Director, technical operations vs operations manager

The differences between directors, technical operations and operations managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director, technical operations and an operations manager. Additionally, a director, technical operations has an average salary of $141,158, which is higher than the $76,894 average annual salary of an operations manager.

The top three skills for a director, technical operations include project management, cloud and network infrastructure. The most important skills for an operations manager are customer service, logistics, and continuous improvement.

Director, technical operations vs operations manager overview

	Director, Technical Operations	Operations Manager
Yearly salary	$141,158	$76,894
Hourly rate	$67.86	$36.97
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	166,100	343,868
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a director, technical operations do?

A director of technical operations is in charge of spearheading the efforts in optimizing business operations. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to determine the best operational practices, setting goals and objectives, allocating budgets, coordinating different departments, and evaluating the performance of technicians and engineers. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to serve as a driving force that leads and encourages the workforce to meet goals and new heights, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does an operations manager do?

Operations managers are in charge of running the main business of the organization. They ensure that the business is running smoothly from an operations standpoint. They make sure that the processes in place produce the necessary output by implementing quality control measures. They also manage finances and ensure that there is enough budget to keep the operations of the business running. They also ensure that the production of goods or services is cost-efficient. Operations managers also handle people-related concerns. They are responsible for interviewing candidates, choosing the ones to hire, and ensuring that individuals assigned to operations are properly trained.

Director, technical operations vs operations manager salary

Directors, technical operations and operations managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director, Technical Operations	Operations Manager
Average salary	$141,158	$76,894
Salary range	Between $98,000 And $201,000	Between $47,000 And $123,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	Delaware
Best paying company	Brookfield Properties	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between director, technical operations and operations manager education

There are a few differences between a director, technical operations and an operations manager in terms of educational background:

	Director, Technical Operations	Operations Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Director, technical operations vs operations manager demographics

Here are the differences between directors, technical operations' and operations managers' demographics:

	Director, Technical Operations	Operations Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0%	Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between director, technical operations and operations manager duties and responsibilities

Director, technical operations example responsibilities.

Manage global MPLS network provider and new installations.
Manage cloud-base, IAAS, or outsource relationships relate to business systems
Implement and manage SAN storage system and other large storage volumes creation and maintenance.
Manage construction managers, RF managers, and operations to coordinate successful project completions.
Lead the development, manufacturing and delivery of Linux backup appliance storage server solution for small business customers.
Define, document, and enforce guidelines regarding SOX compliance, pertinent to operational functions for all manage areas.

Operations manager example responsibilities.

Manage and lead operations that include performance management, organizational development, employment compliance, employee relations, payroll management.
Manage 2HVAC system retrofit replacement teams.
Manage all invoices, A/P, A/R and other accounting duties.
Manage computer operation teams supporting propriety and DoD programs at the Lewisville site.
Manage 45 person division and day to day operations of scheduling, communications, A/R, A/P and customer care.
Manage the export booking and documentation department ensuring smooth on-time delivery.

Director, technical operations vs operations manager skills

Common director, technical operations skills

Project Management, 10%
Cloud, 6%
Network Infrastructure, 5%
Architecture, 5%
Windows, 4%
SAN, 4%

Common operations manager skills

Customer Service, 23%
Logistics, 7%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Project Management, 4%
Process Improvement, 4%

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Director, Technical Operations
Director, Technical Operations vs Operations Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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