UK

United Kingdom · Operations · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence

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  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports25-100+ reports
  • Reports toChief Operations Officer (COO)
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as VP of Operations Analytics · Head of Operations Insight · Chief Data Officer (Operations)

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science OTHM Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 6 of 11 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for England Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 4 of 11 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Digital Technologies Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 2 of 11 standards
NOCN Level 4 certificate for Data Analysts NOCN · Level 4 · covers 7 of 11 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Computing for England Pearson Education Ltd · Level 4 · covers 3 of 11 standards
Highfield Level 3 Diploma for Team Leaders and Supervisors (RQF) Highfield Qualifications · Level 3 · covers 2 of 11 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science
Data Analytics Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for England
Data Analytics Primer NOCN Level 4 certificate for Data Analysts
Data Analysis Highfield Level 3 Diploma for Team Leaders and Supervisors (RQF)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Frontier Fluency the next wave, beyond mainstream AI
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence

4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Qualifications · covers 6 of 11 standards Level 7
  2. Data Analytics Pearson Education Ltd · covers 4 of 11 standards Level 5
  3. Data Analytics Primer NOCN · covers 7 of 11 standards Level 4
  4. Data Analysis Highfield Qualifications · covers 2 of 11 standards Level 3
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • AI Ethics & Governance for Operations
  • Digital Twin & Metaverse Integration for Operations
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

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3What this role really is

This role covers operational strategy for a business unit, built on data. It involves explaining why a plant's OEE dropped or how a new supply chain configuration will affect the bottom line.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

ERP System (e.g., SAP S/4HANA, Oracle NetSuite) Strategic

Leading discussions on ERP data governance, approving investments in new modules or system upgrades based on analytical needs, and understanding the integration architecture to ensure data quality for strategic decision-making. You'll ensure your team can extract and interpret critical operational data from these systems.

Data Visualisation (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) Architect

Setting the enterprise standard for operational reporting and dashboard design. Defining the BI strategy and governance for the business unit. Presenting high-level strategic insights from dashboards to the board, focusing on the implications for P&L and strategic direction.

Process Mining (e.g., Celonis, UiPath Process Mining) Strategic

Championing process mining initiatives across the business unit. Using insights from process mining to justify major process re-engineering or automation investments, securing budget for the platform, and integrating process intelligence into strategic operational reviews.

Advanced Analytics (e.g., Python with pandas, SciPy; SQL) Strategic

Defining the advanced analytics roadmap for operations. Identifying major business problems that can be solved with OR/ML. Hiring and developing the technical talent required to execute complex modelling, and ensuring the strategic application of these models to drive P&L impact.

Simulation Software (e.g., AnyLogic, Simul8) Strategic

Using simulation outputs to de-risk major strategic decisions (e.g., building a new plant, changing a global supply chain configuration). Translating complex model results into compelling business cases for executive approval and board presentations.

Enterprise Planning (e.g., Anaplan, Kinaxis) Architect

Owning the enterprise-wide integrated business planning (IBP) process and the technology that supports it. Ensuring alignment between operational, commercial, and financial plans at a strategic level, and driving the evolution of our planning capabilities.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Strategic Roadmap Definition No involvement. Contributes data and insights to support roadmap discussions. Proposes and refines elements of the strategic roadmap, with Director input.
Budget Allocation (Departmental) No involvement. Provides estimates for project costs. Recommends tool purchases up to £5K.
Organisational Design & Hiring No involvement. Participates in interview panels. Interviews candidates, provides hiring recommendations.
Major Capital Expenditure (>£10M) No involvement. Provides basic data for business cases. Conducts detailed analysis for specific components of a business case.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

P&L Impact from Analytics Initiatives
Quantified cost savings, revenue uplift, or efficiency gains directly attributable to analytics-driven operational changes.
Target · £5M - £10M+ annually

Your team's analysis led to a 15% reduction in logistics costs across the EMEA region, saving £6.5M in the last financial year. Or, a predictive maintenance programme reduced unplanned downtime by 20%, adding £7M to production capacity.

Enterprise Demand Forecast Accuracy
Improvement in the accuracy of our overall enterprise demand forecasts, measured by MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) or similar metrics.
Target · 15% year-over-year improvement in MAPE

Reduced the average forecast error for our top 20 products from 12% to 9% over 12 months, leading to a 10% reduction in safety stock and £2M in working capital improvements.

