What does a director of sales and operations do?
Directors of Sales and Operations are executives who oversee the performance of the company. They set the strategic direction for the company's sales force. They also ensure that company operations run efficiently. Directors of Sales and operations are in charge of analyzing the sales data of the company. They identify areas for improvement and create strategies that will address these challenges. They would then ensure that the strategies are effective. In case the initial strategies did not produce the desired results, they are expected to change course and continue trying. They are also in charge of managing the operations of the company. They ensure that the company is properly equipped with the right tools to get the best value for their products and services.
Director of sales and operations responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of sales and operations resumes:
- 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.
- Identify and cultivate new alliances, through innovative RFP responses, cold calling, OEM partnerships and by managing existing alliances.
- Procure and lead initiative for electronic ordering using SaaS technology.
- Develop dashboard KPIs reporting and conduct sales performance reviews against strategic plans with corporate executive management.
- Develop and maintain relationships with OEM clients.
- Formalize and institutionalize all aspects of the sales process, including tracking and updating customers using SalesForce.com, or similar tool.
- Launch pioneer enterprise SaaS software solution as interdepartmental liaison.
- Develop referral network with local professionals and healthcare providers.
- Optimize company operations and increase quality of service by introducing CRM and office productivity tools.
- Establish proper alignment of resources to enhance profitability and customer experience through logistics, and supply chain solutions.
- Direct operations of a high-volume retail environment including sales, merchandising, inventory, payroll, and shipping/receiving.
- Hire and train administrative employees, perform accounting functions, design and implement compensation plans and administer payroll.
Director of sales and operations skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Directors Of Sales And Operations are proficient in Sales Operations, Analytics, and CRM. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Customer-service skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Sales And Operations that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Sales Operations, 11%
Directed all marketing and sales operations of a national outsource marketing company that provided alternative marketing avenues to Fortune 500 companies.
- Analytics, 8%
Promoted to transform organization to a data-driven culture using predictive analytics for prioritized prospecting and data analysis for territory planning.
- CRM, 7%
Simplified SFDC processes and control mechanisms which drove significant CRM usage increase and accuracy translating in improved business visibility and predictability
- Salesforce, 6%
Developed advanced reporting through the SalesForce ecosystem for tracking internal cases via closed loop.
- Sales Process, 4%
Drive forecast accuracy and predictability against bookings targets through improved sales process, system enhancements and total transparency with executive management.
- Business Operations, 4%
Developed Best Practices for more efficient business operations, as well as oversight of sales compensation management and sales incentive development.
"sales operations," "analytics," and "crm" are among the most common skills that directors of sales and operations use at work. You can find even more director of sales and operations responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a director of sales and operations to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "sales managers must collect and interpret complex data to target the most promising geographic areas and demographic groups, and determine the most effective sales strategies." Directors of sales and operations often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "analyzed metrics as leverage for management to effectively coach and develop sales reps."
Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling director of sales and operations duties is customer-service skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." According to a director of sales and operations resume, here's how directors of sales and operations can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "led direct sales and marketing teams to focus on company growth through new customers. "
Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of directors of sales and operations is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday director of sales and operations duties, as "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "worked with ceo, cfo, external audit and hr executive team on internal / external communications and payouts. "
Leadership skills. A big part of what directors of sales and operations do relies on "leadership skills." You can see how essential it is to director of sales and operations responsibilities because "sales managers must be able to evaluate how their sales staff performs and must develop strategies for meeting sales goals." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical director of sales and operations tasks: "key leadership role in the sap erp transition of acquisitions. "
The three companies that hire the most director of sales and operationss are:
Choose from 10+ customizable director of sales and operations resume templates
Build a professional director of sales and operations resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director of sales and operations resume.
Compare different directors of sales and operations
Director of sales and operations vs. National sales director
A national sales director is responsible for monitoring the sales targets and performance of the sales force across the country's regions. National sales directors handle the execution and release of goods and services according to market trends and public demands. They strategize on related business opportunities to identify additional resources that would increase the company's revenue and profitability. A national sales director conducts data and statistical analysis to determine pricing techniques, considering the availability of supplies and its market demands.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, director of sales and operations responsibilities require skills like "analytics," "business operations," "project management," and "kpis." Meanwhile a typical national sales director has skills in areas such as "healthcare," "sales targets," "market research," and "sales objectives." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
National sales directors tend to make the most money working in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $110,884. In contrast, directors of sales and operations make the biggest average salary, $140,719, in the professional industry.national sales directors tend to reach similar levels of education than directors of sales and operations. In fact, national sales directors are 2.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Director of sales and operations vs. Regional sales director
A regional sales director is responsible for monitoring sales quotas for a specific area or region, developing sales strategies, and adjusting existing techniques to increase revenues and achieve its profitability goals. Regional sales directors manage marketing campaigns, analyze current market trends to meet consumer demands, plan promotional events, handle employees' sales training programs, and coordinate with multiple sales teams to implement effective sales processes. A regional sales director must have excellent leadership and communication skills, especially managing customers' inquiries and concerns and resolving complaints.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that director of sales and operations responsibilities requires skills like "analytics," "business operations," "project management," and "kpis." But a regional sales director might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "regional sales," "healthcare," "patients," and "sales objectives."
Regional sales directors may earn a lower salary than directors of sales and operations, but regional sales directors earn the most pay in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $157,646. On the other hand, directors of sales and operations receive higher pay in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $140,719.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Regional sales directors tend to reach similar levels of education than directors of sales and operations. In fact, they're 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Directors of sales and operations in the next 3-5 years?
Bill Thorne
Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation
Director of sales and operations vs. Senior sales director
A senior sales director is in charge of spearheading and overseeing the sales operations in a company, prioritizing customer satisfaction and profit growth. Their responsibilities revolve around developing strategies to reach sales targets, devising and defining sales objectives, coordinating with fellow directors and managers, and creating extensive sales reports. Furthermore, as a senior sales director, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach sales goals, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, directors of sales and operations are more likely to have skills like "sales operations," "analytics," "business operations," and "project management." But a senior sales director is more likely to have skills like "digital transformation," "cloud," "product knowledge," and "marketing campaigns."
Senior sales directors earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $130,551. Directors of sales and operations earn the highest pay from the professional industry, with an average salary of $140,719.Most senior sales directors achieve a similar degree level compared to directors of sales and operations. For example, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of sales and operations vs. 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. Their objective is to meet or even exceed the sales or marketing standards set for a successful business operation. They manage brands, deploy sales, and distribute the channels of the company. Also, they oversee the internal operations of the organization to establish customer relationships.
Types of director of sales and operations
Updated January 8, 2025
