Operations Manager Cover Letter Samples & Writing Guide
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Your operations manager cover letter must turn heads like Grant Cardone. Especially in today’s climate, the board of directors can’t afford a do-over. They need to know you can handle a million moving parts and drive Toyota-sized revenue.
Giving your application its best shot at a Lockheed-Martin-level job takes only a few minutes. A good cover letter is easy if you read the job offer and customize your resume.
This guide will show you:
- An operations manager cover letter better than 9 out of 10 others.
- How to write a cover letter for operations manager jobs that lands 10x more interviews.
- How to write your letter fast, with max ROI for time spent.
Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.
Sample cover letter for a resume—See more cover letter samples and create your cover letter here.
Did you land here by mistake? See:
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- Best Cover Letter Examples for All Professions
Changing careers? See:
This operations manager cover letter template does it right:
Operations Manager Cover Letter Sample
Your Name
Operations Manager
Mailing Address
Phone Number
Email Address
LinkedIn Address
Date
CEO or Director’s Name
Title
Company Name
Mailing Address
Dear [CEO Name],
I’m applying for the operations manager position at [Company Name]. I’ve been reading about your core values for operational excellence and lean practices with great interest—both on your website and in press releases and articles. Your long list of awards including the Shingo Prize Midwest Region Silver Medallion is impressive to say the least.
I know you take your Lean journey seriously, and that you’re looking for an operations manager with a Six Sigma Black Belt. You’ve reduced lead times massively to pass on savings to your customers (I watched the video on your site) and your JIT success comes largely from team member empowerment. You also need a leader who can manage Lean training. I think we’re a match, based on these achievements:
- Six Sigma Black Belt. Earned Black Belt at University of Michigan in 2009. Recertified in 2012, 2015, 2018, 2020. Have trained 50 employees in Lean.
- Lean Training: Turned $5 million annual loss into $3 million in annual profit with a Lean training program that trained all 50 employees with 95% buy-in.
- Lead Time Reduction: Used Value Stream Mapping, MATLAB, and employee empowerment to slash lead times 10%+ per year businesswide.
[CEO Name], I recently watched and enjoyed several of your webinars and your plant tour video. I think our leadership philosophies and approach to continuous improvement are a fit. I’d value the chance to meet face-to-face to discuss how we might extend the massive gains you’ve been able to attain.
Best regards,
[Your Name], Operations Manager
[Phone Number]
[Email]
That cover letter for operations manager jobs is lean and customized.
What about your resume? See our guide: Operations Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
Now, here’s how to write operations manager cover letters that impress:
1. Use the Right Operations Manager Cover Letter Template
Count on this—for every open operations manager position, the BoD and CEO get hundreds of applications. And all are from highly-qualified candidates. Your operations manager cover letter has to look the part first. If not, it’ll stick out like a bright red andon light amid a factory floor of solid green.
Use this template to perfectly format your cover letter:
Sample Operations Manager Cover Letter—Checklist
- your contact info
- the CEO’s contact info
- Dear [CEO Name],
- first paragraph: the hook
- second paragraph: key skills they’re hunting for
- third paragraph: call to action
- best regards, name, title
Remember to make your cover letter layout easy to follow. Follow these tips when designing your cover letter:
- Keep your cover letter spacing the same as your resume: single-spaced. Need a little more room? You can get away with 1.15-line spacing, but don’t push it any further.
- Make your margins one inch on both sides and the top and bottom.
- Choose a cover letter font that matches your resume font.
- What about the length of your cover letter? Don’t go longer than ¾ of a page.
Pro Tip: When you send your resume by email, add a shortened email cover letter. You can include a full PDF cover letter so all stakeholders get your full application.
2. Start Your Operations Manager Cover Letter Right
You already know CEOs have very little time. If they think your operation manager cover letter is a lot of irrelevant words, they’ll “circle back to it” later (i.e. “never”). But how can you ramp up your relevance? It’s not so hard. Start with the right name, and the right attention-getter.
See these operations manager cover letter examples:
Operations Manager Cover Letter Examples [First Paragraph]
| Right Example |
|---|
Shaun Parvelu Operations Manager 1707 Poplar Street Chicago, Illinois 60607 shaunparvelu@gmail.com 773-457-1564 linkedin.com/in/shparvelu 3/23/20 James Ramos CEO Audor Sports 3073 Limer Street Chicago, Illinois 60290 Dear Mr. Ramos, I’m applying for the operations manager position at Audor Sports. Turning $5 million in annual losses into $3 million in profit at Skander Golf’s Chicago Plant was gratifying. Now that I’m looking for my next role, I’m drawn to Audor sports for one key reason. I’ve been reading about your core values for operational excellence and lean practices—both on your website and in press releases and articles. Your long list of awards including the Shingo Prize Midwest Region Silver Medallion is impressive to say the least. |
Why does that cover letter sample for operations manager jobs work? It starts with Mr. Ramos’s name, then shows a wow-getting operational achievement. Next, it stays personal to Mr. Ramos and his company’s mission. Trust me, he’ll read that letter like a monthly revenue report.
