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

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

As a director of service and operations, you must ensure that all operations in an organization run well. You are in charge of managing all services and operations and making corrections when needed. Your aim is to make sure all services and operations activities keep improving by creating goals, supervising all activities to ensure that the goals are being met, making corrections, and increasing work efficiency. You will also be in charge of budgeting for activities to increase cost efficiency, supervision of employee training, and policy update.

You must have exceptional management skills, communication skills, organization skills, and leadership skills for this role. You must also be a problem solver, strategic thinker, and experience in this line of work is very important. You need to have a bachelor's degree in business, management, or any other related course. Most directors of service and operations earn an average of $125,054 per year.

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

Eric OlsenEric Olsen LinkedIn profile

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

Times of change are also times of great opportunities. We are going to need new technical solutions to address problems we are just learning about. You have to lean into the issues. Don't be a technologist - be a problem solver. That is why we also emphasize soft skills like lean six sigma, teamwork, and change management.
ScoreDirector Of Service And OperationsUS Average
Salary
8.3

Avg. Salary $126,032

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.35%

Black or African American 6.17%

Hispanic or Latino 15.14%

Unknown 4.33%

White 67.54%

Gender

female 32.49%

male 67.51%

Age - 44
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 - 44
Stress level
9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Director of service and operations career paths

Key steps to become a director of service and operations

  1. Explore director of service and operations education requirements

    Most common director of service and operations degrees

    Bachelor's

    66.8 %

    Master's

    18.2 %

    Associate

    10.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific director of service and operations skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Continuous Improvement12.36%
    Oversight5.84%
    ITIL5.82%
    Customer Support5.79%
    Executive Management4.86%
  3. Complete relevant director of service and operations training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of service 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 service and operations based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of service and operations resumes.
  4. Gain additional director of service and operations certifications

    Director of service and operations certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific director of service and operations certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for directors of service and operations include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma Green Belt.

    More About Certifications
  5. Research director of service and operations duties and responsibilities

    • Finance and billing accountability across Medicaid, manage care commercial insurance, insurance verification, contract management, and benefits administration.
    • Head management responsible for building all distribution and logistics for NantHealth develop and distribute products.
    • Collaborate with non-profit organizations across the country, consulting on logistics and feasibility of incorporating PHS business model.
    • Provide leadership and budgetary oversight to department providing professional support services for the development of high quality educational assessments.
  6. Get director of service and operations experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a director of service and operations. The most common roles before becoming a director of service and operations include operations manager, operations director team lead and general manager.
  7. Prepare your director of service and operations resume

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

    Build a professional director of service 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 service and operations resume.
    Director Of Service And Operations Resume
    Director Of Service And Operations Resume
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    Director Of Service And Operations Resume
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    Director Of Service And Operations Resume
    Director Of Service And Operations Resume
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    Director Of Service And Operations Resume
  8. Apply for director of service and operations jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a director of service 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 service and operations job

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Average director of service and operations salary

The average director of service and operations salary in the United States is $126,032 per year or $61 per hour. Director of service and operations salaries range between $87,000 and $180,000 per year.

Average director of service and operations salary
$126,032 Yearly
$60.59 hourly

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Director of service and operations reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Cons

I am responsible for everything be it any side of the business


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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

The impact that this role can have in the organization, and the high responsabilities

Cons

People under you might not like you


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

I love being able to mold my team and the distribution center to the culture of respect and accountability! Having senior and executive leadership support is a huge positive factor in making this happen!!

Cons

Long hours and calls outside of regular business hours are the norm!


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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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