What does a business unit director do?
A business unit director is a person that makes sure that a segment or unit of a company meets its daily goals. The business unit director monitors the production of units in a company and provides support to increase efficiency. The business unit director's responsibility is to determine each member of a business unit's skill development to ensure the increased productive output of the entire company. The business unit director works with the company's administrative and executive departments to ensure all business units work cohesively and well-coordinated.
Business unit director responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real business unit director resumes:
- Manage a portfolio of inpatient and outpatient products market to major academic medical centers, community hospitals and nursing homes.
- Manage a portfolio of inpatient and outpatient products market to major academic medical centers, community hospitals and nursing homes.
- Increase EBITDA for the division.
- Obtain first ISO certification for the production lines.
- Conduct and complete internal reviews of domestic mutual funds and institutional operations, including compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and anti-money laundering requirements.
Business unit director skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Business Unit Directors are proficient in Project Management, Digital Marketing, and Sigma. They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills, Management skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Business Unit Directors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 17%
Project management and administration, engineering, procurement and contracting.
- Digital Marketing, 14%
Redesigned marketing collateral and digital marketing materials including improving the catalog through growth of offered products and improved content descriptions.
- Sigma, 13%
Well versed in various Quality and Manufacturing concepts such as TQM, Value Stream efforts, Six Sigma, Lean.
- Business Development, 6%
Co-led overall 3G Wireless Business Unit operations including partner business development, overall engineering product execution, & program management.
- Direct Reports, 5%
Direct reports include: an engineering manager, one senior engineer, two development engineers, two technicians and one designer.
- Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Supervised & restructured a FAR-145 repair station to maximize customer satisfaction.
Common skills that a business unit director uses to do their job include "project management," "digital marketing," and "sigma." You can find details on the most important business unit director responsibilities below.
Leadership skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a business unit director to have is leadership skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Business unit directors often use leadership skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "managed a customer-facing program management and engineering team in the us that provided leadership and guidance to the japan-based design team. "
Problem-solving skills. This is an important skill for business unit directors to perform their duties. For an example of how business unit director responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a business unit director: "contributed decisively to expand brand recognition for hyundai heavy equipment energy solutions in emerging markets. ".
Time-management skills. business unit director responsibilities often require "time-management skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." This resume example shows what business unit directors do with time-management skills on a typical day: "apply strategic planning and project management skills toward consistently achieving critical deadlines while maintaining high quality standards. "
Communication skills. Another common skill required for business unit director responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of business unit directors all the time, as "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." An excerpt from a real business unit director resume shows how this skill is central to what a business unit director does: "recruited and hired product management staff,sports & brand marketing leaders, marketing communications and associated logistics/operations staff. "
The three companies that hire the most business unit directors are:
- CBRE Group2 business unit directors jobs
- Curtiss-Wright2 business unit directors jobs
- Flex Construction2 business unit directors jobs
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Compare different business unit directors
Business unit director vs. Director of business operations
The position of a director of business operations involves the direction and coordination of an organization. It is the main responsibility of the directors of operations to oversee the profitability and overall growth of their organization. Their job includes staff management, department supervision, goods production, and expense control. They handle the company's resources, create and implement an operational plan, and make sure that the procedures are executed properly. The skills necessary for this position include leadership skills, management skills, customer service, and communication skills.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a business unit director are more likely to require skills like "digital marketing," "ongoing development," "strategic plan," and "lean manufacturing." On the other hand, a job as a director of business operations requires skills like "customer service," "patients," "kpis," and "oversight." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Directors of business operations tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $127,932. In contrast, business unit directors make the biggest average salary, $137,899, in the pharmaceutical industry.On average, directors of business operations reach similar levels of education than business unit directors. Directors of business operations are 1.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Business unit director vs. Director new business development
A director of new business development is in charge of spearheading new programs and procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to set goals and objectives in adherence to the company's vision and mission, establishing guidelines, allocating budgets, and overseeing the progress of all efforts. Furthermore, as a director of new business development, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real business unit director resumes. While business unit director responsibilities can utilize skills like "digital marketing," "sigma," "ongoing development," and "customer satisfaction," directors new business development use skills like "account management," "business strategies," "treasury," and "corporate clients."
On average, directors new business development earn a lower salary than business unit directors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, directors new business development earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $126,576. Whereas business unit directors have higher pay in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $137,899.directors new business development earn lower levels of education than business unit directors in general. They're 6.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business unit director vs. Director/manager
A director/manager is responsible for developing strategic techniques to boost the operational efficiency of an organization in delivering high-quality services and satisfaction for the customers and business clients. Directors/managers identify business opportunities that would support the company's long-term goals and objectives, generating more revenues and closing contract deals for the business. They also handle the departmental budgets, allocating adequate resources for operations and project management. A director/manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in overseeing staff performance and handling their concerns.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a business unit director is likely to be skilled in "project management," "digital marketing," "sigma," and "ongoing development," while a typical director/manager is skilled in "healthcare," "patients," "home health," and "oversight."
Director/managers earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $131,566. Comparatively, business unit directors have the highest earning potential in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $137,899.director/managers typically earn lower educational levels compared to business unit directors. Specifically, they're 8.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business unit director vs. Senior business manager
A senior business manager oversees the daily operations in a company, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around directing and assessing workforce performance, setting company objectives and goals, and coordinating with different departments to be aware of any issues or concerns. It is also essential to devise strategies to find new sales opportunities, perform research and analysis to identify client needs, and promptly resolve any problems that may arise. Furthermore, as a senior business manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Types of business unit director
Updated January 8, 2025
