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What does a director/manager do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
What does a director/manager do

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.

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Director/manager responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real director/manager resumes:

  • Create a coordinate university social media committee quadrupling engagement during campaigns and achieving a national twitter trend during commencement.
  • Develop and implement an efficient payroll system.
  • Calculate receptionist bonuses and provide to payroll department.
  • Implement complex upgrades and additional functionality to software applications supporting medical case management and Medicaid insurance claims submissions.
  • Lead legislative initiatives to improve medical care for currently and formerly incarcerate individuals and to expand Medicaid access for vulnerable populations.
  • Create and implement curriculum and activities to promote early childhood development, ensure that facilities provide a safe and nurturing environment.
  • Identify and audit new suppliers for product lines following ISO supplier selection procedures.
  • Serve as primary contact for independent VIP guests, dignitaries and group VIP guests.
  • Work directly with industry, other services and USAF commands.
  • Develop initial qualification/tactical flying course for non-standard aircraft as USAF does not routinely fly Cn-235, PC-6 and C-208B.
  • Generate secondary income by launching innovative YouTube how-to video campaign.
  • Provide personal protection for senior organizational leadership and VIP visitors.

Director/manager skills and personality traits

We calculated that 12% of Director/Managers are proficient in Healthcare, Patients, and Home Health. They’re also known for soft skills such as Management skills, Problem-solving skills, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of Director/Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Healthcare, 12%

    Provide excellent leadership to group of sixty healthcare and radiology service professionals.

  • Patients, 10%

    Consulted with ancillary rehabilitation specialists working with patients to ensure proper carryover of skills in natural environment.

  • Home Health, 5%

    Obtained medical-surgical and OB/GYN home health contracts with Quantum for OptimaCare Facilitated policies and procedures for new managed care division

  • Oversight, 5%

    Advanced to positions of increasing responsibility, culminating in a management role with oversight for all customer relations.

  • Rehabilitation, 5%

    Acquired state licenses for a Mental Health Rehabilitation and Adult Day programs.

  • Phone Calls, 4%

    Answered and directed phone calls to appropriate parties or message taking.

Most director/managers use their skills in "healthcare," "patients," and "home health" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential director/manager responsibilities here:

Problem-solving skills. Another essential skill to perform director/manager duties is problem-solving skills. Director/managers responsibilities require that "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." Director/managers also use problem-solving skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "led the effort to identify and implement a cloud based erp solution for a new business venture in poland. "

Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of director/managers is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday director/manager duties, as "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "direct live production as needed* provide oversight for all communication of technical rehearsals elements. "

Leadership skills. A big part of what director/managers do relies on "leadership skills." You can see how essential it is to director/manager responsibilities because "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical director/manager tasks: "create programs and a positive environment for students to thrive develop strong customer service relationships provide leadership to children of all ages"

Time-management skills. A commonly-found skill in director/manager job descriptions, "time-management skills" is essential to what director/managers do. Director/manager responsibilities rely on this skill because "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." You can also see how director/manager duties rely on time-management skills in this resume example: "develop project plans and provide oversight of project scope and deliverables to insure deadlines are consistently met. "

Most common director/manager skills

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Compare different director/managers

Director/manager vs. General manager of operations

General managers of operations are employed to oversee the overall operations of businesses. Their responsibilities include the improvement of the efficiency of the operations and overall management. They coordinate the primary performance goals for direct reporting functions and set the strategies for the organization. It is their responsibility to communicate strategy as well as results to employees. They also engage with the corporate officers in the strategic planning and development of the organization or enterprise.

The annual salary of general managers of operations is $39,213 lower than the average salary of director/managers.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both director/manager and general manager of operations positions are skilled in oversight, customer service, and performance management.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between director/managers and general manager of operations. For instance, director/manager responsibilities require skills such as "healthcare," "patients," "home health," and "rehabilitation." Whereas a general manager of operations is skilled in "develop team," "logistics," "continuous improvement," and "personnel processes." This is part of what separates the two careers.

On average, general managers of operations reach similar levels of education than director/managers. General managers of operations are 2.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Director/manager vs. Co-manager/store manager

A co-manager/store manager oversees the daily operations of a store, ensuring smooth workflow and customer satisfaction. They are in charge of setting goals and sales targets, establishing guidelines and timelines, delegating responsibilities among staff, and developing strategies to optimize store operations. They are also responsible for monitoring all store activities, addressing issues and concerns, and resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, as a co-manager/store manager, it is essential to manage and supervise staff, leading them to reach goals while implementing the store's policies and regulations.

On average, co-manager/store managers earn a $87,219 lower salary than director/managers a year.A few skills overlap for director/managers and co-manager/store managers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "customer service," "performance management," and "financial statements. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that director/manager responsibilities requires skills like "healthcare," "patients," "home health," and "oversight." But a co-manager/store manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "store associates," "cleanliness," "merchandise presentation," and "store sales."

In general, co-manager/store managers achieve lower levels of education than director/managers. They're 8.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Director/manager vs. Operations manager, district

A district operations manager is a managerial professional who manages the daily operations of stores within the assigned district as well as provides support to managers in ensuring quality and budget performance. The district operations manager must work with the store management to create and implement action plans to address deficiencies discovered during a store audit. They are required to evaluate areas of operational concern and provide support during the implementation of solutions. District operations managers must also create a cooperative environment between operations and sales departments to motivate all employees to enhance customer service.

An average operations manager, district eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of director/managers. The difference in salaries amounts to operations managers, district earning a $47,161 lower average salary than director/managers.By looking over several director/managers and operations managers, district resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "oversight," "performance management," and "financial statements." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, director/managers are more likely to have skills like "healthcare," "patients," "home health," and "rehabilitation." But a operations manager, district is more likely to have skills like "succession planning," "team training," "store management," and "close coordination."

Operations managers, district make a very good living in the retail industry with an average annual salary of $87,812. On the other hand, director/managers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $131,566.operations managers, district typically earn lower educational levels compared to director/managers. Specifically, they're 6.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Director/manager vs. General manager/partner

A general manager/partner of any organization has many roles to perform. Depending on the industry they work in, they may be in charge of the management of operations, logistics, or maintenance. They also create an overall budget for every project. They are required to monitor budgets and payroll records and to review financial transactions.

General managers/partner tend to earn a lower pay than director/managers by an average of $43,674 per year.According to resumes from director/managers and general managers/partner, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "financial statements," and "business development. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between director/managers and general managers/partner, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a director/manager might have more use for skills like "healthcare," "patients," "home health," and "oversight." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of general managers/partner require skills like "food quality," "sales growth," "cash flow," and "a/p. "

General managers/partner reach similar levels of education compared to director/managers, in general. The difference is that they're 1.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of director/manager

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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