How to hire a director of retail sales

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

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

What does a director of retail sales do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a director of retail sales, 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

   Hiring the perfect director of retail sales also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of director of retail sales salaries for various roles:

   Type of Director Of Retail Sales	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Retail Sales	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$10-29
   Sales Vice President	Sales vice presidents are top-level executives at a sales, retail, or marketing corporation. Primarily these executives are tasked to direct and lead a sales department or team within the organization... Show more	$43-108
   Client Services Director	A client services director is responsible for maintaining healthy business relationships with clients, ensuring that operational teams provide the highest quality services for the clients, following their deliverables and business requirements. Client services directors oversee project management procedures, identifying inconsistencies, and revising business plans to improve outputs and achieve client satisfaction... Show more	$40-77

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Product Line
   • Retail Sales
   • CRM
   • POS
   • Market Research
   • Enterprise Sales
   • Digital Marketing
   • Revenue Growth
   • Business Development
   • ROI
   • Customer Service
   • Trade Shows
   • Retail Operations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage initial contact, negotiation and administration of all OEM programs.
   • Manage a staff of 2 OEM account managers and 3 national account managers.
   • Monitor and manage all KPI's driving DTC business including taster count, bottles per visitor, conversion rates and attrition.
   • Manage multi-million dollar advertising budgets and strategically book vehiclesgarnering optimal visibility and ROI.
   • Full responsibility for all sales activities for a start-up electronic commerce company managing electronic data flow in the healthcare industry.
   • Visit and train in store sales staff on new products, sales reports, POS placement and customer service.

   More director of retail sales duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, directors of retail sales' average salary in maine is 40% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of retail sales earn 66% less than senior-level directors of retail sales.
   • Certifications. A director of retail sales 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 sales's salary.

   Average director of retail sales salary

   $36,773yearly

   $17.68 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of retail sales salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

   Average director of retail sales salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$43,421	$21
   2	Nevada	$37,662	$18
   3	Arizona	$37,096	$18
   4	Washington	$36,423	$18
   5	Texas	$36,317	$17
   6	Illinois	$36,179	$17
   7	Wisconsin	$36,094	$17
   8	Pennsylvania	$36,042	$17
   9	Oregon	$35,529	$17
   10	Florida	$34,057	$16
   11	New York	$34,005	$16
   12	Indiana	$33,689	$16
   13	Connecticut	$33,002	$16
   14	Colorado	$32,867	$16
   15	Minnesota	$32,324	$16
   16	Massachusetts	$32,245	$16
   17	Utah	$31,548	$15
   18	Georgia	$31,462	$15
   19	Louisiana	$30,992	$15
   20	North Carolina	$30,765	$15

   Average director of retail sales salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BlackRock	$71,390	$34.32	12
   2	Apple	$65,048	$31.27	26
   3	Pandora	$63,447	$30.50
   4	Oracle	$57,706	$27.74	434
   5	Amundi	$57,565	$27.68
   6	Salesforce	$56,442	$27.14	30
   7	DoorDash	$53,119	$25.54	6
   8	Danfoss	$48,449	$23.29	6
   9	Visa	$47,289	$22.74	23
   10	Fortinet	$45,694	$21.97	7
   11	Cracker Barrel	$45,564	$21.91	504
   12	Air Hydro Power	$44,008	$21.16
   13	A. O. Smith	$43,511	$20.92
   14	Avanade	$42,908	$20.63
   15	Grand Furniture	$41,684	$20.04	1
   16	Compass Group USA	$39,504	$18.99	172
   17	Verizon Communications	$39,364	$18.93	2
   18	Qardio	$38,733	$18.62
   19	Goodwin Recruiting	$38,244	$18.39
   20	Gruma Corporation	$37,946	$18.24	2

4. Writing a director of retail sales job description

   A good director of retail sales job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a director of retail sales job description:

   Director of retail sales job description example

   At Richwood Bank, our purpose is to inspire, protect, and celebrate anything that makes communities thrive.
   
   Have you ever wanted to work for a company that exceptionally lives its values? One hundred and fifty years ago, we began as a small community bank. Today, we are still a community bank - as well as a payroll processing team, a marketing agency, a coffee shop, and more. We have flipped the switch on traditional banking. Yet, we have always aimed to provide the very best customer experience, contribute to the greater good of our local communities, and make every effort to be the best employer in the area with a company culture that works hard to develop, recognize, and award its team members.
   
   Richwood Bank has a comprehensive benefits package for full time employees including but not limited to, medical and wellness program, dental, vision, employee assistance plan, life insurance and supplemental short-term disability. Full-time and part-time employees have access to a 401(k) plan, an enhanced Wellness program, tuition reimbursement and tons of professional development opportunities!
   
   The Retail Director oversees the full scope of the branch management in branch offices including staff recruitment, management, training, and development. This role ensures all retail staff adheres to all processes, policies, rules and regulations.
   
   Richwood Bank prides itself on unique culture and all team members should be active and engaged participants.
   Essential Functions Partners and collaborates with branch managers, education, operations, compliance, and marketing to maximize alignment and drive organizational success. Directly manage Branch Managers. Recruit, hire, retain and development top talent. Strategically active in local community to enhance Bank image and generate new business. Manage low performance through plan, coaching and corrective action as needed. Support development plans for performing team members. Recognize high performance Maintain operational oversight Ensures training and development of retail staff occurs on bank protocol, operational processes, policies, and procedures. Manages difficult or emotional customer situations when escalated. Leads all aspects of retail sales and service within the branches. Accountable for the attainment of retail goals and research to determine adjustments when needed. Conducts monthly one on one meetings with all direct reports. Facilitates regular team meetings with branch managers focused on sales, service and product training. Performs regular coaching sessions in sales, customer service and teamwork. Conduct Branch visits to each location on a rotating basis. Observe and debrief on sales activities, customer interactions, and on the spot coaching. Ensures audit controls are followed to protect the bank from any unnecessary risk or exposure. Serves as a communication link between retail and leadership to ensure the branches are informed and understands directives, bank performance, initiatives, and other information. Works with Bank leadership to strategically create and manage campaigns and initiatives. Educates branches about products and services offered through other lines of business. Focuses on enhancing customer relationships. Collaborates with other internal business partners through regular meetings and calls to provide solutions to customer needs and achieve sales targets. Establishes and maintains proper expense controls in order to stay within budget and explain any significant variances. Conducts employee performance reviews creating accountability through performance measurement against critical drivers, using the review process to build motivation and commitment.
   Skills and Abilities Ability to lead and motivate a team Excellent communication and people skills Strong commitment to customer service Ability to work under pressure and handle challenging situations Confidence, drive, and enthusiasm Leadership, management, and coaching skills Communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, across a variety of audiences Establish and maintain positive working relationships with others, both internally, and externally, to achieve the goals of the organization Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness Positively influence others to achieve results that are in the best interest of the organization Accurate typing skills; basic computer skills, including the use of word processing, spreadsheet software applications, and e-mail
   Education Bachelor's degree in marketing, Business Administration, or related degree; or equivalent experience required 8 years Previous banking experience required 3 years management experience required Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veterans. Richwood Bank is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find directors of retail sales 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 sales job on Zippia to find and recruit director of retail sales 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 sales, 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 sales

   Once you've found the director of retail sales candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new director of retail sales first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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