Strategic Decision De-risking
The number and value of major capital expenditure or strategic investment decisions (>£10M) that are directly informed and de-risked by your team's analytical insights and simulations.
Target · At least 2-3 major decisions annually

Used simulation modelling to evaluate three potential new factory locations, identifying the optimal site that reduced future logistics costs by an estimated £3M annually, avoiding a £50M investment risk.

Operational Efficiency Index
A composite index tracking key operational metrics like OEE, First Pass Yield, and cycle time across business units, showing aggregated improvement.
Target · 5-10% improvement across the business unit annually

The overall Operational Efficiency Index for the manufacturing division improved by 7.2% last year, driven by analytics-led process changes in three key plants.

Board and Executive Confidence
The extent to which the Board and Executive Committee rely on your insights for strategic planning and decision-making.
  • You'll be regularly invited to present at board meetings, your team's reports are consistently referenced in strategic discussions, and executives proactively seek your input on major initiatives. They trust your numbers and your interpretation.
Talent Development & Retention
Building and nurturing a high-performing operations analytics team, ensuring career growth and minimal attrition.
  • Your direct reports and their teams show clear career progression, internal promotions are common, and your team's attrition rate is below the company average. You're known as a leader who invests in their people.
Cross-Functional Strategic Influence
Your ability to influence and align diverse senior stakeholders (e.g., Finance, Product, Sales) on operational analytics strategies and priorities.
  • You're seen as a trusted advisor across departments, regularly leading cross-functional working groups, and successfully mediating disagreements between teams based on data. People come to you for an objective view.
Innovation & Capability Building
Driving the adoption of new analytical techniques, tools, and methodologies across the operations function.
  • Your team consistently pilots and successfully deploys new AI/ML models, process mining initiatives, or simulation capabilities that deliver measurable value. You're seen as the go-to person for what's next in operations analytics.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Driving Enterprise-Wide Transformation

You'll spend your days defining the multi-year roadmap for operations analytics, identifying key strategic initiatives, and securing the resources needed to execute them. You're constantly looking for the next big opportunity to change how we operate.

Leading the charge to implement a company-wide integrated business planning (IBP) system, fundamentally changing how all departments forecast and plan.

Building and Empowering High-Performing Teams

A significant part of your role involves mentoring your managers, setting clear expectations for their teams, and creating a culture where people feel challenged, supported, and have clear career paths. You get immense satisfaction from seeing your people grow.

Developing a new internal training programme that upskills 50+ analysts in advanced simulation techniques, leading to a noticeable improvement in project quality and team morale.

Solving Complex, Ambiguous Organisational Problems

You thrive on tackling the really messy, ill-defined strategic challenges that no one else has figured out. This means defining the problem, figuring out what data we need (and how to get it), and then building the analytical capability to solve it.

Developing a new analytical framework to optimise our global manufacturing footprint, balancing production costs, logistics, and geopolitical risks.

What frustrates people
  • Dealing with deeply entrenched 'we've always done it this way' mentalities, even when data clearly shows a better path.
  • The sheer inertia of a large organisation, making multi-year transformation programmes feel like pushing a boulder uphill.
  • Political battles over data ownership, budget allocation, and strategic direction, which can be exhausting.
  • The constant need to justify the value of analytics to sceptical senior leaders who still rely on gut feel.
  • Inheriting a patchwork of legacy systems and data silos that make building a unified analytical view incredibly difficult and slow.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, solitary environment where you can just focus on coding and model building.
  • Guaranteed immediate implementation of every analytical insight or recommendation.
  • A 'clean slate' where you can build everything from scratch without dealing with legacy tech or processes.
  • A role where you're purely an individual contributor; leadership and influence are paramount here.

8Who you work with

This role directly shapes the operational strategy and performance of an entire business unit, influencing decisions that impact £2M-£10M+ in P&L. You'll be instrumental in driving multi-year transformation programmes, ensuring that data and analytics are at the core of how we run our operations and respond to market changes. Your influence extends to M&A due diligence, major capital expenditure approvals, and the overall digital maturity of the operations function.

