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What is an assistant director of operations and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Eric Olsen
introduction image

The primary role of an assistant director of operations is to assist the director in achieving set goals in the overall operation. He/She ensures team members have the tools needed to perform their duties. He/She builds and maintains strong relationships with clients, subcontractors, and team members. Furthermore, he/she achieves daily sales, cost goals, and budget goals. Additionally, he/she ensures that all security, safety, and sanitation standards are met. Asides from that, he/she evaluates team performance and provides guidance and feedback to them. Also, they conduct regular meetings between management and team members to maintain an open line of communication.

Employers seek candidates with at least a bachelor's degree in a related field and years of relevant work experience. You must possess interpersonal, communication, management, decision-making, teamwork, and organization skills. You must be proficient in Microsoft Office. Assistant directors of operations earn an average gross salary of $66,202. This ranges from $40,000 and $111,000.

What general advice would you give to an assistant director of operations?

Eric OlsenEric Olsen LinkedIn profile

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

Times of change are also times of great opportunities. We are going to need new technical solutions to address problems we are just learning about. You have to lean into the issues. Don't be a technologist - be a problem solver. That is why we also emphasize soft skills like lean six sigma, teamwork, and change management.
ScoreAssistant Director Of OperationsUS Average
Salary
5.2

Avg. Salary $66,975

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.31%

Black or African American 6.12%

Hispanic or Latino 14.97%

Unknown 4.33%

White 67.81%

Gender

female 32.90%

male 67.10%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress level
9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Assistant director of operations career paths

Key steps to become an assistant director of operations

  1. Explore assistant director of operations education requirements

    Most common assistant director of operations degrees

    Bachelor's

    68.2 %

    Master's

    14.2 %

    Associate

    10.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific assistant director of operations skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service17.17%
    Patients10.77%
    Oversight10.38%
    Human Resources6.52%
    Project Management6.07%
  3. Complete relevant assistant director of operations training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant directors of operations learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant director of operations based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant director of operations resumes.
  4. Research assistant director of operations duties and responsibilities

    • Supervise and manage the deployment and redeployment of assign forces and equipment.
    • Provide leadership to manufacturing organization by aligning overall KPIs to achieve near term and long term business objectives.
    • Provide daily oversight of the college fiscal and administrative business operations ensuring compliance with federal/state/university guidelines.
    • Create and maintain payroll budget through cost-effective operating procedures.
  5. Get assistant director of operations experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become an assistant director of operations. The most common roles before becoming an assistant director of operations include internship, flight commander team lead and manager.
  6. Prepare your assistant director of operations resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant director of operations resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assistant director of operations resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable assistant director of operations resume templates

    Build a professional assistant director of operations resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your assistant director of operations resume.
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    Assistant Director Of Operations Resume
    Assistant Director Of Operations Resume
  7. Apply for assistant director of operations jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an assistant director of operations job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first assistant director of operations job

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Average assistant director of operations salary

The average assistant director of operations salary in the United States is $66,975 per year or $32 per hour. Assistant director of operations salaries range between $41,000 and $108,000 per year.

Average assistant director of operations salary
$66,975 Yearly
$32.20 hourly

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How do assistant directors of operations rate their job?

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Assistant director of operations reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

I love being able to mold my team and the distribution center to the culture of respect and accountability! Having senior and executive leadership support is a huge positive factor in making this happen!!

Cons

Long hours and calls outside of regular business hours are the norm!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019
Pros

I love it and I wish I was back at my old job but I guess it is what it is

Cons

Not being loyal


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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