UK

United Kingdom · Operations · Mid-Level (2-5 years)

EVP of Global Operations

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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  • Experience bandMid-Level (2-5 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toOperations Manager
  • UK framework levelUsually a coordinator, or early in a professional job

Also advertised as Operations Specialist · Supply Chain Planner · Logistics Coordinator · Process Improvement Analyst

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

ETCAL Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Engineering Technical Support ETC Awards Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 3 standards
EAL Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering - Technical Support Technician (Development Competence) Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 3 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Development Competence) Pearson Education Ltd · Level 3 · covers 1 of 3 standards
EAL Level 3 NVQ Extended Diploma in Engineering Technical Support Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 3 standards
EAL Level 3 Diploma in Aerospace Manufacturing (Development Competence) Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 3 standards

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

The units you would start with

Supporting logistics operations in an engineering manufacturing environment ETCAL Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Engineering Technical Support
Supporting logistics operations in an engineering manufacturing environment (Aerospace and Aviation) EAL Level 3 Diploma in Aerospace Manufacturing (Development Competence)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Your Plan Illustration

Built for EVP of Global Operations

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

  1. Supporting logistics operations in an engineering manufacturing environment ETC Awards Limited · covers 1 of 3 standards Level 3
  2. Supporting logistics operations in an engineering manufacturing environment (Aerospace and Aviation) Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · covers 1 of 3 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 an EVP of Global Operations?

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

  • Data Storytelling for Operations
  • Basic Process Automation Understanding
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 EVP of Global Operations plan as you set up, starting with the free Data Fluency module. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

This role keeps global operations running smoothly day to day. You own specific parts of the operational flow, troubleshoot issues, and help improve how things work, one process at a time. It is a mid-level role, so you already understand how things work but are still building the bigger picture.

4What you'd actually use

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

SAP S/4HANA (ERP System) Intermediate

Executing transactions related to inventory movements, order status updates, and pulling standard reports from specific modules (e.g., MM, SD).

Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets Advanced

Creating pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, conditional formatting, and basic formulas to analyse data, reconcile discrepancies, and prepare ad-hoc reports.

Power BI Desktop (or similar BI tool) Basic

Consuming pre-built dashboards, refreshing data, and creating simple reports for your own team's use from approved data sources.

ServiceNow GRC (or similar GRC platform) Basic

Interacting with the system to complete assigned risk assessments or compliance tasks for your specific operational area, logging issues.

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
Process Changes (Minor) Propose to supervisor for review and approval. Implement minor, non-critical process tweaks within your own scope (e.g., changing the order of steps in a data entry process) after informing your manager. Major changes require manager approval. Design and implement significant process improvements within a workstream, consulting with relevant leads.
Priority Setting (Daily Tasks) Follow manager's daily priorities; escalate conflicts. Set daily priorities for your own tasks based on established guidelines and deadlines. Escalate if conflicting 'urgent' requests arise. Define priorities for a workstream, balancing competing demands and resource availability.
Troubleshooting & Problem Solving Escalate all but the most basic, documented issues. Independently troubleshoot routine operational problems (e.g., data discrepancies, minor shipping delays) and implement standard solutions. Escalate novel or complex issues. Lead the resolution of complex, cross-functional operational problems, often involving multiple teams or external partners.
Vendor Interaction (Routine) Limited to receiving information, under supervision. Communicate with logistics providers or suppliers on routine matters like delivery schedules or order updates. Any issues or negotiations require manager oversight. Manage relationships with key operational vendors, negotiating service level agreements (SLAs) and resolving performance issues.

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.

On-Time Delivery (OTD) for Assigned Orders
The percentage of customer orders or internal transfers that you're responsible for that arrive at their destination exactly when expected.
Target · >98%

If you're managing 100 shipments this week, we'd expect at least 98 of them to hit their scheduled delivery window. Missing that target means investigating why and fixing it.

Data Accuracy in ERP System
How accurate your data entries are in our main ERP system (SAP S/4HANA), especially for inventory, order status, and shipment details.
Target · >99.5% accuracy

If an audit of 200 inventory transactions you processed finds more than one error, we'll need to dig into your process. Bad data messes up everything downstream, honestly.

