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What does a director of retail operations do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Eric Olsen

A director of retail operations spearheads and oversees the overall retail functions of a company. It is their duty to manage employees, set goals and budgets, establish guidelines and timelines, streamline roadmaps, gather and analyze data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of operations, develop solutions against vulnerable areas, and create strategies to optimize the workflow and the performance of the workforce. Moreover, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals while enforcing the company's policies and regulations, implementing new ones as necessary.

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Director of retail operations responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of retail operations resumes:

  • 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.

Director of retail operations skills and personality traits

We calculated that 24% of Directors Of Retail Operations are proficient in Retail Operations, Business Development, and Project Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Management skills, Problem-solving skills, and Time-management skills.

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

  • Retail Operations, 24%

    Manage all retail operations and marketing activities for the retail store of this non-denominational faith based organization.

  • Business Development, 22%

    Created Customer Service and Retail Selling Standards Manual establishing guidelines for sales growth and business development.

  • Project Management, 5%

    Supervised all project management of new stores constructed, including subcontractor and schedule management.

  • POS, 4%

    Researched technology options and cost-effectively procured and executed a solid new POS system.

  • Store Operations, 3%

    Directed warehouse distribution and all retail store operations.

  • Direct Reports, 3%

    Managed succession planning for Operations Managers and development plans for direct reports.

Most directors of retail operations use their skills in "retail operations," "business development," and "project management" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential director of retail operations responsibilities here:

Problem-solving skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling director of retail operations duties is problem-solving skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." According to a director of retail operations resume, here's how directors of retail operations can utilize problem-solving skills in their job responsibilities: "identify pos system inefficiencies and create plan to implement resolution. "

Time-management skills. This is an important skill for directors of retail operations to perform their duties. For an example of how director of retail operations responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a director of retail operations: "learn project management skills while ensuring that each task is completed on time and under budget. ".

Communication skills. For certain director of retail operations responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "communication skills." The day-to-day duties of a director of retail 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 retail operations do: "led the retail store operations department for the fifth largest wireless telecommunications company in the united states. "

Leadership skills. Another crucial skill for a director of retail operations to carry out their responsibilities is "leadership skills." A big part of what directors of retail operations relies on this skill, since "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." How this skill relates to director of retail operations duties can be seen in an example from a director of retail operations resume snippet: "partner with human resources and district managers concerning leadership development and store operations performance reviews. "

See the full list of director of retail operations skills

Choose from 10+ customizable director of retail operations resume templates

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Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume
Director Of Retail Operations Resume

Compare different directors of retail operations

Director of retail operations vs. 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. It is their responsibility to oversee the recruitment and training of staff and implement a marketing strategy to maximize sales and profitability. It is also their responsibility to identify and address staff performance issues and collaborate with department teams on market growth opportunities.

The annual salary of regional directors is $29,842 lower than the average salary of directors of retail operations.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between directors of retail operations and regional directors are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like business development, project management, and direct reports.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a director of retail operations are more likely to require skills like "retail operations," "pos," "store operations," and "retail store." On the other hand, a job as a regional director requires skills like "healthcare," "patients," "excellent interpersonal," and "professional development." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Regional directors earn the highest salaries when working in the health care industry, with an average yearly salary of $76,543. On the other hand, directors of retail operations are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $120,869.regional directors tend to reach higher levels of education than directors of retail operations. In fact, regional directors are 8.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Director of retail 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.

A career as a division director brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a director of retail operations. In fact, division directors salary is $12,725 higher than the salary of directors of retail operations per year.A few skills overlap for directors of retail operations and division directors. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "business development," "project management," and "direct reports. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, director of retail operations responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "retail operations," "pos," "store operations," and "retail store." Meanwhile, a division director has duties that require skills in areas such as "client relationships," "healthcare," "patients," and "shared services." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Division directors earn a higher average salary than directors of retail operations. But division directors earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $161,467. Additionally, directors of retail operations earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $120,869 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Division directors tend to reach higher levels of education than directors of retail operations. In fact, they're 10.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Directors of retail operations in the next 3-5 years?

Eric OlsenEric Olsen LinkedIn profile

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

We are doubling down on what we call "digital fabrication." Most manufacturing technologies we deal with now have a growing digital component that our students need to understand and be competent in. Of course, that means current hot exotics like additive manufacturing, but our students need to look at any process and realize there is probably a digitally enhanced path forward.

Director of retail 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.

On average, district directors earn lower salaries than directors of retail operations, with a $7,337 difference per year.directors of retail operations and district directors both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "business development," "direct reports," and "retail store," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, directors of retail operations are more likely to have skills like "retail operations," "project management," "pos," and "store operations." But a district director is more likely to have skills like "professional development," "medicare," "medicaid," and "lead generation."

District directors typically earn similar educational levels compared to directors of retail operations. Specifically, they're 3.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Director of retail operations vs. 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. Furthermore, a Managing Director must coordinate with those in a higher position, such as the members of the board.

Managing directors average a higher salary than the annual salary of directors of retail operations. The difference is about $21,658 per year.According to resumes from directors of retail operations and managing directors, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "business development," "project management," and "direct reports. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A director of retail operations uses "retail operations," "pos," "store operations," and "retail store." Managing directors are more likely to have duties that require skills in "healthcare," "portfolio," "financial services," and "client relationships. "The finance industry tends to pay the highest salaries for managing directors, with average annual pay of $177,065. Comparatively, the highest director of retail operations annual salary comes from the finance industry.managing directors reach higher levels of education compared to directors of retail operations, in general. The difference is that they're 11.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 2.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of director of retail operations

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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