What does a director of programs and operations do?
A director of programs and operations mainly provides direction and integrative direction in the planning and implementation of a complete university program. They lead by providing radical professional consultation and expertise within the program's focus, as well as daily administrative and functional activities with staff. They build strategic direction concerning standard operational policies and procedures and implements scope of work from funding to budgeting. Moreover, they represent the university to different institutional divisions and the external people, including media, government agencies, prospective vendors, and prospective funding agencies.
Director of programs and operations responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of programs and operations resumes:
- Educate and conduct a yearly training on manage care updates for all Medicare OTC plans.
- Manage internal accounting control and oversee quarterly CPA audits to maintain accounting integrity.
- Provide oversight, supervision, and support to the development, management, and evaluation of projects and training.
- Identify administrative and temporary staffing requirements; recruit and provide oversight as necessary.
- Provide technical oversight and input to joint investigations with other DoD investigative agencies.
- Design and implement a DoD program to improve transparency and accountability of combat equipment.
- Confer with physicians, psychologist, occupational therapists and other professionals in order to develop and implement client rehabilitation programs.
- Implement quality metrics within the practice to meet CMS standards and hospital goals.
- Collaborate with product manager on development of CNT website on new proprietary CMS for Cond Nast.
- Assure that quality measures and requirements are in place to maintain ISO certification and ROHS requirements.
- Exploit data from airborne reconnaissance platforms and ensure senior decision makers; maintain information superiority to prosecute combat operations.
Director of programs and operations skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Directors Of Programs And Operations are proficient in Oversight, Project Management, and Program Operations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Management skills, Leadership skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Programs And Operations that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Oversight, 11%
Performed oversight of performance specification and system analysis for design of new Radio Test Program products.
- Project Management, 11%
Provided project management for professional development training and certification programs by conducting quarterly audits to ensure staff met compliance regulations.
- Program Operations, 8%
Recommended and implemented procedures for client program operations.
- Program Management, 6%
Prepared financial forecasts, Program Management Plans and Status Reviews
- Clinical Operations, 5%
Directed and monitored the clinical operations.
- Professional Development, 4%
Performed yearly staff evaluations which included professional development plans and recommendations.
Common skills that a director of programs and operations uses to do their job include "oversight," "project management," and "program operations." You can find details on the most important director of programs and operations responsibilities below.
Leadership skills. Another essential skill to perform director of programs and operations duties is leadership skills. Directors of programs and operations responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Directors of programs and operations also use leadership skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "served as the student director of program operations for the chancellor's leadership class at the university of colorado. "
Problem-solving skills. This is an important skill for directors of programs and operations to perform their duties. For an example of how director of programs and operations responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a director of programs and operations: "developed a cloud-based program management solution that increased agency productivity 12% and reduced it and knowledge management costs 8%. ".
Communication skills. For certain director of programs and operations responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "communication skills." The day-to-day duties of a director of programs and operations rely on this skill, as "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what directors of programs and operations do: "managed mortgage assistance program including communications with family applicants, social workers and medical personnel as well as mortgage servicers. "
Time-management skills. A commonly-found skill in director of programs and operations job descriptions, "time-management skills" is essential to what directors of programs and operations do. Director of programs and operations responsibilities rely on this skill because "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." You can also see how director of programs and operations duties rely on time-management skills in this resume example: "achieved 25% increase in customer retention level versus plan while meeting all customer migration timelines. "
The three companies that hire the most director of programs and operationss are:
- University of Notre Dame103 directors of programs and operations jobs
- Meta57 directors of programs and operations jobs
- Discover11 directors of programs and operations jobs
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Compare different directors of programs and operations
Director of programs and operations 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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, director of programs and operations responsibilities require skills like "program operations," "program management," "clinical operations," and "excellent interpersonal." Meanwhile a typical executive director has skills in areas such as "patients," "customer service," "financial management," and "home health." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Executive directors really shine in the finance industry with an average salary of $153,889. Comparatively, directors of programs and operations tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $105,686.The education levels that executive directors earn slightly differ from directors of programs and operations. In particular, executive directors are 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a director of programs and operations. Additionally, they're 2.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of programs and operations vs. Associate director
An associate director oversees the daily activities and business operations within a particular area. They are primarily responsible for devising strategies that aim for growth in profit and customer satisfaction, implementing policies and standards, evaluate the workforce, providing support to various departments, and setting goals in terms of budget and sales. Furthermore, they must regularly report progress to the director and coordinate with managers and supervisors in the joint effort to reach the vision and mission of the company.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that director of programs and operations responsibilities requires skills like "program operations," "program management," "clinical operations," and "autism." But an associate director might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "patients," "healthcare," "portfolio," and "customer service."
On average, associate directors earn a higher salary than directors of programs and operations. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, associate directors earn the most pay in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $143,618. Whereas directors of programs and operations have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $105,686.In general, associate directors achieve similar levels of education than directors of programs and operations. They're 1.0% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 2.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of programs and operations vs. 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. The manager must manage all the general ledger revenue and expense activity while maintaining oversight for all operations, policies, and procedures. This manager should also plan and develop workshops, comprehensive training, and professional development for all staff members.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, directors of programs and operations are more likely to have skills like "project management," "program operations," "program management," and "clinical operations." But a district director is more likely to have skills like "performance management," "lead generation," "store locations," and "press releases."
District directors typically earn lower educational levels compared to directors of programs and operations. Specifically, they're 8.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of programs and operations vs. Division director
A division director is an individual 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. They must lead new business development efforts with customers or brokers and should work closely with legal to ensure the protection of the company's interest. Division directors also assist in employee recruitment and provide training to the team if there are skill gaps.
Types of director of programs and operations
Updated January 8, 2025
