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What does a director of program services do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read

A director of program services is management professionals who are responsible for managing a team of managers that carry out one of the organization's major programs. This director must research and cultivate new funding sources for their program development and receive multiple service grants successfully. The director must direct the Program Services Committee while generating reports to ensure the efficacy of their program services. This director must also review their staff program notes to ensure that they are following the established guidelines of the organization.

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Director of program services responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of program services resumes:

  • 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.
  • Develop and implement IEP which include transition and goal planning.
  • Work with NYS survey team to ensure follow-up of all program recommendations.
  • Execute daily securities purchases and sales with brokerage house trading desks and computerize trading platform.
  • Facilitate the establishment of appropriate operating and property rates from OPWDD as well as participate in the rate appeal process.
  • Lead role in creating systems, improving programs through compliance and quality resulting in IRA programs receiving extend certifications from OPWDD.
  • Facilitate community educational seminars for patients and health care providers throughout the state of Kentucky.
  • Ensure compliance with affirmative action requirements regarding applicant tracking, and process bi-weekly and semi-monthly payroll for branch.
  • Assist families and patients in resolving complex and extensive problems regarding insurance enrollment, benefits and other non-clinical concerns.
  • Direct the administrative and clinical operations of rehabilitation services for a two-campus 325-bed acute-care hospital and hospital-base home health agency.
  • Implement process improvements and Medicare department reorganization that establish a foundation for improve member outcomes and satisfaction and increase product margins.
  • Assist in preparation for COA site visit.

Director of program services skills and personality traits

We calculated that 17% of Directors Of Program Services are proficient in Program Development, Business Development, and Strategic Direction. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Managerial skills, and Problem-solving skills.

We break down the percentage of Directors Of Program Services that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Program Development, 17%

    Initiated six new programs inclusive of funding procurement and program development.

  • Business Development, 11%

    Managed internal operations, corporate direction of industrial hygiene program, business development, client management, and hiring.

  • Strategic Direction, 11%

    Created strategic direction and vision for maintaining the station's status as the number one news station.

  • Developmental Disabilities, 8%

    Develop and assume responsibility for the overall program, administration and planning activities for services designed for individuals with developmental disabilities.

  • Social Work, 5%

    Provided clinicalsupervision to five therapists including Clinical Social Workers and Certified Alcohol andSubstance Abuse Counselors.

  • Program Directors, 4%

    Provide program assistance and coordinating assistance to Executive and Program Directors.

Common skills that a director of program services uses to do their job include "program development," "business development," and "strategic direction." You can find details on the most important director of program services responsibilities below.

Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a director of program services to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "social and community service managers need to understand and evaluate data in order to provide strategic guidance to their organization." Additionally, a director of program services resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "provided oasa and dhs contract management, overall fiscal and program management, analysis and interpretation. "

Managerial skills. Another essential skill to perform director of program services duties is managerial skills. Directors of program services responsibilities require that "social and community service managers spend much of their time administering budgets and responding to a variety of issues." Directors of program services also use managerial skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provided direct administratiave, managerial and clinical supervision to 28 certified and licensed substance abuse counselors. "

Problem-solving skills. This is an important skill for directors of program services to perform their duties. For an example of how director of program services responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "social and community service managers must be able to address client, staff, and agency-related issues." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a director of program services: "provide clinical supervision for staff, in-service training, and conflict resolutions. ".

Time-management skills. For certain director of program services responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "time-management skills." The day-to-day duties of a director of program services rely on this skill, as "social and community service managers must prioritize and handle numerous tasks, often in a short timeframe." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what directors of program services do: "increased team's productivity by 35% by improving case resolution time while simultaneously improving customer service. "

Communication skills. Another crucial skill for a director of program services to carry out their responsibilities is "communication skills." A big part of what directors of program services relies on this skill, since "social and community service managers must be able to speak and write clearly." How this skill relates to director of program services duties can be seen in an example from a director of program services resume snippet: "managed the board of directors decision making structure and communication plans on organizational planning and community outreach. "

Most common director of program services skills

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Compare different directors of program services

Director of program services vs. Chief of staff

A chief of staff primarily supports an executive through performing various administrative tasks. Most of their responsibilities revolve around collaborating with other executive support personnel to devise strategies that will help the company, responding to inquiries and correspondence, approving communications letters, managing schedules, setting appointments, and serving as an advisor to the executive. Furthermore, when it comes to issues and disputes, the chief of staff must be quick to conduct research and perform damage control to help the executive and the company rise from the occasion.

