How to hire a deputy director of operations

How to hire a deputy director of operations, step by step

Here's a step-by-step deputy director of operations hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a deputy director of operations job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new deputy director of operations
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a deputy director of operations do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The deputy director of operations hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A deputy director of operations's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, deputy directors of operations from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of deputy director of operations salaries for various roles:

   Type of Deputy Director Of Operations	Description	Hourly rate
   Deputy Director Of Operations	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$36-75
   Operations Project Manager	An operations project manager is responsible for monitoring the performance of the project team, ensuring that the operations meet the clients' standards and internal regulations with maximum productivity and efficiency. Operations project managers manage the department's budget and allocate materials and resources accurately, maintaining a record of expenses and costs forecasting... Show more	$31-58
   Operations Vice President	The responsibilities of an operations vice president will revolve around overseeing business operations and ensuring workforce and workflow efficiency through evaluations and providing strategic plans that would drive the company to meet its vision and mission. An operations vice president, in adherence to the company policies and regulations, also has the power to hire and train employees, even to execute disciplinary actions such as termination or suspension when necessary... Show more	$50-119

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Human Resources
   • Direct Oversight
   • Direct Reports
   • DOD
   • Program Management
   • Emergency Operations
   • Logistics Support
   • Law Enforcement
   • Business Operations
   • Crisis Management
   • Strategic Plan
   • Federal Agencies
   • Food Service
   • Technical Assistance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage portfolio of lean projects initiate to improve nuclear operations support mission inspections and establish executive council to provide oversight.
   • Leverage extensive technical subject matter expertise to evaluate and improve image quality; develop models to demonstrate improvements in establish KPIs.
   • Maintain and approve corporate Facebook page.

   More deputy director of operations duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your deputy director of operations job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A deputy director of operations can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, deputy directors of operations' average salary in wyoming is 48% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level deputy directors of operations 52% less than senior-level deputy directors of operations.
   • Certifications. A deputy director of operations with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a deputy director of operations's salary.

   Average deputy director of operations salary

   $109,124yearly

   $52.46 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level deputy director of operations salary

   $75,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

   Average deputy director of operations salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$137,772	$66
   2	California	$129,318	$62
   3	Virginia	$126,569	$61
   4	New York	$125,993	$61
   5	North Carolina	$120,216	$58
   6	Rhode Island	$118,889	$57
   7	Washington	$118,382	$57
   8	New Jersey	$117,706	$57
   9	Wisconsin	$115,667	$56
   10	Massachusetts	$115,634	$56
   11	Colorado	$108,944	$52
   12	Indiana	$108,222	$52
   13	Texas	$107,649	$52
   14	Illinois	$102,509	$49
   15	Ohio	$100,303	$48
   16	Georgia	$97,964	$47
   17	Maryland	$96,167	$46
   18	Florida	$77,629	$37
   19	Puerto Rico	$54,493	$26

   Average deputy director of operations salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation	$171,741	$82.57	3
   2	The New York Times Company	$147,918	$71.11	8
   3	Commonwealth	$136,374	$65.56	14
   4	Sanofi US	$129,619	$62.32	61
   5	Union of Concerned Scientists	$127,363	$61.23
   6	TAD PGS	$125,076	$60.13	1
   7	Harvard University	$124,854	$60.03
   8	Salient CRGT	$121,951	$58.63
   9	Colorado State Express	$117,478	$56.48
   10	California State Association of Counties	$117,396	$56.44	17
   11	East West Bank	$116,733	$56.12	3
   12	Committee to Protect Journalists	$114,896	$55.24
   13	Vanderbilt University Medical Center	$114,529	$55.06	8
   14	The Insurance House	$113,623	$54.63
   15	United States Courts	$113,584	$54.61	16
   16	CAE	$112,503	$54.09	1
   17	Best Buddies International	$112,466	$54.07	11
   18	Maryland Nonprofits	$110,604	$53.17	4
   19	WTS International	$108,970	$52.39
   20	ACLU of Illinois	$107,696	$51.78	4

4. Writing a deputy director of operations job description

   A deputy director of operations job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a deputy director of operations job description:

   Deputy director of operations job description example

   NYJTL is the largest youth tennis and education nonprofit organization in the nation reaching more than 85,000 NYC children. NYJTL offers comprehensive after-school and community tennis programs to youth 5-18 years of age throughout all five New York City boroughs. The organization was founded in 1971 and will celebrate 50 years of service to under-resourced NYC children this year culminating in a 50th Anniversary Gala in May, 2022. The mission of NYJTL is to develop the character of youth through tennis and education for a life time of success on and off the court.

   In June 2015, the $26.5 million Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning opened as the flagship home of NYJTL in the heart of the Bronx. In April 2017, the Cary Leeds Center completed its final phase of construction with the opening of the Pershing Square Stadium, the Victor Kiam Stadium, and the Dalia and Larry Leeds Viewing Bridge. The Cary Leeds Center provides more than 6,000 hours of free tennis court time annually to the community’s under-resourced youth.

   Position Summary:

   NYJTL seeks an experienced professional to become its first Deputy Director of School-Based Operations. This individual will oversee the delivery of after-school programs while ensuring that the agency meets the compliance and quality standards established by DYCD and other partners. Reporting to the Director of School-Based Operations, the Deputy will serve as a liaison between site-based staff and the senior leadership located at our headquarters in Long Island City, Queens.

   Responsibilities :

   1. Supervise, evaluate, recruit and train a corps of Program Managers, ensuring the adequacy and quality of site-wide programming, protocols, standards
   2. Maintain key statistics surrounding programs – youth attendance, staffing ratios, outcomes
   3. Design career enhancement plans for site-based line staff (Site Directors, Group Leaders)
   4. Support Director with contractual/budgetary analysis and spending plans
   5. Attend meetings involving DOE, DOH, DYCD, and other school community partners
   6. Assist with the design of academic and enrichment activities
   7. Conduct site visits on a rotating basis
   8. Monitor vacancies, turnover, new hires; address action plan with HR department
   9. Actively assist in grant renewal and new grant opportunity processes by identifying new sites, securing relationships with new principals and community partners, collecting data, and writing narrative.
   10. Build partnership with School Leadership (Principal, Parent Coordinators, and other school partners)

   Qualifications :

   • Master’s degree in education, social work, or similar field
   • 5+ years’ professional experience in youth development

   1. Prior supervisory role as Program Manager or equivalent
   2. Knowledge of DYCD contractual, budgetary, regulatory requirements
   3. Excellent interpersonal and written/spoken communication skills
   4. Hands-on approach to work execution

   Notice of Non-Discrimination:

   NYJTL is committed to equal opportunity for all persons without regard to sex, age, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation. It is the policy of NYJTL to comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding equal opportunity. We center equity in all our work and in our hiring practices.

   Notice of Contractual Obligation:

   The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish the basis for a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find deputy directors of operations for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any deputy directors of operations they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level deputy directors of operations with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your deputy director of operations job on Zippia to find and recruit deputy director of operations candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with deputy director of operations candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new deputy director of operations

   Once you've found the deputy director of operations candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new deputy director of operations. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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