How to hire a director of field operations

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

Here's a step-by-step director of field 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 director of field operations job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of field operations
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of field operations do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your director of field operations job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a director of field operations for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a director of field operations to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a director of field operations that fits the bill.

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

   Type of Director Of Field Operations	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Field 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.	$33-65
   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... Show more	$29-51
   Deputy Director	Deputy directors supervise a team of workers and oversee the daily functions of their organizations. They coordinate with the company's executive director in preparing long-term strategies to achieve organizational goals... Show more	$27-83

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Oversight
   • Project Management
   • Human Resources
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Logistics
   • Direct Reports
   • OSHA
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Process Improvement
   • Strategic Plan
   • KPIs
   • Training Programs
   • Performance Metrics
   • R

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Finance and billing accountability across Medicaid, manage care commercial insurance, insurance verification, contract management, and benefits administration.
   • Provide oversight of construction projects for commercial mechanical contractor.
   • Provide finance oversight of territory real estate portfolio decision making.
   • Leverage extensive technical subject matter expertise to evaluate and improve image quality; develop models to demonstrate improvements in establish KPIs.
   • Establish training and internal protocols around auditing of pertinent Medicare transactions, increasing frequency of audit while maintaining and improving compliance.

   More director of field operations duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of field operations job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A director of field operations salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a director of field operations in Iowa may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level director of field operations usually earns less than a senior-level director of field operations. Additionally, a director of field operations with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average director of field operations salary

   $98,418yearly

   $47.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of field operations salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average director of field operations salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$119,849	$58
   2	Maryland	$118,645	$57
   3	Massachusetts	$116,529	$56
   4	Connecticut	$114,691	$55
   5	California	$114,560	$55
   6	District of Columbia	$113,489	$55
   7	Wisconsin	$106,800	$51
   8	Illinois	$103,412	$50
   9	North Carolina	$100,051	$48
   10	Colorado	$95,439	$46
   11	Texas	$94,440	$45
   12	Pennsylvania	$92,425	$44
   13	Michigan	$92,199	$44
   14	Florida	$89,459	$43
   15	Ohio	$85,935	$41
   16	Missouri	$83,737	$40
   17	Arizona	$81,187	$39
   18	Indiana	$78,396	$38
   19	Minnesota	$78,310	$38
   20	Iowa	$71,738	$34

   Average director of field operations salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amazon	$140,177	$67.39	805
   2	SunPower	$135,084	$64.94
   3	Publicis Sapient	$124,882	$60.04
   4	Macy's	$119,796	$57.59	9
   5	Alnylam Pharmaceuticals	$113,410	$54.52	1
   6	Duke University Health System	$113,368	$54.50	10
   7	Bloomingdale's	$108,847	$52.33	1
   8	Suffolk Construction	$102,202	$49.14	5
   9	Vanderbilt University Medical Center	$101,241	$48.67	23
   10	The Herrick	$100,320	$48.23
   11	Gilbane Building Company	$98,389	$47.30	6
   12	CyberCoders	$97,569	$46.91	3
   13	Astellas Pharma	$89,684	$43.12	10
   14	Democratic Party	$87,968	$42.29
   15	Spectrum	$86,159	$41.42
   16	University of Iowa Center for Advancement	$85,450	$41.08	15
   17	Lever	$82,271	$39.55
   18	Transmit Security	$82,267	$39.55
   19	Nomi Health	$81,922	$39.39
   20	JSI	$81,922	$39.39

4. Writing a director of field operations job description

   A good director of field operations job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a director of field operations job description:

   Director of field operations job description example

   • Preferred, 15 years’ experience within the road construction industry
   • Preferred, 10 years’ experience in a supervisory capacity, preferably as an Asphalt Paving Superintendent or Foreman
   • Knowledge of road construction methods, materials, and industry requirements
   • Ability to perform work in high traffic volume areas for extended periods
   • Ability to demonstrate strong work ethic with integrity and commitment to compliance
   • Valid driver’s license with insurable driving record

   Compensation and Inclusions

   Low 110k

   Ideal 120k

   High 130k

   Bonus range is up to 25% of annual salary, typically bonus averages are seen at a rate of 21%

   Included is a company vehicle and fuel card. Company cell phone which can be used as a personal cell as well.

   Full benefit package to include 401k profit sharing is included with 50% match up to 6%.

   All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, age, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable laws or regulations.
   
   GPAC (Growing People and Companies) is an award-winning search firm specializing in placing quality professionals within multiple industries across the United States since 1990. We are extremely competitive, client-focused and realize that our value is in our ability to deliver the right solutions at the right time.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find directors of field 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 directors of field operations they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level directors of field 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 director of field operations job on Zippia to find and recruit director of field operations candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit directors of field operations, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 director of field operations

   Once you've found the director of field 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new director of field operations first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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How much does it cost to hire a director of field operations?