Operations Research Analyst

In this career guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about Operations Research as a career, from roles and responsibilities, to work environment and roadmap to becoming an Operations Research Analyst.

Who's a Operations Research Analyst?

Have you wondered who oversees the daily technical operations of a business? Who exactly is behind tackling problems with unique computer softwares? It’s an Operations Research Analyst!

As an operation research analyst, you will use analytical methods to help organisations and corporations in creating better operational systems and procedures with the help of mathematical modelling, statistical analysis, data mining and a variety of high-end computer softwares.

Curious to know how they do this? Browse through the operations research analyst’s section to know more!

Responsibilities

What will you do?

Analysing data

As an operations research analyst, you will use a variety of statistical and mathematical methods to study data. Furthermore, you will  interpret the data after conducting the required analysis to determine the conclusion and significance of the findings.

For instance, you will first analyse the data and then use the information extracted from the data to present various solutions and facts. This will help businesses in efficient decision-making

Identifying and solving complex problems

Your primary role will be to identify and present possible solutions for challenging problems using mathematical and statistical softwares like R, STATA, SPSS, etc. This will assist organisations in making effective decisions and putting them into action.

For example, you will assist businesses in organising their supply chains in order to get the most cost-effective shipping and distribution methods.

 

Gathering information from a variety of sources

A very important part of any research is gathering information. You will gather information and data from various sources for your research and analysis.

Example: In case of primary research study, you will conduct field work or extract data from secondary sources. This can also involve client databases.

Writing reports and recommendations

You won’t just analyse data; you will also be involved in presenting the results. You will be required to create and maintain complete paperwork, which includes anything from business analysis to research data.

For instance, You may be asked to write technical papers outlining the procedures you used to complete your research.

Workplace

Where will you work?

Office

As an operations research analyst, you will typically work from the comfort of your office. You will be required to work in finance and insurance companies, government-funded research labs, private or public companies and enterprises, etc. Regardless of the work setting, you will work for a fixed day-time schedule. In case of pending research work or a deadline, working for long hours are common.

Outdoors

There is limited scope of travelling. However, in case of research fieldwork, you may be required to travel to gather data from several secondary sources, and you may be asked to travel with flexible working hours when you are out in the field. You may also be expected to attend client meetings to present the results of your findings.

Education

How do you get there?

This stream won’t help you make an entry into this field.

Step 1: Class XI/XII / Junior College

Despite the fact that science is the preferred path for operations research, the field of operations research is considered to be multidisciplinary. You can take up the commerce stream with Mathematics, Economics and Commerce as your primary subjects. This will help set the foundation for future studies in the field’s financial sector..

Step 2: Graduation

While a full-fledged course in operational research is available in the science stream, having a finance or economics degree may be advantageous in some cases of operational research.

Step 3: Land a job

This job caters to the public and private sphere. With the required educational skill-set, it’s only a matter of time before you land a job.

Congratulations, you are now officially an operations research analyst!

Step 4: Post-graduation

While some employers may not demand a master’s degree, there are various organisations that make it compulsory. You can pursue master’s degrees in a variety of fields, including operations research, computer science, engineering, economics, and finance. This will improve your job prospects and open up new professional opportunities for you.

Step 1: Class XI/XII / Junior College

You can take up the science stream with Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry as your primary subjects. This will help set the foundation for future studies in the field. A detailed knowledge about computers would be beneficial for further studies.

Step 2: Graduation

Given the fact that operational research is a multidisciplinary field, there is a full-fledged degree dedicated to it. You can take up a Bachelor of Science in Operations Research. You can also enrol in a Bachelor of Science in Operations Science/Mathematics. To work as an operation research analyst, you must have a strong background in quantitative analysis, statistics, and computer science.

Step 3: Land a job

This job caters to the public and private sphere. With the required educational skill-set, it’s only a matter of time before you land a job.

Congratulations, you are now officially an operations research analyst!

Step 4: Post-graduation

While some employers may not demand a master’s degree, there are various organisations that make it compulsory. You can pursue master’s degrees in a variety of fields, including operations research, computer science, engineering, economics, and finance. This will improve your job prospects and open up new professional opportunities for you.

What skills would you need?

