Director of Operations Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a director of operations. Feel free to use our director of operations job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a director of operations.
Who is a Director of Operations?
A Director of Operations specializes in managing the day-to-day operations of a business by overseeing multiple departments. The director is responsible for directing actions within the organization to improve efficiency and reduce costs where necessary.
A Director of Operations is responsible for overseeing many of the activities of a company and can be anywhere. In addition, they lead the coordination between different departments to identify areas for improvement.
A Director of Operations ensures that business objectives are met, from negotiation to budgeting and purchasing. Additionally, they work closely with senior management to develop long-term operational strategies that help achieve the goals.
A Director of Operations helps manage resources, develop, maintain, and improve operational plans to ensure that the employees comply with the corporation’s procedures and policies.
A Director of Operations can assist Human Resources in drafting job descriptions and hiring the right people for their suitable roles. The director can also make sure they support the HR in ensuring the workplace is comfortable and nontoxic for the employees.
A Director of Operations has to work with heads of different departments to ensure they comply and work with them to develop budgets for each department and the company. In small-scale companies, the director of operations is also called the chief operating officer (COO), business operations manager, and operations director. In companies that operate on a large scale, these roles vary and may place the Chief operating officer at the top of the operations management hierarchy.
Director of Operations Job Description
Below are the director of operations job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a director of operations job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a director of operations include the following:
- Liaise with your seniors to make operational decisions and set strategic objectives.
- Build, integrate, and oversee day-to-day operational structures and procedures to provide insight into vital initiative goals, growth, and challenges.
- Supervise employees from respective units and provide valuable criticism.
- Assess how efficiently the company operates in terms of organizational goals and implement solutions where needed.
- Oversee workflow and coordinate the distribution of resources.
- Ensure that key performance indicators meet clients and business goals.
- Revise and formulate policies, as well as promote policy implementation
- Develop partnerships and contracts with corporate partners and vendors.
- Gather, analyze, and interpret data and metrics to assess overall performance.
- Make sure that the company operates legally and under established regulations.
- Establish relationships with heads of departments, external stakeholders, and contractors to help enable seamless operational procedures where they are concerned
- Develop strategies to ensure the development of projects across the enterprise, and integrate operational efficiencies to maximize output while minimizing costs.
- Collaborate with Human Resources to ensure a happy, peaceful, and productive workplace.
- Draft plans and implements strategies to maximize the company’s growth and its assets.
- Develop strategies to combat embezzlement and losses and steps to minimize expenditures.
- Motivate employees and conduct performance reviews to ensure a talented and productive workforce.
- Implement better business models.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics, finance, or a related discipline is required. Some organizations accept business and management certifications.
- A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a plus in your step in becoming a director of operations and a criterion in getting the role at some companies.
- Have 5 to 10 years of experience in a management or operations role.
- Knowledge of data analysis and performance indicators using business management software is required.
Essential Skills
To be an outstanding director of operations, you need to possess managerial skills, like:
- Strategic Planning: A Director of Operations must have exceptional organizational skills regardless of the task given. Assemble your tasks based on the activities for the day, prioritize your responsibilities and ensure you understand A-Z of what you are doing. Your responsibilities may include creating protocols, generating finances, and aiding all operations, hence why a strategic plan is crucial in managing a business. You must be able to think proactively and critically in your everyday work to be an efficient manager. A Director of Operations must be able to anticipate potential problems and devise creative solutions to help the employees achieve their goals. Strategic planning also entails the ability to interpret the relevant data required to make business process decisions.
- Ability to delegate: You cannot do everything on your own as a Director of Operations, so you must perfect the art of delegating responsibilities. When managing a project, learn to collaborate with your team to determine who is best suited for it. Delegating tasks is advantageous because it helps you focus on more challenging tasks while other employees complete theirs. As a Director of Operations, you will learn the strength and weaknesses of your employees, take appropriate action and ensure each team member is optimistic in their duties.
- Excellent Communication Skills: Having excellent interpersonal skills, and knowing how to communicate with your colleagues helps you stand out as a director of operations. Writing technical documentation, emails, and other texts often will improve your writing skills. Possess excellent presentation and persuasive ability because these are crucial to encouraging team insights, conducting meetings, and negotiating business deals.
- Time Management: To succeed in your role as a Director of Operations, you must understand the value of time management. Provide realistic deadlines to your team of managers so they can meet deadlines. No director would want to miss deadlines because the firm might lose customers, which can be disastrous for the organization. Time management skills enable operation managers to deliver work on time, provide higher-quality work, and procrastinate less.
- Leadership: Being a great leader is another skill you require as a director of operations. You have to be a great motivator to your team and provide support and guidance throughout the project and task. If the quality of work is deteriorating, hold regular meetings to check in on your team and iron out any problems that may hinder the project.
