Data served as the operations manager aboard the Enterprise-D
MacDuff served as the operations manager aboard the Orion
"I only filled in at ops for a half hour, but I had to degauss the main deflector dish, recalibrate the navigation grid and use internal sensors to find a lost puppy."
The operations officer, sometimes shortened to ops officer, also known as the operations management officer or operations manager was a Starfleet department position within the operations division which was common in the 23rd and 24th centuries. Operations officers manned the operations station on a bridge. (TNG: "Conundrum"; VOY: "Caretaker", "Eye of the Needle"; SNW: "Strange New Worlds")
As analytical operations relied upon knowledge of science and engineering disciplines, operations officers often performed the additional duties of a science officer in their absence. (TNG: "Conundrum"; VOY: "Caretaker", etc.) The operations officer role, sometimes known simply as "ops" was its own department within the operations division, that was altogether separate from engineering and security. (LD: "Trusted Sources")
On the starship USS Enterprise, Lieutenant Jenna Mitchell served as the operations officer and doubled as navigator. (SNW: "Strange New Worlds")
On the starship USS Enterprise-D, Lieutenant Commander Data served as the operations management officer and doubled as second officer, the most senior member of the ship's crew after the captain and first officer. (TNG: "Conundrum") On the starship USS Voyager, Operations Officer Ensign Harry Kim was the most junior bridge officer. (VOY: "Caretaker") Ensign Danby Connor served as the ops officer aboard the USS Shenzhou. (DIS: "Despite Yourself")
In a 2371 holodeck simulation of Deep Space 9's operations center, Nog was assigned at the operations officer on duty as part of his Starfleet Academy entrance exam. (DS9: "Facets")
In an alternate timeline, Daniel Byrd was the operations officer on Voyager instead of Harry Kim, who had remained on Earth. (VOY: "Non Sequitur")
What are the key duties of a Starfleet operations officer?
Starfleet operations officers manage ship functions and resources, coordinating with departments for efficient operations. They oversee communications, navigation, and essential services, and may handle administrative roles and support scientific assignments.
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How does an ops officer contribute to a starship's mission?
An operations officer, also known as an ops officer, is vital to a starship's mission by coordinating activities to meet mission goals. This role combines duties from helm and navigation into the conn position, managing internal systems, communications, and sensors. Ops officers allocate resources and prioritize secondary missions, aiding senior officers during crises.
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What skills are essential for a Starfleet operations officer?
Starfleet operations officers need skills in force field management, phase cannon construction, and relay repair. They should understand demolitions and be able to develop technologies like unimatrix shielding. Specializations often include Security, Engineering, and Ops, with roles in communications, helm, and navigation.
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How does an operations officer differ from a science officer?
An operations officer, or ops officer, coordinates starship activities to meet mission goals, handling internal systems, communications, and sensors. Unlike science officers, who focus on research, operations officers manage operational tasks. They belong to the operations division, distinct from the science division.
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What role does an ops officer play on the starship bridge?
An operations officer on a starship bridge manages departmental activities and oversees mission operations. Positioned near the captain, they use a programmable console to handle various tasks, ensuring the starship runs efficiently.
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Appendices[]
See also[]
Background information[]
Data served as the operations management officer aboard the Enterprise-D
Both the terms "operations manager" and "operations management officer" were used on the personnel files that appeared on "Conundrum" (the former in the remastered episode, the latter in the original) but never mentioned in dialogue, which otherwise stated, in the same episode, that Data was the "operations officer".
Much of the information about the writers' intentions for the "operations manager" position, which was introduced through Star Trek: The Next Generation, was established in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Writers'/Directors' Guide, and later was adapted into data for the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual. (page number? • edit)
The Star Trek Roleplaying Game Player's Guide (page number? • edit) describes the operations officer as a consummate master of technology.