When a recruiter looks at a Director of Operations resume, they aren’t just looking for anybody–they’re looking for their next leader.
Since this role is fundamental to a company's success, the hiring manager will be very careful about who they choose. You need a resume capable of instilling confidence and impressing the recruiter.
In this Director of Operations resume guide, we’ll show you how to prove that you’re the one for the role.
What you’ll learn here
- How to write the best resume summary that gets you hired
- The best practices for proving your accomplishments
- Why it’s important to list your technical and soft skills
- See the difference between right and wrong resumes
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How to write a director of operations resume
As a Director of Operations, you’re responsible for everything from budgeting and negotiations to employee satisfaction and making sure company goals are achieved.
Your resume needs to show that you’ve done this all before.
A Director of Operations is a leader with sharp decision-making skills, and someone who directs all aspects of business down the right path.
They need to know how to improve systems, delegate, boost profits, as well as build and maintain positive relationships and encourage efficient communication.
First and foremost, the hiring manager wants to see expertise in your specific industry.
Do you know the ins and outs of your professional field?
Give details and examples of your knowledge in your summary and experience sections.
Backup your claims with real numbers and data. This stands out against the other applicants and validates your credibility.
Always check the job description and mirror their requirements with what you include on your resume. This is what recruiters are looking for.
The most important sections in a director of operations resume
- Resume header that is error-free and informative
- A summary that catches the attention of the hiring manager
- Experience section that appeals to the company's needs
- Education section to show your qualifications
- A combination of soft and technical skills relevant to your industry
Here's what recruiters are looking out for in your resume
- At least 5-10 years of managerial experience
- Evidence of successful team management and leadership
- Strong technical background in your specific field
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
- Ability to build strong relationships with the team and stakeholders
Tips for writing a director of operations resume header
Most people are too basic with their resume header. Don’t make a poor first impression! This is the first thing recruiters will see.
This is what a less than impressive resume header looks like:
2 director of operations resume header examples
This doesn’t cut it. The example is missing vital information, like a phone number and links to professional sites.
Secondly, this header is too general and doesn’t immediately paint you into the picture as their ideal candidate.
Let’s improve it.
Now this is a header that speaks up!
It leaves nothing unsaid:
- The area of expertise is clearer – specifically stated as a “Director of Payment Operations”.
- It offers multiple options for contact: phone and email.
- Adding the LinkedIn URL welcomes the recruiter to dig further.
How to write the best director of operations summary.
Why should the recruiter read your entire resume if they aren’t impressed right away? Your resume summary is the first impression they’ll get. If their interest isn’t piqued, then they’ll likely skip your resume to save time. That's why a solid, and to the point summary is essential.
A Director of Operations summary should include:
- Total years of experience
- Specific industry knowledge
- Highlights of career achievements (examples of increasing profits, reducing margins, size of your team)
Take a look at some wrong and right summary examples:
2 director of operations resume summary examples
This example isn’t eye catching or impressive. Here's why:
- This summary doesn’t include the number of years of experience.
- The industry is not specified anywhere in this summary. It’s too generic.
- There are no specific highlights or figures of solid, measurable achievement.
Now for a better example.
This summary is outstanding! It has all the information recruiters are looking for, including:
- The amount of time spent in a managerial role within a specific industry.
- Clear figures proving specific achievements and accomplishments.
- Shows ability to innovate and implement operational improvements.
Director of operations experience: best practices
As the experience section is the most important part of the resume, you’re going to want to get it right. This means including specifics like achievements within previous roles, times when you’ve successfully implemented a new strategy, or innovated a new system for growth.
Take a look at the job description and share your experiences that directly or closely relate to the responsibilities and expectations that have been listed.
For example, if you’re applying for the Director of Operations role at a hotel, they might be looking for someone who makes sure property policies are administered fairly and consistently. If you have this experience, include it on your resume.
Here are some examples:
Director of operations resume experience examples
05/2004 - 11/2016 
- •Managed staff from valet to room service
- •Enforced company values
- •Ensured employees were treated fairly
- •Focused on guest satisfaction
This is unconvincing. Only stating job requirements doesn’t prove anything about your personal impact in your previous job.
Let’s look at what a superior job description section looks like.
05/2004 - 11/2016 - •Developed a feedback loop system amongst the staff to ensure understanding of guest satisfaction, resulting in a 40% rating increase.
- •Employed an open door policy, and solicited employee feedback to ensure that employee problems were recognized and addressed, reducing employee turnaround by 15%.
- •Surpassed yearly revenue goals by $500,000.
- •Managed a team of 25+ hotel employees, and encouraged active communication between departments, increasing efficiency by 10%.
This is a much stronger example because the candidate proves their success with real data and eye-catching numbers. That’s how to win the confidence of recruiters.
Director of Operations Skills: Showing off Your Arsenal
A Director of Operations role requires both technical skills and soft skills. The technical skills will vary depending on your specific industry – tech, hospitality, services, etc.
For example, a Director of Operations for a marketing agency will have technical skills around marketing (SEO, advertising, and sales). A Director of Operations for an airline will have technical skills in airline operations, GDS, commercial interline agreements and so on.
So, first and foremost, relay your technical skills related to your field in your resume’s skills section.
How to list tech skills on your resume
5 Technical Skills to Include on a Director of Operations Resume
- Technical skills relevant to your specific industry
- Data processing and organization
- Automation of business processes
- Product development
- Proficient in Google Drive, MS Suite
How to describe soft skills on your resume
You may have all the technical skills in the world, but without the necessary soft skills the company could fall apart. These are the skills that keep things chugging smoothly along.
Managing large teams requires strong communication, interpersonal and delegation skills – to name only a few. If company processes aren’t as efficient as can be, then profits could suffer.
Below you will find a list of important soft skills that you’ll need when applying for the Director of Operations role.
19 soft skills to include on a director of operations resume
- Leadership skills
- Risk analysis
- Budget management
- Staff management
- Strategic planning
- Interpersonal skills
- Organizational skills
- Decision-making skills
- Communication skills
- Time management
- Adaptability
- Delegation
- Developing and training employees
- Hiring the right people
- Make sure employee satisfaction is high
- Quality assurance
- Working with stakeholders
- Customer-oriented skills
- Problem-solving
Does your director of operations resume need an education section?
It’s important to include an education section in your resume, but since this is an executive level role, it’s your experience that really matters. There’s no need to elaborate too much, aside from the basics:
- University name
- Degree and major
- Years completed
Many people in a Director of Operations role have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Some even have an MBA. A specific company may require certain qualifications, so check the job description for the specifics, and mirror your resume to match.
Key takeaways: director of operations resume must haves
- Include a link to your LinkedIn account, and all relevant contact information.
- Highlight real numbers and data to back up the impact from your experience.
- Mirror your experience with the job description.
- Emphasize your leadership, interpersonal and organizational skills.
