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What is an executive director of operations and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Eric Olsen
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An executive director of operations is responsible for participating in the hiring and training of departmental managers. They oversee and manage the company's or organization's day-to-day operations necessary for business success and growth. They may also supervise staff from different departments and provide constructive feedback.

An executive director of operations primarily ensures that the organizations they work for are managed and are performing efficiently and effectively. They implement policies that improve day-to-day operations and lead coordination and integration of the operations, engineering, technology, and customer service divisions. Executive directors of operations also work to project a positive image of the organization to employees, customers, industry, and community.

An average executive director of operations holds a bachelor's or master's degree in business, or a similar field, and some years of experience as a director of operations. Since it is a high-ranking role, executive directors of operations are expected to have in-depth knowledge of the industry's legal rules and guidelines.

What general advice would you give to an executive director of 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.
ScoreExecutive Director Of OperationsUS Average
Salary
8.4

Avg. Salary $131,945

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 6.41%

Black or African American 6.23%

Hispanic or Latino 15.37%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.17%

Gender

female 35.89%

male 64.11%

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

Executive director of operations career paths

Key steps to become an executive director of operations

  1. Explore executive director of operations education requirements

    Most common executive director of operations degrees

    Bachelor's

    63.0 %

    Master's

    19.6 %

    Associate

    9.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific executive director of operations skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Operations Management12.61%
    Customer Satisfaction8.31%
    Financial Management7.56%
    Oversight6.65%
    Medicare6.55%
  3. Complete relevant executive director of operations training and internships

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

    • Finance and billing accountability across Medicaid, manage care commercial insurance, insurance verification, contract management, and benefits administration.
    • Design, implementation and parental oversight of local operational policies and processes.
    • Assure high-level supply chain management for distribution logistics purposes and direct clientele relations.
    • Advance to increasingly responsible positions, culminating in management role with oversight of company operations.
  5. Get executive director of operations experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become an executive director of operations. The most common roles before becoming an executive director of operations include executive director, operations director team lead and executive chef.
  6. Prepare your executive director of operations resume

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

    Build a professional executive director of 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 executive director of operations resume.
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    Executive Director Of Operations Resume
    Executive Director Of Operations Resume
    Executive Director Of Operations Resume
  7. Apply for executive director of operations jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an executive director of 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 executive director of operations job

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Average executive director of operations salary

The average executive director of operations salary in the United States is $131,945 per year or $63 per hour. Executive director of operations salaries range between $85,000 and $203,000 per year.

Average executive director of operations salary
$131,945 Yearly
$63.44 hourly

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How do executive directors of operations rate their job?

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Executive director of operations reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Pros

It provides me an opportunity to actively employ my passion for a leadership, while taking ideas from other people, above my position and developing leaders that work in my group. I have taught many classes in Customer Service, Communications Skills, Leadership and many others, for the State of NH, Federal Government and colleges and universities, including Entrepreneurship, for SNHU.

Cons

Being restricted to working with a smaller group, than might need Leadership training and coaching.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020
Pros

Working with teams, creating and sustaining service delivery systems, variety of tasks and projects, making it happen.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

My Experiencia and Knowledge

Cons

Antigienic people, irresponsible people, lazy employees


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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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