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What is a director of program services and how to become one
A director of program services oversees the planning, development, and implementation of programs and services in various organizations. They collaborate with other departments within the organization to develop strategic plans and set goals. They are also responsible for managing program budgets, ensuring compliance with regulations, and evaluating program effectiveness. Overall, the director of program services plays a vital role in ensuring the success of an organization's programs and services.
What's a day at work look like for a director of program services?
Todd Terry
Department Chair, Management, Davenport University
In general business will continue to function remotely. The pandemic has created a sense of creativity in how business is done. The one major component the pandemic has created is where large and small businesses are conducting daily business functions from remote locations. This practice has proven that business can be effectively done without having to travel to distant locations. Consequently, business travel will be continue to be slow.
Avg. Salary $73,301
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 12%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.88%
Asian 5.07%
Black or African American 12.38%
Hispanic or Latino 13.93%
Unknown 5.34%
White 62.39%
Genderfemale 64.63%
male 35.37%
Age - 45American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 45Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a director of program services?
Pros
Ability to make a positive impact on the community
Opportunity to lead and manage a team
Chance to develop and implement programs to address community needs
Collaboration with other professionals and organizations
Satisfaction from seeing program successes and outcomes
Cons
High level of responsibility and pressure
Long hours and potential for overtime work
Potential for conflicts with staff, stakeholders, or funders
Limited resources or funding for some projects
Need to navigate complex bureaucratic structures or regulations
Director of program services career paths
Key steps to become a director of program services
Explore director of program services education requirements
Start to develop specific director of program services skills
Skills Percentages Program Development 16.79% Business Development 10.94% Strategic Direction 10.76% Developmental Disabilities 7.96% Social Work 5.23% Complete relevant director of program services training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of program services 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 program services based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of program services resumes.Research director of program services duties and responsibilities
- Manage 27 full-time employees (FTE's) which are fully cross-train and rotational in all functional service areas.
- Develop and manage a capital budget of $200K, an operational budget of $100K and 50 FTE's.
- Manage day-to-day oversight and management involving planning, programming, execution, distribution, and analysis for assign organizations budgets.
- Hire and train ESL teachers.
Get director of program services experience
Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a director of program services. The most common roles before becoming a director of program services include program director, case manager team lead and program coordinator.Prepare your director of program services resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of program services 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 program services 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 program services resume templates
Build a professional director of program services 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 program services resume.
Apply for director of program services jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a director of program services job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first director of program services job
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Average director of program services salary
The average director of program services salary in the United States is $73,301 per year or $35 per hour. Director of program services salaries range between $47,000 and $113,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do directors of program services rate their job?
Director of program services reviews
Being restricted to working with a smaller group, than might need Leadership training and coaching.
Project concept, execution - meeting business and Customer expectations.
Updated January 8, 2025
