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

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Eric Olsen
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The position of regional operations director is mostly seen in large multinational organizations. This individual is responsible for the operations in a given region. A region could refer to a few states within a country, an entire country, or a continent.

Even though this job sounds tedious, it may not necessarily be. Each of the organization's branches has managers that run the daily operations. The regional director of operations only acts in a supervisory capacity. This would include supervising performance, rewarding success, and investigating branches with substandard performance.

A regional operations director needs remarkable leadership skills to manage these numerous subordinates. They also have excellent time management skills, as the job may require regular visits to various branches across different regions.

To become a regional operations manager, you'll need advanced degrees like an MBA or masters in your chosen specialty. You'll also need 8+ years of job experience.

What general advice would you give to a regional 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.
ScoreRegional Director Of OperationsUS Average
Salary
8.0

Avg. Salary $115,156

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 6.36%

Black or African American 6.17%

Hispanic or Latino 15.16%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.50%

Gender

female 28.81%

male 71.19%

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

Regional director of operations career paths

Key steps to become a regional director of operations

  1. Explore regional director of operations education requirements

    Most common regional director of operations degrees

    Bachelor's

    66.5 %

    Master's

    16.4 %

    Associate

    11.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific regional director of operations skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Healthcare12.73%
    Customer Service10.92%
    Patients8.91%
    Oversight5.93%
    Patient Care5.58%
  3. Complete relevant regional director of operations training and internships

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

    Regional director of 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 regional director of operations certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for regional directors of operations include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Certified Dietary Manager (CDM).

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

    • Lead strategic alliance with regulatory agencies JCAHO, AAAHC and CMS.
    • Manage and accountable for regional budgets and the approval of payroll and expenses.
    • Create RFP's and manage outsource companies for all aspects of company needs.
    • Manage operational functions including payroll and district invoicing, and the reporting of each.
  6. Get regional director of operations experience

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

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

    Build a professional regional 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 regional director of operations resume.
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    Regional Director Of Operations Resume
  8. Apply for regional director of operations jobs

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

Zippi

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Average regional director of operations salary

The average regional director of operations salary in the United States is $115,156 per year or $55 per hour. Regional director of operations salaries range between $77,000 and $171,000 per year.

Average regional director of operations salary
$115,156 Yearly
$55.36 hourly

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Regional 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.


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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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