How to hire a director of international operations

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

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

What does a director of international operations do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a director of international operations, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A director of international operations's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of international 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of directors of international operations and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Director Of International Operations	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of International 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.	$30-79
   District Director	A district director is an executive professional who is responsible for managing staff members of an organization in a particular district. This director is required to conduct store visits to ensure that store employees are following store procedures and maintain inventory levels... Show more	$27-82
   Managing Director	A Managing Director oversees workflow and progress, making sure that all operations align within the company or organization's mission or set of goals. They are responsible for crafting strategies, devising effective business plans, and executing guidelines that would nurture a company's growth, and as well as to be the driving force that would direct employees to the company's objectives... Show more	$34-112

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Oversight
   • Project Management
   • International Tax
   • Litigation
   • Transfer Pricing
   • Tax Planning
   • GAAP
   • Treasury
   • Business Development
   • Due Diligence
   • Taxation
   • Logistics
   • Calculation
   • International Business

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead team of specialize forwarders responsible for the secure transportation of articles of extraordinary value.
   • Develop ROI category analyses and lead negotiations with top retailers: Walmart, Ripley, Falabella.
   • Founded the Asia-Pacific division and lead the global professional services practices to become the company's largest and most profitable unit.
   • Manage logistics when sending equipment to foreign destinations.
   • Work closely with corporate treasury in managing cash repatriation strategies.
   • Manage delivery of home medical equipment to customer's homes while adhering to all Medicare and accreditation policy and procedures.

   More director of international operations duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, directors of international operations' average salary in hawaii is 60% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of international operations 62% less than senior-level directors of international operations.
   • Certifications. A director of international 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 director of international operations's salary.

   Average director of international operations salary

   $102,574yearly

   $49.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of international operations salary

   $63,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average director of international operations salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$137,615	$66
   2	California	$128,756	$62
   3	District of Columbia	$119,723	$58
   4	Texas	$113,383	$55
   5	Minnesota	$101,744	$49
   6	Connecticut	$101,306	$49
   7	Virginia	$98,677	$47
   8	Maryland	$96,571	$46
   9	Pennsylvania	$95,580	$46
   10	Massachusetts	$93,055	$45
   11	North Carolina	$91,018	$44
   12	Arizona	$90,713	$44
   13	Florida	$89,309	$43
   14	Illinois	$88,307	$42
   15	Ohio	$85,471	$41
   16	Louisiana	$84,390	$41
   17	Alabama	$81,567	$39
   18	Colorado	$78,839	$38
   19	Missouri	$76,423	$37
   20	West Virginia	$72,263	$35

   Average director of international operations salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$156,274	$75.13	128
   2	Sanofi US	$150,898	$72.55	11
   3	Estée Lauder	$150,823	$72.51
   4	CHRISTUS Health	$148,522	$71.40
   5	Starz	$146,873	$70.61	1
   6	Abbott	$130,189	$62.59	10
   7	Sherwin-Williams	$111,881	$53.79	26
   8	Pwc	$109,956	$52.86	361
   9	Commonwealth Bank of Australia	$106,170	$51.04
   10	Snap	$105,709	$50.82	6
   11	ICF	$102,369	$49.22	2
   12	ReSound	$98,568	$47.39	1
   13	Arizona State University	$98,431	$47.32	2
   14	American University	$94,461	$45.41
   15	Crunchyroll	$92,959	$44.69
   16	Aronson	$92,883	$44.66
   17	Tyson Foods	$89,787	$43.17	8
   18	GPAC	$89,203	$42.89
   19	OBEO	$83,470	$40.13
   20	Rbc Holding Co Ltd	$83,398	$40.10	1

4. Writing a director of international operations job description

   A director of international 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 director of international operations job description:

   Director of international operations job description example

   Description: IT Director, International eCommerce
   
   Summary
   
   GameStop is seeking a Director of international eCommerce to join our Technology team. In an exceptionally fast paced environment, this role will drive forward strategic initiatives in the digital space to accelerate growth for eCommerce channels in Canadian and European markets. The International eCommerce Director will partner with other teams to develop and execute the eCommerce strategy and growth plan, including Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain/Logistics and Operations as well the retail business environment. The candidate will possess superb analytic skills, digging deep into data to craft critical objectives, strategies, and tactics, and then turning insight into action to drive results.
   
   The director's role ensures that GameStop International's multi-channel, cross-platform suite of applications is technologically competitive, secure, and reliable. The eCommerce Director working independently and strategically is responsible for international publicly facing GameStop branded technology properties and how they are perceived by GameStop customers and shareholders.
   
