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General and Operations Managers

SOC 11-1021.00Job Zone 4 · Considerable Preparation

Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services. Usually manage through subordinate supervisors.

Context coveredMulti-location retail, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, and professional-services operations; assistant manager through general manager through area / regional manager.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Daily operations rhythm (open / close / shift change) — execute reliably under a senior manager's review.
  2. Staff schedules within labor budget — produce for an assigned department on a routine week.
  3. Customer service and front-line escalations — handle within department authority.
  4. Inventory counts and routine receiving — perform per the operations manual.
  5. Routine compliance checks (food safety, OSHA, ADA, opening checklists) — complete accurately and on time.
  6. Daily sales and labor reports — produce, review, and discuss in standup with the GM.
  7. Standard work procedures — apply consistently and coach hourly staff on adherence.
  8. Hourly-staff coaching on routine performance issues — deliver verbal feedback per company policy.
  9. Cash-handling and deposit procedures — perform per company controls.
  10. Department safety routines and emergency procedures — execute and drill the team on quarterly cycles.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. A single department or operating function (front of house, kitchen, sales floor, warehouse) — manage with P&L visibility.
  2. Hiring, scheduling, and progressive discipline — execute on a team of 10-25 hourly staff.
  3. Department-level budget and cost-control — manage to targets across a month.
  4. Mid-tier performance and HR issues — handle with HR partnership.
  5. Cross-department coordination (kitchen-FOH, sales-stock, intake-treatment) — manage during a shift.
  6. Operational metrics (labor %, food cost, ticket time, NPS) — interpret and translate into team coaching.
  7. Customer-experience recovery on serious complaints — handle to satisfaction without manager involvement.
  8. Vendor and inbound-receiving relationships — manage for an assigned area.
  9. Compliance audits (health, safety, payroll) — prepare for and represent the department in.
  10. Newer supervisors on assigned shifts — mentor on standard-work and people fundamentals.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Entire location or multi-department operation — own P&L, customer experience, and people across the operation.
  2. Multi-week labor and inventory planning — execute against forecasted demand.
  3. Major customer-experience and quality incidents — own and resolve with executive visibility.
  4. Talent pipeline (assistant manager to manager to senior manager) — develop the location's bench.
  5. Cross-location best-practices — adopt and adapt from peer locations or area office.
  6. Vendor negotiations and significant purchasing decisions — execute within authority.
  7. Compliance and audit findings — represent the location in resolution discussions.
  8. Senior supervisors and assistant managers — mentor on judgment, finance, and people.
  9. Capital projects (remodels, equipment refresh) — plan and execute with the area office.
  10. Performance and recognition culture — set and sustain across the operation.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Multiple locations or a region — direct as area or regional manager with full operational P&L.
  2. Manager hiring, calibration, and succession — shape across the region over multi-year horizons.
  3. Operating-plan development — produce and execute against multi-quarter targets.
  4. Capital allocation and remodel decisions — frame and own across the portfolio.
  5. Cross-functional initiatives (technology rollouts, brand refreshes, M&A integration) — lead with corporate partners.
  6. Senior crisis-response (PR-relevant customer incidents, regulatory inquiries) — lead through with composure.
  7. External relationships (landlords, municipalities, franchisees, community) — represent the brand credibly.
  8. Strategic-planning input from the operations perspective — contribute substantively to multi-year plans.
  9. Culture, values, and standards across the region — set and sustain through rituals and example.
  10. Multi-unit hiring partnerships (universities, second-chance, vocational schools) — own the region's pipeline.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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  2. Developing
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Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework

Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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Show O*NET source anchors64 anchors · skillscrosswalk.com

O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Area Manager · Boards and Commissions Director · Business Coordinator · Business Manager · Center Manager · Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) · Corporate Manager · Department Manager · Department Store General Manager (Dept Store GM) · Department Store Manager (Dept Store Manager) · District Commercial Superintendent · District Manager
RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingMonitoringCritical ThinkingCoordinationSocial PerceptivenessManagement of Personnel ResourcesJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingPersuasionActive LearningTime ManagementNegotiationWritingService OrientationSystems EvaluationManagement of Material ResourcesSystems AnalysisManagement of Financial ResourcesLearning StrategiesInstructing
Knowledge domains
Administration and ManagementCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageProduction and ProcessingMathematicsPersonnel and Human ResourcesAdministrativeEconomics and Accounting
Abilities
Oral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionWritten ExpressionProblem SensitivityDeductive ReasoningSpeech ClaritySpeech RecognitionInductive ReasoningInformation Ordering
Work styles
Leadership OrientationDependabilityIntegrityAchievement OrientationSelf-ConfidenceInitiative
Technology
Customer relationship management CRM softwareDocument management softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareHuman resources softwareData base user interface and query softwareData base management system softwareVideo creation and editing softwarePresentation softwareOperating system softwareProject management software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.
  2. Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
  3. Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
  4. Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
  5. Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
  6. Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.
  7. Perform personnel functions, such as selection, training, or evaluation.
  8. Establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members.
CIP education codes
01.820231.030131.039944.040152.010152.020152.020652.021252.021552.070152.070452.080152.081052.110152.1301

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.