How to hire a director of plant operations

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

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

What does a director of plant operations do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your director of plant 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 plant 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

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

   Type of Director Of Plant Operations	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Plant 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.	$40-79
   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
   Division Director	A division director is a professional who is responsible for managing team members and business operations that are assigned in his/her or her division to achieve the goals of a company. Division directors are required to evaluate division performance and ensure that the team's work complies with the company policies and procedures... Show more	$32-102

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Plant Operations
   • Life Safety
   • Healthcare
   • OSHA
   • Patients
   • HVAC
   • Physical Plant
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Plumbing
   • Rehabilitation
   • NFPA
   • Environmental Services
   • EPA
   • Facility Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Implement comprehensive ERP solution to manage inventory, customer relationships and financial applications.
   • Institute major testing and documentation as required by CMS and TJC.
   • Execute minor repairs in plumbing, drywall, tile flooring, medical equipment, kitchen equipment, HVAC systems, etc.
   • Update corporate policies and procedures for compliance with, JCAHO, ADA, NFPA, and other governmental regulations and requirements.
   • Oversee regulations with regulatory agencies including OSHA.
   • Project management and oversight of all facility construction and renovation projects.

   More director of plant operations duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of plant operations job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A director of plant operations salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, directors of plant operations' average salary in kentucky is 54% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of plant operations earn 48% less than senior-level directors of plant operations.
   • Certifications. A director of plant operations with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a director of plant operations's salary.

   Average director of plant operations salary

   $118,735yearly

   $57.08 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of plant operations salary

   $85,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average director of plant operations salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$154,474	$74
   2	District of Columbia	$146,146	$70
   3	Washington	$130,244	$63
   4	Minnesota	$125,902	$61
   5	Virginia	$123,590	$59
   6	New York	$118,780	$57
   7	Colorado	$117,263	$56
   8	Arizona	$112,997	$54
   9	Wisconsin	$111,939	$54
   10	North Carolina	$105,680	$51
   11	Georgia	$103,125	$50
   12	Missouri	$100,107	$48
   13	Texas	$99,590	$48
   14	Illinois	$98,803	$48
   15	New Hampshire	$98,245	$47
   16	Indiana	$93,312	$45
   17	Tennessee	$92,642	$45
   18	Ohio	$91,382	$44
   19	Florida	$84,294	$41
   20	Montana	$79,492	$38

   Average director of plant operations salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BridgePoint Healthcare	$138,473	$66.57
   2	Desert Valley Hospital	$136,987	$65.86
   3	Welch's	$131,568	$63.25	4
   4	National Park Medical Center	$129,988	$62.49
   5	Kaiser Permanente	$129,946	$62.47	47
   6	The Wonderful Company	$127,925	$61.50	2
   7	Edwards Lifesciences	$127,370	$61.24
   8	Vanguard Packaging	$126,789	$60.96
   9	Pharmavite	$126,612	$60.87	1
   10	Randstad North America, Inc.	$125,674	$60.42	5
   11	Community Health Systems	$125,443	$60.31	25
   12	Northpoint	$125,207	$60.20
   13	The Coca-Cola Company	$124,816	$60.01	9
   14	Hire Velocity	$124,164	$59.69
   15	Tecomet	$124,021	$59.63
   16	LCS Holdings, Inc.	$123,907	$59.57
   17	Sika	$123,729	$59.49	7
   18	Clinical Management Consultants	$123,166	$59.21
   19	Russell Stover Chocolates	$119,956	$57.67	2
   20	Trios Health	$119,867	$57.63

4. Writing a director of plant operations job description

   A director of plant 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 plant operations job description:

   Director of plant operations job description example

   Responsible for planning, organizing, directing and/or completing all activities of the Plant Operations Department which are necessary in maintaining the physical structures, HVAC, mechanical, electrical systems, utility systems and grounds of the hospital in an operative and safe working condition. Responsible for maintaining performance improvement activities within the Plant Operations Department and ensuring Joint Commission preparedness to comply with Environment of Care and Life Safety requirements. Also oversees the Environmental Services (Housekeeping) Department.
   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
   
   
   Develops and recommends departmental policies and procedures.
   Develops programs to ensure departmental effectiveness.
   Monitors existing policies, procedures and programs for effectiveness.
   Develops, implements, administers and modifies programs to maintain the physical plant, grounds, and equipment of the hospital through effective utilization of personnel and materials.
   Maintains required documentation for state, federal and other regulatory agencies.
   Develops and determines priorities and monitors status of special projects on an ongoing basis.
   Assures complete and proper logging of files and records and required cost computation of time spent, materials and supplies used for each completed requisition or work order.
   Inspects building and grounds to ensure conformance with established standards and regulations.
   Establishes preventive maintenance schedules and prioritizes repair and maintenance work to minimize disruption of hospital operations.
   Directs and maintains plant engineering functions of the hospital. Develops systems to control the efficient and effective use of all utilities.
   Plans, organizes, directs and supervises the functions and activities of facilities management and engineering, loss prevention management and telecommunications.
   Assigns individual tasks, requisitions, supplies and equipment and oversees training.
   Plans for and oversees major repairs, renovations, and new construction. Serves as the liaison between hospital and contractor during construction phasing and implementation.
   Interprets blueprints, works from sketches or verbal instructions.
   Develops budget for the unit and allocates funds within budget limit to accomplish objectives. Monitors variance against budget on an ongoing basis.
   Participates in hospital/medical staff committee meetings as requested. Attends and serves on professional/civic organizations as hospital representative.
   Directs the preparation and maintenance of department reports. Prepares periodic reports for management, as required.
   Maintains professional growth and development through seminars, workshops, and professional affiliations to keep abreast of latest trends in field of expertise.
   Develops, implements and monitors the hospital wide safety program.
   Is strategically involved in safety education and continuing education of all employees and training.
   Works closely with each facility department in safety management and development of departmental safety programs.
   Updates and maintains accurate safety management policies and procedures for the hospital.
   Has operational involvement in environmental rounding.
   Compiles and is involved in gathering and reporting accident and incident information.
   Prepares reports of hospital safety management activities to the Quality Council.
   Acts as the Safety Officer with the responsibility to act in the event of emergency and to disseminate whatever action needed to effect immediate corrections for life threatening conditions.
   Other duties as assigned.
   
   
   Qualifications
   
   
   One (1) year certificate from college or technical school; or 3 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
   Knowledge of utility systems management.
   Experience in hospital operations and Joint Commission preparedness highly preferred.
   Able to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.
   Basic computer knowledge.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find directors of plant 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 plant operations they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level directors of plant 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 plant operations job on Zippia to find and recruit director of plant 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 plant 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 plant operations

   Once you've decided on a perfect director of plant operations candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new director of plant 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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