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
Operations Specialist / Team Lead
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Deep operational knowledge of a specific area (e.g., warehouse, logistics, customer service), ability to identify inefficiencies from the ground up, informal leadership skills.
You're ready to move on when
- You're the person everyone asks 'how do I do X?' in your current team.
- You've informally streamlined a few small processes in your current role, even if it was just making a spreadsheet better.
- You're known for being organised and reliable in your daily tasks.
- You've shown a genuine interest in understanding *why* processes are set up the way they are.
- 2
Junior Business Analyst
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Requirements gathering, basic data analysis, stakeholder interviewing, documentation of business needs.
You're ready to move on when
- You're comfortable translating business needs into clear, written specifications.
- You've worked on projects where you had to understand different departmental perspectives.
- You're good at asking probing questions to get to the root of a problem.
- You're familiar with creating basic flowcharts or diagrams to explain concepts.
- 3
Supply Chain Coordinator
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Understanding of end-to-end supply chain processes, inventory management, logistics planning, supplier relations.
You're ready to move on when
- You've managed a specific part of the supply chain (e.g., inbound, outbound, inventory).
- You've dealt with process breakdowns in the supply chain and had to find quick fixes.
- You're comfortable working with data related to stock levels, lead times, and delivery schedules.
- You've had to coordinate with external partners like suppliers or freight forwarders.