   Ultimately, we are champions for what's best for GameStop, helping to achieve business objectives, work strategically together, and enable adaptability in a challenging, rewarding, and changing landscape.
   The ideal candidate will be customer-obsessed, highly collaborative, and passionate about creating customer experiences that are both frictionless and delightful. A passion for gaming and ecommerce are a plus!
   
   What you'll do
   Lead the eCommerce strategy, execution, and operations of .Com (includes eCommerce, Order Management System, and Loyalty solutions).Partner with technology and business leaders to develop and execute the eCommerce strategy that enables GameStop to delight customers Resolve issues and remediate risks to delivery, including working with peers who are accountable for other components of the solutions (infrastructure, database, services) to execute successful delivery Make profitable, sustainable decisions by identifying issues, problems, and opportunities; gathering and interpreting information; generating alternatives collaboratively with others; choosing an appropriate action; and aligning resources.Leverage site analytics to monitor performance and guide action Manage key drivers behind sales and gross profit margin, including traffic, average order value, and conversion rates, to ensure the team is on track to meet or exceed the plan Conduct ongoing analysis to surface actionable insights to increase revenue and improve customer experience Own and drive customer journey mapping to improve new customer acquisition and retention Thought leader of non-functional requirements of software, continuously identifying and making improvements for software to become more reliable, configurable, scalable, robust, sustainable, secure, and resilient.Manage milestones and deadlines for multiple simultaneous projects, while keeping key stakeholders up to date with progress and decisions Lead a talented team of eCommerce professionals located in Dublin, Ireland providing mentorship, direction, and guidance; establishing a team culture that is defined by transparent communication, high integrity, business acumen, engineering expertise and technical innovation.Enforce technical governance throughout the software development lifecycle, which includes reviewing and approving requirements, design, development, quality assurance and implementation deliverables.Thrive in an ambiguous environment, be resourceful, and make tradeoffs to deliver customer impact.Exhibit a bias for action, constantly looking for ways to improve performance and customer experience.Establish strong working relationships across all levels and functions of the organization.Be results-oriented, data-driven, and passionate about building innovative customer experiences.
   
   What You'll Need
   
   BS in Computer Science, or equivalent relevant IT experience10 years of experience in eCommerce and information technology managementA proven track record of building a successful eCommerce business in a complex and fast-paced environment Ability to learn quickly, iterate based on results, and work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.Roll up your sleeves attitude; absorbs information quickly and reacts in a timely manner with a bias towards action.Deep understanding of UX/UI with customer experience at the forefront Expert understanding of e-commerce and order management system frameworks serving high volume retail preferred Proficiency in cloud-based architecture (preferably AWS), technologies (such as lamda, node.js, angular.js, containers/docker, serverless computing) and environments (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) Experience managing and deploying AWS-hosted applications preferred Demonstrable expertise with leading software engineering functions that deliver outstanding software product, with frequent release cycles (Agile),Proficient knowledge of elegant and modular architectural solutions and design principles, for a consumer facing organization Expert understanding of online technology tools, processes, requirements, and general best practices, including a proficient ability to forecast internal and external customer requirements Possess wide range of technical leadership skills necessary for excellence in all stages of software
   
   What'
   
   Self-starter mentality with the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced working environment with a high level of interdependency, change and ambiguity High level of attention to detail including proven ability to manage multiple, competing priorities simultaneously.Expert ability to recruit, mentor, and retain teams of engineers, managers, and director level technologists.Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to create and present complex persuasive technical information in a clear and concise manner to a variety of audience using written and spoken EnglishExcellent problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills.Model the behaviors expected of GameStop leaders including, but not limited to a drive for results, with a demonstrable bias for action; high levels of emotional intelligence, maturity, and reliability; giving, receiving and responding to feedback effectively; a consistently high service orientation; and demonstrable commitments to diversity, inclusion, a respectful workplace, and integrity
   
   Join us in bringing power to the players!
   
   RELATED COMPETENCIES
   
   Innovation and Problem Solving - Generating innovative solutions in work situations; trying different and novel ways to deal with work problems and opportunities.
   
   Emotional Intelligence - Leveraging high levels of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management, capacity to manage behavior, navigate social complexities and make personal decisions to achieve positive results.
   
   Building Strategic Working Relationships - Developing and using collaborative relationships to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals.
   
   Strategic Decision Making - Obtains information and identifies key issues and relationships relevant to achieving a long-range goal or vision; commits to a course of action to accomplish a long-range goal or vision after developing alternatives based on logical assumptions, facts, available resources, constraints, and organizational values.
   
   Technical/Professional Knowledge and Skills - Having achieved a satisfactory level of technical and professional skill or knowledge in position related areas; keeps up with current developments and trends in areas of expertise.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right director of international operations for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting directors of international operations requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 director of international operations

   Once you've selected the best director of international operations candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new director of international operations. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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