Product operations job description: The template to help you hire the right product ops manager

As a Product Operations Coach and Consultant, Antonia Landi helps product teams across the globe to do their best work with the right tools, systems, and data. When she posted on LinkedIn about companies recruiting product operations managers, she struck a nerve with many people. Her question was simple but cutting: "Would you hire someone fresh out of uni and with no product experience whatsoever as your first CPO?" 

The post went viral because it highlighted a fundamental misunderstanding about what product ops actually does, and why getting this wrong can cost your organization its competitive edge.

The reality is stark. Product operations has the potential to make you a market leader, but only when it's done right. So what does "done right" actually look like?

Why product ops matters

Antonia’s research tells a sobering story: 60% percent of product professionals can't fully measure their impact. And 63% feel at least occasional misalignment with strategic goals. Nearly 62% report that their tools require significant manual effort. These aren't just inconveniences; they're systemic barriers preventing product teams from doing their best work.

This is where product operations enters the picture. Not as an assistant who formats spreadsheets or takes notes at meetings, but as a strategic function that serves as a vital right hand to product leaders. 

In short, product ops creates the foundation that wins back time for product teams, freeing them from operational chaos to focus on strategic decisions.

What product ops actually does

Product operations sits in a unique position within an organization. With visibility across departments that few other roles possess, it can spot systemic issues others miss and identify cracks before they lead to failures that derail entire initiatives.

Crucially, it involves understanding what the role can and cannot solve. In other words, effective product ops surfaces problems rather than claiming to fix everything. It enables rather than controls, working as an extension of product leadership to balance hands-on tactical work with strategic initiatives. 

To clarify this further, the role operates across three critical dimensions.

Firstly, it ensures teams have the inputs they need: customer insights delivered through feedback loops that fit naturally into existing workflows, and data that actually helps product managers make decisions (rather than just adding more dashboards to ignore).

Secondly, it streamlines the operations of the product organisation itself. This involves establishing team rhythms and rituals, harmonizing ways of working while respecting team context, and ensuring processes accelerate teams rather than slow them down. This means recognizing that tooling alignment matters, that disconnected systems break down as organizations scale, and that smaller tool stacks consistently outperform larger ones.

Thirdly, it amplifies outputs from product teams, creating cross-team visibility that drives alignment and building bridges between product execution and strategic outcomes.

The template that gets it right

Recognizing there's often a gap between what companies think they need and what actually works, Antonia has created a comprehensive job specification for the role of product operations manager. It's a template built on real-world experience and designed to help organizations hire for impact, not just check a box.

Her specification makes the requirements crystal clear. You need someone with 5+ years' experience in product. They need to have a track record of building scalable systems from scratch and adapting them iteratively. And they need to be able to work with product teams as an extension of product leadership.

Experience alone isn't enough. The role demands a specific mindset. The ideal Product Ops Manager is a strong cross-functional collaborator who can influence without authority. They're comfortable with ambiguity and skilled at creating the right level of structure where none exists. They're systems thinkers who understand how tooling, workflows, data, and people interconnect. And they resist adding tools unless absolutely necessary.

Most importantly, they understand that future-proofing means simplifying and reducing complexity, not adding layers. They know that workflows should unify around shared standards, while respecting each team's unique context.

Click here to download Antonia’s in-depth job specification to help you with your next product operations hire.

Making the right choice

The question Antonia posed in her viral LinkedIn post cuts to the heart of the priorities in every organization today. Are you looking to implement product ops, or are you looking for an assistant? Are you expecting someone capable of elevating your product organization, or someone who'll just take notes?

Product operations, when done right, defines and improves your ways of working. It streamlines cross-departmental collaboration. It ensures your team has what it needs to do their best work. It takes your organisation's product maturity to the next level.

But getting there requires making the right hire. And that means understanding that your first product ops hire needs to be senior, strategic, and experienced. Anything less isn't product operations; it's just operational overhead with a trendy title.

eBook

Beyond the buzzwords:
How to win in 2026

Read now