Job profile 2026
What is an operations manager? Job profile, salary and hiring in 2026
The operations manager runs an installation day to day and is accountable for it: production, availability, maintenance, safety and budget. In energy, they head the operation of an energy-from-waste plant, a biomass or cogeneration plant, a district heating network or an anaerobic digestion site, often with shift teams.
In brief: operations manager salary, €36-44k at the start of a career, €72-88k after ten years. Source: Energy and Transition Barometer 2026, Volta Executive, updated on 8 October 2026.
By Florian Beurtey, engineer and founder of Volta Executive. Published on 8 October 2026, updated on 8 October 2026.
Operations manager : the role in figures
| Operations manager salary | €36-44k at the start of a career, €72-88k after ten years |
|---|---|
| Head of operations salary | €60-72k to €110-132k |
| Shortage level | High: profile promoted internally, almost absent from the open market |
| Common qualifications | BTS or BUT in maintenance and energy, engineering degree |
Duties of the operations manager
- Meet the installation's production and availability targets
- Organise shift teams, shifts and on-call duty
- Manage preventive maintenance and technical shutdowns
- Enforce the regulations on classified installations (ICPE), safety and the environment
- Build and monitor the operating budget
- Be the point of contact for the client, the local authority or the owner of the installation
Skills required
- Running a continuous production installation
- Managing shift teams and subcontractors
- Industrial maintenance and shutdown management
- ICPE regulations, safety and environment
- Budget control and client relations
Reference regulations and standards
| ICPE | Installations classified for the protection of the environment: permits, requirements, inspections |
|---|---|
| ISO 45001 | Occupational health and safety management system |
| ISO 50001 | Energy management system |
Training to become an operations manager
- BTS or BUT in industrial maintenance or energy engineering, Bac+2 to Bac+3
- Professional bachelor's degree in operating energy installations, Bac+3
- Engineering degree in energy, process or electrical engineering, Bac+5
Career paths
- Shift leader or operations supervisor
- Operations manager
- Head of operations, at one site or several
- Site director
Salary of the operations manager in 2026
National basis, fixed annual gross, excluding variable pay and role allowances. The Paris and region columns are derived from the barometer's reference framework (Paris about 12% higher, regions about 5% lower, except for roles in extreme shortage, which are aligned with the national figure).
Operations and maintenance (O&M) manager
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 36–44 k€ | 40–49 k€ | 34–42 k€ |
| 2 to 5 years | 44–55 k€ | 49–62 k€ | 42–52 k€ |
| 5 to 10 years | 55–72 k€ | 62–81 k€ | 52–68 k€ |
| 10+ years | 72–88 k€ | 81–99 k€ | 68–84 k€ |
Head of operations
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 60–72 k€ | 67–81 k€ | 57–68 k€ |
| 2 to 5 years | 72–85 k€ | 81–95 k€ | 68–81 k€ |
| 5 to 10 years | 85–110 k€ | 95–123 k€ | 81–105 k€ |
| 10+ years | 110–132 k€ | 123–148 k€ | 105–125 k€ |
Shift and on-call allowances come on top of the fixed salary: +€3-6k per year for shift allowances and +€5-12k per year for on-call duty, according to the barometer.
Source: Energy and Transition Barometer 2026, Volta Executive. Figures in €k gross per year.
The full barometer, role by role
This profile reproduces part of the grids of Volta Executive's 2026 Industry and Energy Pay Barometer. The barometer covers every role in industry and energy, with lead times and shortage levels.
Operations manager : the market in 2026
Fixed salary of an operations manager after ten years
Shortage level in the Energy and Transition Barometer 2026
The role is filled first and foremost by internal promotion
The barometer describes a profile promoted internally by default and almost absent from the open market. When the company has no successor, a job advert does not find one: good operations managers are in post elsewhere, often at a comparable site.
Who is hiring
Operators of energy-from-waste plants, biomass and cogeneration plants, district heating networks and anaerobic digestion sites, and industrial production sites.
Hiring an operations manager?
The profile is promoted internally when one exists. When it does not, the right person is in post elsewhere and does not read job adverts. Volta Executive approaches them directly: thirty hires completed for IDEX, shortlist within 10 days.
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What is an operations manager's salary in 2026?
According to Volta Executive's Energy and Transition Barometer 2026, on a national basis and fixed annual gross: €36-44k at the start of a career and €72-88k after ten years. A head of operations earns between €60-72k and €110-132k.
What does an operations manager do?
They run an installation and are accountable for it: production, availability, maintenance, safety, budget. They manage the shift teams and are the point of contact for the client or the local authority.
What is the difference between an operations manager and a maintenance manager?
The maintenance manager guarantees the reliability of equipment. The operations manager is accountable for the whole installation: they produce, they oversee operation and maintenance, they hold the budget and the client relationship.
What training do you need to become an operations manager?
A BTS or BUT in maintenance or energy engineering opens the way after several years in the field. An engineering degree in energy or process engineering leads there more directly.
Why is it hard to hire an operations manager?
Because the role is filled first by internal promotion: good profiles are in post, often at a comparable installation, and do not answer job adverts.
What are the career paths after operations manager?
Head of operations at one or several sites, then site director.
Other job profiles
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- Maintenance manager : salary and hiring
- Site director : salary and hiring
- EfW shift leader : salary and hiring
- Energy manager : salary and hiring
- Process engineer : salary and hiring
- Operations director : salary and hiring
- Technical director : salary and hiring
- Mechanical engineer : salary and hiring
- Nuclear engineer : salary and hiring
- Project manager (chargé d'affaires) : salary and hiring
- Production manager : salary and hiring
- Quality manager : salary and hiring
Learn more
- EfW shift leader: role and salary
- Industrial site director: salary and hiring
- Recruitment firm for EfW and energy recovery
- Industry and energy salary barometer 2026
Sources and method
- Energy and Transition Barometer 2026, Volta Executive
The grids are on a national basis, fixed annual gross. Paris and region values are calculated with the barometer's geographic reference framework.