But he’ll shelve this operations manager cover letter example:
| Wrong Example |
|---|
Dear Hiring Team, I’m an operations manager with 15 years of experience and skills in leadership and policy deployment. Ensuring maximum ROI has always been a key focus of mine. In past roles, I have had the freedom to develop my skill set and drive company growth with a strong customer focus and a key talent for communicating with and eliciting metrics-driven results from my teams. |
“We’ll get back to you.”
See why that fails? It’s all about the OM applicant. And it’s vague. In a stack of other cover letters from operation manager applicants, it’ll vanish like a screwdriver in a junk drawer.
Need more options for your cover letter first paragraph?
You can start with any big (metric-backed) accomplishment or a news item about the company. You can also kick off with a referral or an honor or award you received.
See these operations manager cover letter examples:
| Right Examples |
|---|
|
Forecast? Hired.
Any of those is miles better than, “Dear Sir or Madam...”
Pro Tip: Don’t waste time. When you don’t put salary in a cover letter, you waste time interviewing with companies that don’t fit your criteria.
3. Connect Your Operations Manager Cover Letter to the Job
You’re an operations manager, not a fry cook. A generic cover letter for operations manager jobs won’t work. If you want the board to read your resume, you’ll have to connect with them at a deep level. To do it, familiarize yourself with the company's goals and challenges before you write.
In paragraph two:
- Demonstrate deep knowledge of the company and its needs.
- Prove you have the operations manager skills they want.
See these operations manager cover letter examples:
Operations Manager Cover Letter Examples [Middle]
| Right Example |
|---|
I know you take your Lean journey seriously, and that you’re looking for an operations manager with a Six Sigma Black Belt. You’ve reduced lead times massively to pass on savings to your customers (I watched the video on your site) and your JIT success comes largely from team member empowerment. You also need a leader who can manage Lean training.I think we’re a match, based on these achievements:
|
“When can we talk?”
But—
The next of our operations manager cover letter examples is Chapter 11:
| Wrong Example |
|---|
I have a strong background in manufacturing, and I understand the details of supply chain management, budgeting, sales, and lead time reduction at a deep level. My approach to manufacturing operations begins with a strict client focus. I’m well known for demanding and receiving high product quality and helping companies build strong client relationships. |
Backordered.
A laundry-list of skills has no place in an operations manager cover letter. If you don’t show you “get” the company, they won’t be interested in your skills. Then, you must supply metrics like our first example does, or your offering will crumble.
Should you write a 2-page letter? See our guide: How Long Should a Cover Letter Be? Sample & Guide
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When you’re done, our free resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.
4. End Your Operations Manager Cover Letter Strong
Your operations manager cover letter is dead weight if you don’t close the deal. So far, you’ve set the hook, and made a relevant appeal. Now reiterate what draws you to the company. Then come right out and ask for the interview. But—show the CEO and board what’s in it for them.
See these examples:
Cover Letter Examples for Operations Managers [Ending]
| Right Example |
|---|
Mr. Ramos, I recently watched and enjoyed several of your webinars and your plant tour video. I think our leadership philosophies and approach to continuous improvement are a fit. I’d value the chance to meet face-to-face to discuss how we might extend the massive gains you’ve been able to attain. Best regards, Shaun Parvelu Operations Manager shaunparvelu@gmail.com 773-457-1564 |
Just in time.
Your mention of webinars gave the CEO yet another reason to keep reading. Then, you didn’t just ask for the interview. You showed you know that getting hired is not the finish line. It’s a beginning.
But the next of our operations manager cover letter samples lacks capacity:
| Wrong Example |
|---|
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to speaking with you soon. |
A robot could’ve said the same thing.
Can you use, “Warmly,” to end a cover letter? See our guide: How to End a Cover Letter [+Examples]
Key Takeaway
Here’s how to write an operations manager cover letter:
- Use the right operations manager cover letter format. Single-space, use one-inch margins, and pick a professional font.
- Get attention. Start with the CEO’s name and a Hicorp-level accomplishment.
- Make it personal. Learn about the company, and show a little of that knowledge.
- Make it clear. Show a few operational manager achievements that fit what they’re hunting for.
- Make an offer. In your last paragraph, promise something to get the interview.
Not sure how to start your operations manager job cover letter? Want to write a cover letter for operations manager positions that would get you in at Boeing? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!
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