What does a department lead do?
A department lead's responsibilities will vary in an organization or company. It will, most of the time, revolve around overseeing the progress of work in a particular area and evaluating department staff's performance. Other responsibilities include setting goals and implementing the company's policies and guidelines. They may also carry out administrative tasks such as approving and signing paperwork, producing reports and presentations, and crafting guidelines and strategies to help reach goals. Furthermore, as a department head, it is important to encourage staff and shape them into valuable company members.
Department lead responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real department lead resumes:
- Implement inventory management system to effectively manage on-hands, assist with correct replenishment and maintain an acceptable level of over-stock.
- Operate POS system, and receive payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debit.
- Oversee the completion of all POS transactions, maintain cash office records and assistant in training of all new cashiers.
- Conduct geotechnical and geological investigations and mineral resource evaluations for commercial, industrial and governmental clients using the above-mentioned drilling techniques.
- Develop unique SQL, cloudbase, and ADHOC telephony query techniques resulting in the identification of previously undiscovered nefarious networks.
Department lead skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Department Leads are proficient in Cleanliness, Safety Procedures, and Customer Service.
We break down the percentage of Department Leads that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Cleanliness, 12%
Organized warehouse and maintained general cleanliness of work area.
- Safety Procedures, 11%
Evaluated and trained sanitation personnel on safety procedures, disassemble/assembly of equipment and USDA standards.
- Customer Service, 10%
Work to increase profitability of the company by establishing a strong working relationship with clients focusing on exceeding customer service expectations.
- Store Management, 8%
Partnered with entire store management team to transform an unprofitable store and return to profitability through staff development and cost/inventory controls.
- Inventory Management, 7%
Streamlined operational infrastructure and directed cross-functional teams including inventory management, invoicing and systems compliance, ensuring department efficiency and productivity.
- Sales Floor, 6%
Maintain sales floor up to store standards and manipulate displays to reflect monthly business focus products in order to drive sales.
"cleanliness," "safety procedures," and "customer service" are among the most common skills that department leads use at work. You can find even more department lead responsibilities below, including:
The three companies that hire the most department leads are:
- McDonald's149 department leads jobs
- Kroger89 department leads jobs
- Coastal Farm & Ranch16 department leads jobs
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Compare different department leads
Department lead vs. Floor supervisor
A floor supervisor is personnel hired by the hospitality and retail establishments who provide a quality experience to guests by inspecting the guest area's cleanliness. To maintain freshness, a floor supervisor collaborates with a manager to deploy custodial staff and train new employees. A floor supervisor must be knowledgeable in booking and checking-in guests and resolve complaints using his/her conflict resolution skills. Also, a floor supervisor should have an associate's degree in hospitality management.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, department lead responsibilities require skills like "math," "troubleshoot," "basic math," and "direct reports." Meanwhile a typical floor supervisor has skills in areas such as "keep management," "develop proficiency," "store operations," and "excellent interpersonal." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Floor supervisors earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $29,952. On the other hand, department leads are paid more in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $47,921.floor supervisors tend to reach similar levels of education than department leads. In fact, floor supervisors are 3.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Department lead vs. Stock supervisor
A stock supervisor maintains supplies in warehouses, manufacturing units, and other storehouses. They give training to staff and update incoming and outgoing accessories records. They must be highly detail oriented. They also supervise all shipments received.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that department lead responsibilities requires skills like "cleanliness," "safety procedures," "math," and "troubleshoot." But a stock supervisor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "store operations," "shipping receiving," "merchandise flow," and "processing procedures."
In general, stock supervisors achieve similar levels of education than department leads. They're 3.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Department lead vs. Stores supervisor
Store or retail supervisors are management professionals who are responsible for managing a team of staff members to ensure the smooth operation of a retail store. These supervisors are required to arrive early at the store so that they can open the store and disable the alarm system as well as prepare the cash registers. They must maintain inventory level and order new products when necessary while keeping records of every product available in their backroom. Store supervisors must also act as a customer service agent to help customers enjoy their experience in the store.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from department lead resumes include skills like "safety procedures," "math," "troubleshoot," and "performance reviews," whereas a stores supervisor is more likely to list skills in "ladders," "cash handling," "store operations," and "payroll. "
Stores supervisors earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $38,478. Department leads earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $47,921.stores supervisors typically earn similar educational levels compared to department leads. Specifically, they're 2.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Department lead vs. Shift supervisor
Shift supervisors are responsible for the employees assigned to the shift that they are handling. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees who were expected to report to work at the specific shift came in. They also ensure that the employees are doing their jobs while at work. Shift supervisors are expected to ensure that employees are really working during working hours and properly delegate work. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees are productive and efficient in their jobs. They are expected to provide coaching and guidance so that the employees will be able to reach the goals assigned to the work team.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between department leads and shift supervisors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a department lead might have more use for skills like "troubleshoot," "performance reviews," "direct reports," and "cnc." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of shift supervisors require skills like "cash handling," "store operations," "food products," and "cash flow. "
Shift supervisors enjoy the best pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $39,059. For comparison, department leads earn the highest salary in the manufacturing industry.In general, shift supervisors hold similar degree levels compared to department leads. Shift supervisors are 2.4% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of department lead
Updated January 8, 2025
