5 scale, and each row says what that level means for that particular skill.

Human (11)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Coaching Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Decision making Thinking & Judgment	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Delegation Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Executive communication Communication & Influence	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Feedback delivery Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Risk judgment Thinking & Judgment	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Stakeholder management Communication & Influence	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Strategic thinking Thinking & Judgment	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Talent development Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Conflict resolution Communication & Influence	Supporting	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Inclusive leadership Collaboration & Leadership	Supporting	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.

Professional (11)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Business acumen Business & Strategy	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Financial acumen Business & Strategy	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Performance management Business & Strategy	Core	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Business analysis Operations & Supply Chain	Supporting	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Business process management Operations & Supply Chain	Supporting	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
KPI design Business & Strategy	Supporting	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Lean continuous improvement Operations & Supply Chain	Supporting	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Operational analytics Operations & Supply Chain	Supporting	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Process excellence Operations & Supply Chain	Supporting	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Requirements management Operations & Supply Chain	Supporting	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.
Resource management Program, Risk & Sustainability	Supporting	P3	Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues.

Career ladder

Reached from

Manager, Business OperationsM1

Next steps

Director, Business OperationsM3Management promotion
Move from multi-team management to department leadership; set functional strategy, operating model, workforce plan and investment priorities.

People management requires sustained evidence of coaching, performance management, staffing judgment and organizational leadership - not simply greater individual expertise.

What changes to advance

Move from multi-team management to department leadership; set functional strategy, operating model, workforce plan and investment priorities.

Source: SFIA; PMI; Microsoft Careers · MF250-M2