Analytical and Data Skills

Analytical and Data Skills

Analytical and data skills involve the ability to evaluate information, interpret data, and draw insights to solve problems or make informed decisions. These skills require critical thinking, logical reasoning, and proficiency in working with data sets, often using tools like Excel, SQL, or statistical software. This skill set helps you break down complex problems, identify patterns, and make data-driven decisions. In the workplace, strong analytical and data skills allow you to provide insights that guide strategies, optimise processes, and drive innovation. They are essential for roles involving research, business analysis, marketing, finance, and operations. build this skill
Research

Research

Research is the systematic process of collecting, analysing, and interpreting information to increase understanding of a particular topic or issue. It involves identifying a question or problem, gathering relevant data, and evaluating sources to draw meaningful conclusions. Research can take various forms, including qualitative studies (which explore perceptions and experiences) and quantitative studies (which focus on numerical data and statistics). Strong research skills will enable you to find reliable information, assess the credibility of sources, and synthesise findings to support decision-making or further exploration. This skill is crucial in many fields, such as academia, business, healthcare, and technology, where informed decisions rely on thorough investigation and analysis. build this skill
Critical thinking

Critical thinking

Marketing strategies involve a lot of trial and error. You will come up with a lot of ideas that sound great on paper. When you analyse them, you might learn that they can’t be executed as per the budget. You should be able to look at an idea practically and see if it will serve its purpose.

build this skill
Promotion levels

How do you make it to the top ranks?

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Junior Operations Research Analyst

You will begin your career as a junior operations research analyst. As a junior operations research analyst, you will be responsible for analysing projects and interpreting improvement opportunities, as well as reporting to your senior.

 

Operations Research Analyst

You will be promoted to the position of operations research analyst after gaining the required experience as a junior operations research analyst. As an operation research analyst, your key responsibilities will include developing and implementing new projects, supervising juniors, and reporting to the senior operations research analyst.

Senior Operations Research Analyst

You may eventually be promoted to the position of a senior operation research analyst. You’ll have greater responsibilities as a senior operation research analyst, including monitoring and overseeing your team’s performance, attending client meetings and conferences, and generating reports on your team’s findings.

Scope

Pursuing your career locally VS abroad

Graduation is the minimum qualification required for entry level jobs in the field of Operations Research. Colleges that offer courses in operations research can be found in almost every state in the country. Top colleges/universities offering undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, or certificate programmes in the discipline include Hansraj College (Delhi), Hindu College (New Delhi), Christ University (Bengaluru), KJ Somaiya Polytechnic (Mumbai), Loyola College (Chennai), and Fergusson College (Pune). Depending on the college you choose, the cost of an operations research course might range from INR 20,000 to INR 2 lakhs.

If you wish to build a career in operations research abroad, it’s ideal to study there, as it will provide you a better understanding of the business processes. You can pursue education in operations research from top universities like Stanford University (United States), RMIT University (Australia), Lancaster University (United Kingdom), University of Michigan (United States), University of Toronto (Canada), University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), among others, who offer undergraduate, postgraduate, certificate or diploma courses in the field. The courses in this field can cost you from USD 10,000 to USD 30,000.

Payscale

How much would you get paid?

Your salary as an operations research analyst is largely determined by the industry you work in, the company you work for, and your experience in the field.  The annual average salary ranges from INR 3,00,000 for a junior level operations research analyst to INR 18,00,000 and higher for an experienced senior-level operations research analyst.


Specialisations

What are your career options?

Production Management

You can specialise in a variety of fields as an operations research analyst. Production management is one of them. Production management is the process of a company’s industrial processes being planned and controlled. You’ll be expected to apply your expertise in product design, quality control, technical process management, and ensuring that the workforce operates efficiently. You’ll need great leadership and team-building abilities for this.

Decision Making and Systeams Analysis

An operations research analyst’s primary responsibility is to use a systematic and quantitative approach to make strategic business decisions. You’ll look at a specific business challenge and come up with a system solution to help it improve. You’ll look over a number of different solutions before deciding on the ideal one for your company. You must be able to think critically and rationally to excel in this area of operations research.

Supply Chain Management

You’ll be in charge of managing the flow of goods and services between companies and locations. You’ll get a look at numerous parts of a company’s product distribution, such as production, shipping, delivery and logistics. This is done to increase operational efficiencies while lowering costs. This area of expertise necessitates strong project management abilities as well as an understanding of economics and market dynamics.

You’ve only scratched the surface.

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