Task Turnaround Time for Standard Reports
How quickly you complete routine data pulls or reports requested by other teams.
Target · Within 4 hours for standard requests

If the Sales team asks for a stock availability report, they shouldn't be waiting until the next day. We expect you to get that back to them promptly, usually within a few hours.

Inventory Variance for Managed SKUs
The difference between what our system says we have in stock for specific products you oversee and what's actually in the warehouse.
Target · <1% variance

If the system says we have 1,000 units of Product X, but the warehouse only has 950, that's a 5% variance. We need you to investigate those discrepancies and figure out why they happened.

Proactive Problem Identification & Resolution
How well you spot potential issues before they escalate and take steps to fix them, or at least flag them clearly for your manager.
  • You flag an upcoming stockout risk due to a supplier delay before the Sales team even notices. You propose a small process tweak that prevents a recurring data entry error. Your manager doesn't have to chase you for updates on known issues.
Process Adherence & Improvement Suggestions
Following established procedures consistently, but also thinking about how we could do things better and suggesting sensible changes.
  • Your work consistently follows the documented process. You come to your manager with ideas like, 'What if we added this step to avoid that common mistake?' or 'This bit of the process feels clunky
  • can we simplify it?'
Effective Peer Collaboration
Working well with other teams and colleagues to get things done, sharing information, and being generally helpful.
  • Other teams comment positively on how easy you are to work with. You're known for giving clear, concise updates. You offer to help a colleague who's swamped, even if it's not strictly 'your' job.
Learning & Development Engagement
Your commitment to learning new skills, understanding our systems better, and growing in your role.
  • You actively seek out training opportunities or ask questions to deepen your understanding. You apply new knowledge from a course or a mentor to your daily tasks. You're open to feedback and genuinely try to improve.

7Would you like it

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

What people enjoy
Seeing Tangible Results

You get a real kick out of seeing a shipment successfully delivered on time, or knowing that your inventory reconciliation fixed a problem. You like to see the direct outcome of your work.

You've spent a few hours tracking down a missing pallet, and when it finally arrives at the warehouse, you feel a genuine sense of accomplishment. That's your jam.

Solving Puzzles

You enjoy the detective work involved in figuring out why a process broke down or why data doesn't match up. You like to get to the root cause of problems.

When the system shows a negative stock balance, you don't just accept it. You dig into the transaction history, talk to the warehouse team, and piece together what actually happened.

Being a Reliable Contributor

You value being the person others can count on. You like knowing that your colleagues and manager trust you to get your work done accurately and on time.

Your manager gives you a task and knows they won't have to follow up. Other teams come to you directly for specific information because they know you'll have it or find it quickly.

What frustrates people
  • Dealing with incomplete or messy data from various sources – it's rarely clean, let's be real.
  • Having to chase people for information, sometimes repeatedly, to complete your tasks.
  • Unexpected 'fire drills' that completely derail your carefully planned day.
  • Working with older systems that aren't as intuitive or fast as you'd like.
  • Seeing processes that could clearly be improved but not having the authority (yet) to change them.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, uninterrupted work environment – expect regular pings and urgent requests.
  • Complete autonomy over strategic decisions – you'll execute and suggest, not set the overall direction.
  • A role where you only work on exciting, brand-new projects – there's a lot of essential, routine work here.
  • The chance to avoid detailed data work or system entries – it's a core part of the job.

8Who you work with

Your work keeps the cogs turning. You're directly responsible for ensuring specific operational tasks are completed accurately and on schedule. Get it right, and the business runs smoothly, customers are happy, and we save money. Get it wrong, and you'll see ripple effects across the entire supply chain, from missed delivery dates to increased costs. It's about reliable, consistent execution that supports the bigger picture.

Inside the business
  • Operations Manager (your direct boss, for guidance and review)
  • Supply Chain Planning team (you'll work closely with them on forecasts)
  • Warehouse and Logistics teams (they'll execute your plans)
  • Sales Operations (they'll tell you what customers need)
  • Customer Service (they'll tell you when things go wrong, and you'll help fix it)
Outside the business
  • Logistics providers (the folks who move our stuff)
  • Key suppliers (you might help coordinate with them on deliveries)

9What you need before you start

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

  • A minimum of 2 years of hands-on experience in an operations, supply chain, or logistics role, where you've been actively involved in day-to-day processes.
  • Proven ability to work independently on routine tasks and manage your own workload effectively.
  • Demonstrable experience using an ERP system (like SAP) for data entry and reporting.
  • Strong analytical skills, particularly with data in Excel or similar spreadsheet tools.
  • A clear understanding of why accurate data is crucial in operations.

