How to hire a director of retail operations

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

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

What does a director of retail operations do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a director of retail 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a director of retail operations to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a director of retail operations that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of directors of retail operations.

   Type of Director Of Retail Operations	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Retail 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.	$34-77
   Regional Director	The primary role of regional directors is to oversee and provide guidance to the managers that report to them. They coordinate with employees to discuss business progress and create strategies to accomplish the company's goals... Show more	$19-70
   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:

   • Retail Operations
   • Business Development
   • Project Management
   • POS
   • Store Operations
   • Direct Reports
   • Customer Service
   • Retail Store
   • Financial Performance
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Retail Management
   • Business Plan
   • Store Management
   • Sales Growth

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead cross-functional process improvement teams to identify, recommend and implement changes to enhance billing system and POS system response times.
   • Provide leadership to manufacturing organization by aligning overall KPIs to achieve near term and long term business objectives.
   • Research technology options and cost-effectively procure and execute a solid new POS system.
   • Leverage extensive technical subject matter expertise to evaluate and improve image quality; develop models to demonstrate improvements in establish KPIs.
   • Surpass all EBITDA projections and maximize incremental revenues through operating cost containment and labor controls.

   More director of retail operations duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, directors of retail operations' average salary in wyoming is 48% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of retail operations earn 55% less than senior-level directors of retail operations.
   • Certifications. A director of retail 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 retail operations's salary.

   Average director of retail operations salary

   $108,032yearly

   $51.94 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of retail operations salary

   $72,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average director of retail operations salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$134,025	$64
   2	New York	$121,708	$59
   3	Massachusetts	$121,559	$58
   4	Virginia	$118,248	$57
   5	North Carolina	$115,273	$55
   6	Texas	$113,180	$54
   7	Colorado	$104,826	$50
   8	Nevada	$102,934	$49
   9	Pennsylvania	$102,392	$49
   10	Ohio	$100,147	$48
   11	Georgia	$98,286	$47
   12	Oregon	$92,082	$44
   13	Kansas	$79,154	$38
   14	Arkansas	$77,715	$37

   Average director of retail operations salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	DoorDash	$159,164	$76.52	107
   2	VF	$151,914	$73.04	7
   3	Christian Dior	$138,350	$66.51	2
   4	BGC Partners	$138,022	$66.36
   5	CHANEL	$135,846	$65.31	9
   6	Neiman Marcus Group	$133,204	$64.04	19
   7	BRP US Inc	$120,139	$57.76
   8	USAA	$118,771	$57.10	10
   9	First United Bank	$116,888	$56.20
   10	Alliance Data	$112,067	$53.88
   11	Altice USA	$105,522	$50.73	47
   12	Goodwin Recruiting	$104,456	$50.22	2
   13	Merkle	$104,233	$50.11
   14	Aramark	$102,897	$49.47	101
   15	Fossil	$101,479	$48.79
   16	Intertape polymer group	$100,788	$48.46
   17	Comerica	$98,420	$47.32
   18	Recruit	$96,782	$46.53	2
   19	Kering Americas Inc	$94,996	$45.67	15
   20	Dandelion Chocolate	$94,328	$45.35

4. Writing a director of retail operations job description

   A director of retail 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 retail operations job description:

   Director of retail operations job description example

   We are looking for an experienced Director of Operations to organize and oversee the daily operations of our company. You will be the one to ensure that our business is well-coordinated and productive by managing its procedures and coaching its people.
   
   The area of responsibility for this role is very wide and thus requires thorough knowledge of various company processes. The ideal candidate must be competent and able to plan many different kinds of operational activities. He/She must be an excellent leader who can discover the most efficient ways to run the business.
   
   The goal is to safeguard and augment the efficiency of the company’ s operations to facilitate accelerating development and long-term success.
   
   Responsibilities
   

   • Liaise with superior to make decisions for operational activities and set strategic goals
   • Plan and monitor the day-to-day running of business to ensure smooth progress
   • Supervise staff from different departments and provide constructive feedback
   • Evaluate regularly the efficiency of business procedures according to organizational objectives and apply improvements
   • Manage procurement processes and coordinate material and resources allocation
   • Oversee customer support processes and organize them to enhance customer satisfaction
   • Revise and/or formulate policies and promote their implementation
   • Manage relationships/agreements with external partners/vendors
   • Evaluate overall performance by gathering, analyzing and interpreting data and metrics
   • Ensure that the company runs with legality and conformity to established regulations

   
   Requirements
   

   • Proven experience as Director of Operations or equivalent position
   • MUST have Retail and Warehouse Experience
   • Excellent organizational and leadership abilities
   • Outstanding communication and people skills
   • Knowledge of industry’ s legal rules and guidelines
   • In depth knowledge of diverse business functions and principles (e.g. supply chain, finance, customer service etc.)
   • Working knowledge of data analysis and performance/operation metrics
   • Familiarity with MS Office and various business software (e.g. ERP, CRM)
   • BSc/BA in business administration or relevant field; MSc/MA will be a plus
   • Custom, Logistics, Travel, and Ecommerce and Major PLUS

   
   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find directors of retail operations for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit directors of retail operations, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 retail operations

   Once you have selected a candidate for the director of retail operations position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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 retail 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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How much does it cost to hire a director of retail operations?