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What is a director of sales and operations and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted expert
Bill Thorne
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A director of sales and operations is an individual responsible for overseeing the sales and operational activities of a company. This person is typically in charge of managing the sales team, developing sales strategies, monitoring customer satisfaction, and improving operational efficiency. They work closely with other departments within the company, such as marketing and finance. A director of sales and operations is also responsible for analyzing market trends and staying up-to-date with industry developments.

What general advice would you give to a director of sales and operations?

Bill ThorneBill Thorne LinkedIn profile

Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation

Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the country, directly employing 32 million people and supporting 52 million jobs overall - roughly one-quarter of the U.S. workforce. While COVID-19 has presented new and unexpected challenges, retailers have continued to showcase the industry's resilience and adaptability time and again. The safety and security of customers and employees remains our greatest priority. It is no doubt that the professional environment has changed this year, but retail continues to offer a plethora of career opportunities for graduates and seasoned veterans alike.
ScoreDirector Of Sales And OperationsUS Average
Salary
8.6

Avg. Salary $138,898

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 4.07%

Black or African American 3.24%

Hispanic or Latino 9.82%

Unknown 4.41%

White 78.23%

Gender

female 26.71%

male 73.29%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress level
6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a director of sales and operations?

Pros

  • High earning potential

  • Opportunity to lead a team

  • Ability to make strategic decisions

  • Influence on company growth

  • Chance to network and build relationships with clients

Cons

  • Long hours and high pressure

  • Constant need to meet sales targets

  • Need to handle conflict and difficult conversations

  • Balancing short-term sales with long-term strategic planning

  • High level of responsibility for the success or failure of the team and company

Director of sales and operations career paths

Key steps to become a director of sales and operations

  1. Explore director of sales and operations education requirements

    Most common director of sales and operations degrees

    Bachelor's

    75.8 %

    Master's

    12.3 %

    Associate

    8.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific director of sales and operations skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Sales Operations11.00%
    Analytics8.27%
    CRM7.43%
    Salesforce6.25%
    Sales Process4.15%
  3. Complete relevant director of sales and operations training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of sales and operations learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director of sales and operations based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of sales and operations resumes.
  4. Research director of sales and operations duties and responsibilities

    • Lead facility project development for the nation's largest healthcare design/build company.
    • Implement an ERP system to manage scheduling, quoting, time cards and inventory management for the business.
    • Lead efforts in winning a highly competitive RFP, resulting in securing the company's largest affinity partner.
    • Develop new market capabilities for vendor manage inventory within the OEM customer base driving $200k growth within 1st year.
  5. Get director of sales and operations experience

    Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a director of sales and operations. The most common roles before becoming a director of sales and operations include director of sales, sales manager team lead and general manager.
  6. Prepare your director of sales and operations resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of sales and operations resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director of sales and operations resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable director of sales and operations resume templates

    Build a professional director of sales and operations resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director of sales and operations resume.
    Director Of Sales And Operations Resume
    Director Of Sales And Operations Resume
    Director Of Sales And Operations Resume
    Director Of Sales And Operations Resume
    Director Of Sales And Operations Resume
    Director Of Sales And Operations Resume
    Director Of Sales And Operations Resume
    Director Of Sales And Operations Resume
    Director Of Sales And Operations Resume
  7. Apply for director of sales and operations jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a director of sales and operations job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first director of sales and operations job

Zippi

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Average director of sales and operations salary

The average director of sales and operations salary in the United States is $138,898 per year or $67 per hour. Director of sales and operations salaries range between $101,000 and $189,000 per year.

Average director of sales and operations salary
$138,898 Yearly
$66.78 hourly

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How do directors of sales and operations rate their job?

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Director of sales and operations reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

Motivating people and helping to create success in each person's day. Honor God serve people in rich people's lives, pursue excellence in service.

Cons

Not enough time in each day to get everything accomplished.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

Coming in contact with people, motivating staff, making the numbers, profitability for everyone

Cons

I like everything


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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

Working and meeting new people. Helping customers with their purchases. Helping employees better themselves and their sales processes.

Cons

Nothing


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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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