- Active Listening: Be an active listener so you can identify and solve problems, and avoid missing any critical information that could hinder the positive outcome of the project. You should listen to opinions on work-related issues and see things from their points of view to know which (if any) you can apply in the situation or task.
- Problem Solving: There will be several challenges and obstacles that you will come up against as a director of operations, so you must know how to solve problems. As a director of operations, you will be able to assess matters arising, identify factors that affect them, and pinpoint ways for improvement. There will always be potential for growth and advancement in business management, so overcoming obstacles and employing the appropriate methods are crucial.
- Teamwork: Learn how to collaborate with team members when handling a project. Do not underestimate the importance of teamwork; when you collaborate with others, it helps you distribute tasks evenly and develop new skills to propel your career. All of the mentioned skills above are what companies look for in applicants to thrive in operations management. Many skillsets can help you navigate your time wisely and meet the expectations of your team.
- Ability to Solve Problems: Problems in operational management can include worker disagreements, task delays, and other issues. You can use your problem-solving skills to analyze your options and implement solutions that will assist you in resolving workplace conflict. In addition to problem-solving abilities, you should be able to resolve issues, which is essential for adjusting to new circumstances.
- Organizational Skills: The level of organization and meticulousness demonstrated influences successful operations management. You should keep track of project documents and files, finances, and projects. In addition, pay attention to details to spot potential problems and devise solutions that keep your teams and processes moving forward.
- Attentive to Customer Needs: To be effective as a director of operations, you must understand and predict what a customer will need from the company in the future. As a result, customers become happier because they now have a direct line to state their concerns to you as a director, which they believe you will address.
- Management of Employees: Employee management is a critical skill for an operations manager. Each team member should be monitored and given a specific set of work objectives to track their progress over time. When employees perform well, it makes a company appear efficient and causes growth. Employees are more likely to be productive as a result.
- Industry Knowledge: Compliance with regulations that pertain to the industry you work in is necessary as a director of operations. Have expertise in the industry to develop strategies that align with the law; this helps ensure that the company does not face fines or other forms of punishment for failing to follow regulations.
- Implementation of Standards: Most businesses follow a set of standard operating procedures. A director of operations responsibilities should ensure that all company personnel follows these guidelines, applicable laws, and ordinances. Failure to comply may result in significant fines and legal consequences for the company. As a result, enforcing standards is a critical skill for operations managers.
- Financial Management: As a Director of Operations, you are frequently in charge of the firm’s production costs, which requires a knowledge of corporate economic principles and arithmetic. You have to track cash inflow and expenditures, speculate on the costs and profits of what the firm will produce, and aid the finance department in preparing crucial financial statements.
- Sound Judgement: As a director of operations, learn to make quick and sound decisions, and understand how various factors can affect your company’s performance and what you can do to improve it. You will be able to make better decisions at work if you consider a wide range of possibilities.
How to become a Director of Operations
To start a career as a Director of Operations, you need to acquire a bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, or a related field.
After that, search for an operations internship role like operations assistant, operations intern, operations management trainee, etc. An internship will allow you to gather experience to prepare you for the full-time experience ahead.
You can also use the opportunity to understand how to use business management software, Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). To increase your chances, get certified in them.
You can then go ahead to apply for roles in operations and gather years of experience. Though not compulsory, you can get your Master in Business Administration to increase your chances of climbing the career ladder. Since the world is evolving, MBA is now more flexible than before, so one can be a full-time or part-time student in the school of choice or take the degree online.
After you have gathered your degree(s), years of skills, and experience, you are likely to climb the hierarchy of operations and become a director of operations in 5-10 years or more.
Of recent, a few start-ups are beginning to have qualified people who do not have degrees fill the director of operations seat. Time will tell how far the work industry is willing to adapt to this development since most companies require degrees to fill the critical position.
Where to Work as a Director of Operations
- Technology companies
- Warehouses
- Hotels and Restaurants
- Embassies
- Airports
- Colleges and Universities
- Legal enterprise
- Tourist attractions
- Supermarkets and Malls
- Media houses
- Fashion houses
- Hospitals and other health care facilities
Director of Operations Salary Scale
In the United States: A Director of Operations in the United States earns $138,655 per year. How high or low the salary is depends on factors like education, certifications, additional skills, years of experience, or the company you work for. A Regional Director of operations can make as high as $265,350 – $310,980 in a year.
In the United Kingdom: A Director of Operations in the United Kingdom earns an average of £70,631. An operations analyst earns £58,722 per year, while a regional director of operations earns as high as £91,000 or more per year.
In Canada: A Director of Operations in Canada earns $107,210 per year. The entry-level roles start at $87,046 per year, while a regional director earns as much as $155,320 yearly.