Inside the business
  • Chief Operations Officer (COO)
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • VP of Supply Chain
  • VP of Manufacturing
  • Head of IT & Digital Transformation
  • Board of Directors (for presentations and strategic updates)
Outside the business
  • Strategic technology partners (e.g., ERP vendors, analytics platform providers)
  • Industry bodies and consortia
  • Consulting firms (for specialised projects)
  • Key suppliers and logistics partners (for data sharing and collaboration)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven experience in leading and managing large analytical teams (20+ people, including managers) in an operational setting.
  • Demonstrable track record of driving significant, measurable P&L impact (e.g., £5M+ annually) through analytics initiatives.
  • Extensive experience in defining and executing strategic roadmaps for operations analytics or business intelligence functions.
  • Expert-level proficiency in at least two advanced analytical domains (e.g., optimisation, simulation, predictive modelling) and their strategic application.
  • Strong experience presenting complex analytical findings and strategic recommendations to C-suite and board-level audiences.
  • Deep understanding of enterprise-level operational processes across manufacturing, supply chain, or service delivery.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Quantum Analytics & Optimisation (Long-term Strategic)

While still nascent, quantum computing promises to solve optimisation problems that are currently intractable for classical computers. For operations, this could mean revolutionary breakthroughs in global supply chain optimisation, complex scheduling, and materials science. As a Director, you need to understand its potential and prepare for its eventual impact.

Quantum Annealing & Gate-based Quantum Computing · Quantum-inspired Algorithms · Hybrid Quantum-Classical Algorithms · Identifying Quantum Advantage in Operations

  • This quarter: Read foundational whitepapers on quantum computing applications in operations research and logistics.
  • Next 6 months: Attend a virtual conference or workshop on quantum analytics to deepen your understanding.
  • Next 12 months: Identify 1-2 'moonshot' operational problems that could theoretically benefit from quantum optimisation.
  • Ongoing: Monitor industry developments and engage with academic research in this field.

Quick win: Start by following key thought leaders and research institutions in quantum computing on LinkedIn. It's about building awareness and a long-term strategic perspective, not immediate implementation.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attending and speaking at industry conferences on operations, supply chain, or manufacturing analytics (e.g., Gartner Supply Chain Symposium, INFORMS Annual Meeting).
  • Publishing thought leadership pieces or case studies on successful analytics transformations in operational contexts.
  • Participating in executive education programmes focused on AI strategy, digital transformation, or advanced leadership.
  • Mentoring rising analytical talent within the company or through external programmes.
  • Engaging with academic institutions on cutting-edge research in operations research or industrial AI.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI Ethics & Governance for Operations

As AI becomes more embedded in critical operational decisions (e.g., autonomous systems, predictive maintenance, resource allocation), ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability is paramount. Regulatory scrutiny is increasing, and a single biased algorithm could have massive operational or reputational consequences.

  • Algorithmic Bias Detection & Mitigation
  • Explainable AI (XAI) in Operations
  • AI Model Lifecycle Management
  • Regulatory Compliance for AI in Industry

Digital Twin & Metaverse Integration for Operations

Digital twins are moving beyond simple simulations to become real-time, interactive replicas of physical operations, offering unprecedented opportunities for predictive maintenance, process optimisation, and scenario planning. The 'industrial metaverse' concept will take this further, enabling immersive collaboration and remote control.

  • Real-time Data Integration for Digital Twins
  • Physics-based Modelling & Simulation
  • Immersive Visualisation & Interaction
  • Predictive Maintenance & Optimisation via Digital Twin

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Lean Six Sigma (Strategic Deployment)
  • Statistical Process Control (Enterprise Quality)
  • Demand Forecasting & Inventory Optimisation (IBP Integration)
  • Operations Research (Strategic Application)
  • Root Cause Analysis (Systemic Issues)
  • Theory of Constraints (Enterprise Bottleneck Management)

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Manager, Operations Analytics

    5-8 years to transition to Director

    Skills to master

    • Mastering team leadership, stakeholder management across departments, prioritisation of analytical projects, and demonstrating consistent P&L impact from your team's work. You'll need to show you can manage managers.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led a team of 10+ analysts through multiple complex projects, delivering significant business value.
    • Consistently exceeded departmental performance metrics and P&L impact targets.
    • Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders outside your direct reporting line.
    • Proven track record of developing and mentoring junior leaders within your team.
  2. 2

    Lead Operations Analyst (Specialised Domain)

    8-10 years to transition to Director

    Skills to master

    • Deep expertise in a critical operational analytics domain (e.g., global supply chain optimisation, manufacturing intelligence). You'll need to broaden your scope to manage multiple domains, build a leadership team, and develop strong strategic influencing skills beyond your technical expertise.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Architected and deployed enterprise-level analytical solutions that delivered substantial, measurable impact.
    • Recognised as an internal thought leader and expert in a key operational analytics domain.
    • Successfully mentored 3-5 senior analysts and contributed to their career progression.
    • Demonstrated ability to translate complex technical solutions into clear business value for executive audiences.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to wider leadership, such as chief operations analytics officer, chief operating officer, or chief data officer, and can open the door to board level positions.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

Also named as a next step, with no page in the catalogue yet:

  • Chief Operations Analytics Officer (COAO)

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Data Analysis and Visualisation, worked against Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence.