10What to practise next

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

Advanced ERP System Navigation & Reporting

As you get more senior, you'll need to pull more complex, customised reports from SAP, and understand how different modules talk to each other. This means less reliance on standard reports and more on digging for specific insights.

Cross-module data flows in SAP (e.g., MM to SD) · Using custom transaction codes (T-codes) for speci · Building basic queries within SAP (if available) · Understanding data tables and relationships · Troubleshooting more complex data discrepancies ac

  • This week: Ask a senior colleague for their favourite 'hidden' SAP T-code.
  • This month: Spend an hour weekly exploring different SAP modules and their reporting functions.
  • Month 2: Try to build a simple custom report to answer a question your manager recently asked.
  • Month 3: Document a common data issue and trace it back through SAP to its source.

Quick win: Learn one new SAP T-code or reporting function each week and try to apply it to your daily work.

Intermediate Power BI Dashboard Creation

Moving beyond just consuming dashboards, you'll need to build and publish your own, more complex visualisations. This means understanding data models and how to present information clearly and interactively.

Connecting to various data sources (SQL, Excel, we · Data modelling and relationships within Power BI D · Creating custom calculations using DAX (Data Analy · Designing interactive dashboards with filters and · Publishing and managing reports in Power BI Servic

  • This week: Recreate one of your existing Excel reports in Power BI Desktop.
  • This month: Complete a beginner-level Power BI course (many free options online).
  • Month 2: Experiment with DAX to create a custom measure (e.g., 'On-Time Delivery %').
  • Month 3: Publish a simple, interactive dashboard for your team's use.

Quick win: Download Power BI Desktop and start playing with some of your own data. It's surprisingly intuitive to get started.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Attend industry webinars or online courses on supply chain trends and best practices.
  • Participate in internal process improvement initiatives or working groups.
  • Seek out opportunities to learn more about different parts of our global operations (e.g., spend a day with the warehouse team, or shadow someone in logistics).
  • Engage with our internal training programmes for SAP or Power BI to deepen your system knowledge.
  • Find a mentor within the Operations department who can guide your career development.

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.

Data Storytelling for Operations

It's not enough to just present numbers; you need to explain what they mean and why they matter. Leadership needs quick, clear insights, not just raw data. This is how you'll influence decisions and show the impact of your work.

  • Identifying the key message from data
  • Structuring a narrative around operational perform
  • Using visualisations effectively (charts, graphs)
  • Tailoring the message to different audiences (e.g.
  • Connecting data points to business outcomes (e.g.,

Basic Process Automation Understanding

Automation is coming for repetitive tasks. Understanding how simple processes can be automated (even without being a coder) means you can spot opportunities to make your own job, and the team's, easier. It's about working smarter, not harder.

  • What is Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?
  • Identifying 'automable' tasks (repetitive, rule-ba
  • Understanding basic workflow logic (if/then statem
  • The difference between automation and AI
  • How to document a process clearly enough for autom

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Supply Chain Fundamentals
  • Inventory Management Principles
  • Process Mapping & Documentation
  • Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) Participation

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

    Operations Analyst

    2-3 years

    Skills to master

    • Data analysis in Excel, basic ERP system usage, understanding of core operational metrics, clear documentation.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently delivers accurate reports and data analyses.
    • Proactively identifies minor data discrepancies and suggests corrections.
    • Understands the 'why' behind operational processes, not just the 'how'.
    • Can manage multiple small tasks and meet deadlines reliably.
  2. 2

    Junior Supply Chain Planner

    2-4 years

    Skills to master

    • Demand forecasting principles, inventory planning, S&OP process understanding, supplier communication basics.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Can independently manage a segment of the demand plan or inventory forecast.
    • Successfully reconciles supply and demand for specific product lines.
    • Effectively communicates with suppliers regarding order status and delivery schedules.
    • Shows initiative in proposing minor adjustments to planning parameters.
  3. 3

    Logistics Coordinator

    3-5 years

    Skills to master

    • Freight management, customs documentation, carrier relations, warehouse coordination, route optimisation basics.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Manages a portfolio of shipments from origin to destination with minimal issues.
    • Effectively resolves routine logistics challenges (e.g., customs delays, damaged goods).
    • Maintains strong working relationships with logistics providers.
    • Demonstrates a good understanding of landed cost components.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to senior operations leadership, expert consulting work, or a path towards the chief operating officer role.

