How to hire a head operator

How to hire a head operator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step head operator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a head operator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new head operator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a head operator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a head operator, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A head operator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, head operators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of head operators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Head Operator	Description	Hourly rate
   Head Operator	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$37-116
   Managing Director	A Managing Director oversees workflow and progress, making sure that all operations align within the company or organization's mission or set of goals. They are responsible for crafting strategies, devising effective business plans, and executing guidelines that would nurture a company's growth, and as well as to be the driving force that would direct employees to the company's objectives... Show more	$34-112
   District Director	A district director is an executive professional who is responsible for managing staff members of an organization in a particular district. This director is required to conduct store visits to ensure that store employees are following store procedures and maintain inventory levels... Show more	$27-82

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Analytics
   • Customer Service
   • Project Management
   • Oversight
   • Continuous Improvement
   • KPIs
   • Infrastructure
   • Business Operations
   • Service Delivery
   • Risk Management
   • Logistics
   • Calipers
   • Direct Reports
   • Product Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all social media outlets (Facebook.
   • Lead the road-map to SaaS offering and implement DevOps.
   • Manage technology build out of new office space and data center facilities for Americas.
   • Manage all purchase orders, inventory, A/P, A/R, payroll, and all credit card forms.
   • Manage all security and compliance relate items including SOX, HIPAA, internal controls, and FDA validation requirements.
   • Design and implement disaster recovery in the cloud and manage routine maintenance of the cloud environment and business relationship.

   More head operator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your head operator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A head operator salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a head operator in Missouri may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level head operator usually earns less than a senior-level head operator. Additionally, a head operator with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average head operator salary

   $138,787yearly

   $66.72 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level head operator salary

   $79,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average head operator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Rhode Island	$168,040	$81
   2	California	$155,713	$75
   3	Massachusetts	$151,215	$73
   4	Connecticut	$142,226	$68
   5	District of Columbia	$136,857	$66
   6	New York	$136,200	$65
   7	New Jersey	$134,130	$64
   8	Washington	$128,845	$62
   9	Oregon	$114,645	$55
   10	Pennsylvania	$114,446	$55
   11	Colorado	$109,650	$53
   12	Texas	$106,553	$51
   13	Florida	$95,860	$46
   14	Arizona	$95,591	$46
   15	Virginia	$91,452	$44
   16	Illinois	$83,746	$40
   17	Ohio	$79,313	$38
   18	North Carolina	$76,238	$37
   19	Nebraska	$72,647	$35
   20	Hawaii	$69,929	$34

   Average head operator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	McKinsey & Company Inc	$206,230	$99.15
   2	Meta	$200,492	$96.39	113
   3	Airbnb	$195,998	$94.23	2
   4	Lyft	$194,117	$93.33	3
   5	Google	$187,425	$90.11	78
   6	Brex	$186,251	$89.54	3
   7	Zoetis	$183,125	$88.04	2
   8	Apple	$182,727	$87.85	34
   9	Fiverr	$181,371	$87.20
   10	Twitter	$181,312	$87.17	1
   11	Asana	$181,001	$87.02	4
   12	Biogen	$177,617	$85.39	17
   13	Gaia	$177,494	$85.33	1
   14	Sprinklr	$177,319	$85.25
   15	SADA	$175,602	$84.42
   16	Flexport	$175,039	$84.15	9
   17	Netflix	$174,767	$84.02	12
   18	Bain & Company	$174,216	$83.76	1
   19	Gilead Sciences	$169,520	$81.50	77
   20	Ampere	$168,607	$81.06

4. Writing a head operator job description

   A job description for a head operator role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a head operator job description:

   Head operator job description example

   • Ph.D. in Sciences or Engineering
   • 3-6+ years of experience working in or serving the life sciences industry required, which may include management/strategy consulting or private equity experience
   • Excellent communication skills and strong ability to influence stakeholders
   • Willingness to work hard and take direction, ownership, and accountability for work-but also creatively solve problems
   • Ability to both influence key stakeholders as well as drive for decisions and outcomes when necessary
   • Able to thrive in a highly dynamic, fast-paced, continuously changing environment with minimal oversight/direction

   Location: Cambridge, MA

   More About Flagship Pioneering

   Flagship Pioneering conceives, creates, resources, and develops first-in-category life sciences companies to transform human health and sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, the firm has, through its Flagship Labs unit, applied its unique hypothesis-driven innovation process to originate and foster more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in over $50B in aggregate value. To date, Flagship has deployed over $2.2B in capital toward the founding and growth of its pioneering companies alongside more than $18B of follow-on investments from other institutions. The current Flagship ecosystem comprises 41 transformative companies, including Axcella Health (NASDAQ: AXLA), Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI), Evelo Biosciences (NASDAQ: EVLO), Foghorn Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FHTX), Indigo Ag, Kaleido Biosciences (NASDAQ: KLDO), Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Rubius Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RUBY), Sana Biotechnology, Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MCRB), and Sigilon Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SGTX).

   Flagship Pioneering and our ecosystem companies are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. Recruitment & Staffing Agencies : Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering's internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right head operator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with head operators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit head operators who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your head operator job on Zippia to find and recruit head operator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting head operators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new head operator

   Once you've decided on a perfect head operator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new head operator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a head operator?