What Is an Operations Analyst and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

An operations analyst plays an important supporting role in the operations of an organization by researching, analyzing and evaluating how well an organization is performing at a macro level. You are a highly skilled individual with strong problem-solving skills and qualifications. You may have career experience with a number of industries in which the interrelated performance of specific teams is critical to overall success, as in manufacturing facilities, retail locations, and computer data centers. As part of your job, you gather information by monitoring work activity, interviewing employees, and measuring systems output. You create reports with this information to better equip management staff with vital operations data, helping to steer systems-level decision making.

An operations analyst at an investment bank is responsible for risk management by monitoring the financial operations of the bank and its office employees. You research and review processes for booking errors, missed payments, and other erroneous banking functions. Your goal is to ensure that the bank is operating smoothly in support of its customers while also following governmental regulations, policies, and procedures. Banks typically handle a large volume of transactions on a daily basis, involving multiple entities in multiple locations. As a result, your duties include accounting for currency conversions, international regulations, and processing fees.

Job Summary

We are looking for a qualified and organized operations analyst to join our team. The operations analyst will study our organizational workflows and processes to recommend and implement changes in order to increase revenue and production. The ideal candidate will be able to translate data and evaluate operations to develop and advise on new projects to all levels of staff. The operations analyst will also research and compare multiple avenues of workflows, assist in all department analysis, and conduct internal audits.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Analyze data of in-place procedures to find ways to improve operations
• Evaluate operations procedures and processes
• Identify deficiencies and areas for improvement and redesign
• Apply statistical analysis, simulations, and predictive modeling to analyze current procedures
• Recommend strategies and develop new procedures
• Implement tests processes, policies, and protocols
• Research market and industry trends and patterns
• Perform operations analysis for all technologies and projects
• Prepare detailed reports of workflow research and improvements
• Compare processes with industry standards and best practices
• Create set company standards and reporting structures
• Conduct investigative internal audits and create reports of findings
• Develop workflows to increase production and revenue

Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in statistics, business, data management, operations research, or related field; Master's degree in operations research or related field preferred
• 2 years' experience as an operations analyst, in an operation or research analyst role, or in a related position
• Able to analyze large, complex data sets using a variety of software and tools
• Comfortable with database administration skills and resources
• Able to multitask, prioritize, and manage time efficiently
• Goal-oriented, organized team player
• Encouraging to team and staff; able to mentor and lead
• Able to analyze data and statistics and translate results into better solutions
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Pays strict attention to detail
• Good interpersonal and presentation skills for interaction with all levels of management