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What is a director of client relations and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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The director of client relations is in charge of maintaining business partnerships with clients. He/She ensures that quality services are offered to improve brand awareness on various platforms. He/She identifies clients' needs and implements business techniques and project management procedures to address them. Asides from that, he/she oversees the budget allocation and ensures each department gets adequate resources for operations. Additionally, he/she is accountable for customer satisfaction, production support, and defining standards of operations. Also, he/she leads retention and revenue growth. Likewise, he/she identifies new business opportunities to expand the client base.

To qualify for this job, you need a bachelor's degree in business administration or a related field. You must have seven or more years of experience in a related field. You must possess communication, problem-solving, negotiation, technical, and leadership skills. Directors of client relations make an average annual salary of $84,762. It falls between $46,000 and $156,000.

ScoreDirector Of Client RelationsUS Average
Salary
8.0

Avg. Salary $116,480

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.7

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 5.07%

Black or African American 5.79%

Hispanic or Latino 8.96%

Unknown 4.65%

White 75.11%

Gender

female 54.83%

male 45.17%

Age - 41
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 - 41
Stress level
8.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.4

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Director of client relations career paths

Key steps to become a director of client relations

  1. Explore director of client relations education requirements

    Most common director of client relations degrees

    Bachelor's

    74.5 %

    Master's

    11.0 %

    Associate

    8.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific director of client relations skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management9.47%
    Client Issues6.74%
    Healthcare6.03%
    Account Management5.07%
    Business Development5.04%
  3. Complete relevant director of client relations training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of client relations 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 a director of client relations based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of client relations resumes.
  4. Research director of client relations duties and responsibilities

    • Manage social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn to network and gain more exposure to the firm.
    • Develop RFP responses, participate in sales presentations, and manage major existing accounts such as Wal-Mart and Exxon-Mobil.
    • Manage projects for extensive keyword research and develop a comprehensive SEO strategy.
    • Join sales team to help with SaaS transformation.
  5. Get director of client relations experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a director of client relations. The most common roles before becoming a director of client relations include account executive, account manager team lead and marketing director.
  6. Prepare your director of client relations resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of client relations 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 a director of client relations resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable director of client relations resume templates

    Build a professional director of client relations 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 director of client relations resume.
    Director Of Client Relations Resume
    Director Of Client Relations Resume
    Director Of Client Relations Resume
    Director Of Client Relations Resume
    Director Of Client Relations Resume
    Director Of Client Relations Resume
    Director Of Client Relations Resume
    Director Of Client Relations Resume
    Director Of Client Relations Resume
  7. Apply for director of client relations jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a director of client relations 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 director of client relations job

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Average director of client relations salary

The average director of client relations salary in the United States is $116,480 per year or $56 per hour. Director of client relations salaries range between $82,000 and $163,000 per year.

Average director of client relations salary
$116,480 Yearly
$56.00 hourly

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Director of client relations reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

Meeting with consumers, educating, coaching, discussing products

Cons

None, I really enjoy it


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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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