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 EVP of Global Operations is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

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

  • Senior Operations Lead / Process Improvement Lead (L3)

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 Supporting logistics operations in an engineering manufacturing environment, worked against EVP of Global Operations.

Supporting logistics operations in an engineering manufacturing environment Level 3

Applied to your work in EVP of Global Operations

This unit aims to equip learners with the skills and knowledge to effectively support logistics operations within an engineering manufacturing environment. Learners will be able to demonstrate how to support the movement and storage of materials, maintain accurate records, and understand the importance of health and safety regulations in this context.

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
EVP of Global Operations
  • Supply Chain Fundamentals
  • Inventory Management Principles
  • Process Mapping & Documentation
  • Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) Participation
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

EVP of Global Operations is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Senior Operations Lead / Process Improvement Lead (L3)

    3-5 years after this role

    You'd move from independently executing tasks to leading small projects and mentoring junior colleagues. You'd own complete workstreams, not just individual tasks.

    • Leading Kaizen events or small process improvement workshops.
    • Designing and implementing new operational procedures.
    • Analysing complex process failures and recommending strategic fixes.
    • Representing Operations in cross-functional project meetings.

  2. Operations Manager (L4)

    5-8 years after this role

    This is a bigger jump. You'd go from an individual contributor to managing a team and a specific operational function (e.g., a warehouse, a planning team, or a specific region). You'd have direct reports and P&L responsibility for your area.

    • Setting and achieving operational targets for a team or site.
    • Developing and implementing team-specific operational strategies.
    • Managing vendor relationships and contract negotiations.
    • Driving continuous improvement initiatives across a functional area.
    • Reporting on operational performance to senior leadership.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, a lot of operations work involves sifting through data, chasing updates, and compiling reports. What if you could get back a significant chunk of your week by letting clever tech do the heavy lifting? Our AI Productivity Hub is designed to help you do just that.

For an Operations Specialist, AI isn't about replacing your job; it's about making your job easier, faster, and frankly, more interesting. Imagine spending less time on repetitive data prep and more time actually solving problems or figuring out how to make things run even better. That's the promise here.

Automated S&OP Data Prep

Picture this: an AI agent automatically pulls, cleans, and organises all the data from SAP, our sales system, and market intel feeds. It then generates the baseline data pack for your monthly S&OP meetings. No more tedious manual consolidation.

Predictive Disruption Alerts

Instead of reacting to problems, get ahead of them. AI-powered supply chain platforms can monitor global events – think bad weather, port congestion, or even supplier financial health – and give you early warnings. This means you can proactively plan around potential delays, saving us money and headaches.

Geopolitical Risk Summarisation

Staying on top of global news affecting our supply chain is a huge task. An AI tool can scan daily intelligence reports and news feeds related to our key sourcing countries, boiling it down into a concise daily brief for you. It's like having a personal research assistant.

Performance Narrative Drafting

When it's time to write up your monthly performance review or contribute to a team report, you can feed your quantitative data (KPIs, metrics) into a generative AI model. It'll create a solid first draft of the narrative, explaining what happened, which you can then refine with your insights. It's a massive time-saver for documentation.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become an EVP of Global Operations?

Common routes in include Operations Analyst (2-3 years), Junior Supply Chain Planner (2-4 years) and Logistics Coordinator (3-5 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can an EVP of Global Operations progress to?

This role can lead on to Senior Operations Lead / Process Improvement Lead (3-5 years after this role) and Operations Manager (5-8 years after this role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for an EVP of Global Operations?

Increasingly, Data Storytelling for Operations and Basic Process Automation Understanding. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 3

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 built in this role transfer across industries such as manufacturing, retail, tech and healthcare, all of which depend on efficient operations. Understanding supply chains, process improvement and data-driven decisions applies in any 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 Data 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.