Data Analysis and Visualisation Level 7

Applied to your work in Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence

1. To enable the learner to critically analyse the theoretical underpinnings of data analytics and their impact on decision-making in business management contexts. 2. To enable the learner to assess diverse data analysis activities, techniques, and tools applicable to business management scenarios. 3. To enable the learner to compare and contrast various predictive analytic techniques, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses in forecasting future business events. 4. To enable the learner to evaluate how predictive analytic techniques can be practically implemented for forecasting purposes within the business sector. 5. To enable the learner to evaluate prescriptive analytic techniques, illustrating their application with relevant examples from the business management domain. 6. To enable the learner to apply a suitable programming language or data analysis tool to conduct data analysis and visualisation tasks related to business management problems.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence
  • Lean Six Sigma (Strategic Deployment)
  • Statistical Process Control (Enterprise Quality)
  • Demand Forecasting & Inventory Optimisation (IBP Integration)
  • Operations Research (Strategic Application)
  • Root Cause Analysis (Systemic Issues)
  • Theory of Constraints (Enterprise Bottleneck Management)
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Operations Analytics Officer (COAO)

    3-5 years

    Level 7 (C-Suite)

    • Defining and owning the enterprise operations analytics strategy, impacting the entire company's P&L (typically £10M+).
    • Leading major multi-year transformation programmes that reshape the company's market position.
    • Building and leading an organisation of hundreds or thousands of people, including multiple directors and VPs.
    • Directly influencing the CEO and Board on critical strategic decisions, including market-shaping initiatives.

  2. Chief Operating Officer (COO)

    5-8 years

    Level 7 (C-Suite)

    • Setting the strategic direction for all operational aspects of the business, beyond just analytics.
    • Driving operational excellence and efficiency across the entire company.
    • Managing complex global supply chains and manufacturing networks.
    • Leading major organisational change initiatives across all operational departments.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

As a Director, your time is gold. Imagine reclaiming hours each week from routine tasks, allowing you to focus on truly strategic initiatives, team leadership, and driving enterprise-level change. AI isn't just for analysts; it's a game-changer for senior leaders too.

We're embedding AI across our operations analytics function to empower our leaders and teams. For you, this means using AI to accelerate strategic insights, automate governance, and free up your most valuable asset: your time. You'll lead the charge in adopting these tools, not just for yourself, but for your entire department.

Automated Data Governance & Auditing

Use AI-powered tools to continuously monitor data quality across your operational systems, automatically flagging inconsistencies, potential breaches, and compliance issues. This shifts your team's focus from reactive data firefighting to proactive strategic analysis and policy enforcement.

Predictive Strategic Scenario Planning

Deploy advanced AI models to run complex 'what-if' scenarios for multi-year operational strategies. Quickly assess the impact of market shifts, supply chain disruptions, or new technology investments on P&L, allowing you to de-risk major decisions and present robust business cases to the board.

Executive Insight Synthesis & Reporting

Feed vast amounts of internal and external operational data, market research, and competitive intelligence into a large language model. It'll then synthesise executive summaries, first drafts of board presentations, and strategic briefing documents, highlighting key trends and recommendations for your review.

Optimised Resource Allocation & Scheduling

Implement AI-driven optimisation engines to dynamically allocate resources (people, machinery, logistics assets) across your business unit. This ensures maximum efficiency, lowest cost, and highest service levels, freeing your managers from complex manual scheduling and allowing you to focus on strategic capacity planning.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence?

Common routes in include Manager, Operations Analytics (5-8 years to transition to Director) and Lead Operations Analyst (Specialised Domain) (8-10 years to transition to Director). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Operations Analytics Officer (COAO) (3-5 years) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) (5-8 years), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director of Operations Analytics & Intelligence?

Increasingly, AI Ethics & Governance for Operations and Digital Twin & Metaverse Integration for Operations. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in operations

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills used as a director of operations analytics carry across industries. Similar leadership roles exist in retail, healthcare, financial services and government, wherever large scale operations and data-driven decisions matter. Optimising processes, managing supply chains and using data for efficiency work the same way in each of these settings.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Automation Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.