If we compare the average director of program services annual salary with that of a chief of staff, we find that chiefs of staff typically earn a $57,534 higher salary than directors of program services make annually.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between directors of program services and chiefs of staff are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like business development, strategic direction, and patients.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, director of program services responsibilities require skills like "program development," "developmental disabilities," "social work," and "program directors." Meanwhile a typical chief of staff has skills in areas such as "pet," "team support," "good judgment," and "project management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Chiefs of staff really shine in the start-up industry with an average salary of $135,040. Comparatively, directors of program services tend to make the most money in the education industry with an average salary of $84,955.The education levels that chiefs of staff earn slightly differ from directors of program services. In particular, chiefs of staff are 6.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a director of program services. Additionally, they're 3.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Director of program services vs. Executive director

Executive directors are top management employees who usually function as a chief executive officer. This role is usually seen in non-profit organizations. Executive directors provide strategic direction to the organization, and they ensure that the organization's goals are actualized. They provide guidance to the employees and ensure that the employees have the organization's advocacies at the center of every project or program. They oversee the policies of the organization and create strategies that will bring the organization's programs forward. Executive directors are also responsible for making crucial decisions for the betterment of the organization.

Executive director positions earn higher pay than director of program services roles. They earn a $54,655 higher salary than directors of program services per year.A few skills overlap for directors of program services and executive directors. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "program development," "business development," and "strategic direction. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that director of program services responsibilities requires skills like "developmental disabilities," "social work," "program directors," and "program management." But an executive director might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "oversight," "customer service," "financial management," and "home health."

Executive directors earn a higher average salary than directors of program services. But executive directors earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $153,889. Additionally, directors of program services earn the highest salaries in the education with average pay of $84,955 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Executive directors tend to reach similar levels of education than directors of program services. In fact, they're 4.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Director of program services vs. Clinical director

A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.

On average scale, clinical directors bring in higher salaries than directors of program services. In fact, they earn a $23,196 higher salary per year.By looking over several directors of program services and clinical directors resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "program development," "social work," and "patients." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from director of program services resumes include skills like "business development," "strategic direction," "developmental disabilities," and "program directors," whereas a clinical director is more likely to list skills in "patient care," "physical therapy," "clinical operations," and "quality improvement. "

Clinical directors earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $79,166. Comparatively, directors of program services have the highest earning potential in the education industry, with an average salary of $84,955.clinical directors typically earn higher educational levels compared to directors of program services. Specifically, they're 6.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 7.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Director of program services vs. Program director

Program directors are employees who oversee all aspects of a specific program in the company. They usually work in nonprofit organizations or are assigned to a department doing corporate social responsibility activities. Program directors ensure that the program is in line with the company's goals. They also ensure that the resources assigned to the program are properly managed and that all finances are accounted for. They create strategies to ensure the success of the program and communicate these to everyone involved. They lead the implementation and evaluation of the program.

Program directors tend to earn a higher pay than directors of program services by an average of $7,363 per year.According to resumes from directors of program services and program directors, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "program development," "business development," and "developmental disabilities. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A director of program services uses "strategic direction," "program directors," "human resources," and "cloud computing." Program directors are more likely to have duties that require skills in "oversight," "customer service," "hr," and "client facing. "The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for program directors, with average annual pay of $118,191. Comparatively, the highest director of program services annual salary comes from the education industry.program directors reach similar levels of education compared to directors of program services, in general. The difference is that they're 4.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of director of program services

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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