Free director job description templates by function: general, operations, marketing, finance, sales, and HR, with FLSA and salary guidance. Download DOCX.
6 free templates by function: general, operations, marketing, finance, sales, and HR, written for the hands-on director a growing company actually hires, with FLSA and salary guidance. Download as DOCX.
A director is a senior leader who owns a department or function and the team within it, turning company goals into a plan and owning the results. But the word covers very different jobs: a Director of Operations runs the business day to day, a Director of Marketing owns growth, a Director of Finance owns the numbers. At a growing company, the director is usually a hands-on player-coach, not a layer of bureaucracy, and the role is senior, salaried, and exempt.
These six templates cover the functional director roles a small company actually hires: general, operations, marketing, finance, sales, and HR. Each is written for the hands-on reality of a growing business, with the FLSA and salary guidance built in. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion, and FirstHR helps run the onboarding once a senior hire is made.
TL;DR
A director owns a department or function and its team: strategy, people, budget, and results. The title spans different jobs, so name the function (operations, marketing, finance, sales, HR). At a small company the director is a hands-on player-coach. It is a senior, salaried, exempt role, and pay varies by function, with BLS proxy medians from about $103k (operations) to $162k (finance, marketing). Download six free templates as DOCX.
What a Director Does
A director owns a department or function: setting its strategy, leading and developing its team, owning its budget and results, and reporting to the founder or senior leadership. The work is leadership and ownership, not individual execution, though at a small company a director does plenty of hands-on work too.
There is no single federal occupation for the title; the closest data comes from the management occupations the role maps onto, such as general and operations managers and the function-specific management occupations on O*NET. What stays constant across director roles is ownership of a function at a senior level; what changes is the function. Because the title spans operations, marketing, finance, sales, and HR, the templates on this page are split by function rather than offering one generic version.
Which Kind of Director?
Before writing anything, make sure you mean a corporate department director, because the word also covers a nonprofit executive director, a board director, and a film or theatre director, all different roles.
Functional / department director
What these templates cover
A senior leader who owns a department or function (operations, marketing, finance, sales, HR) and the team in it. The corporate, employer-side meaning these templates are built for.
Executive director (nonprofit)
Separate role and posting
The top staff leader of a nonprofit, closer to a CEO than a department head, often a player-coach at a small org. A distinct role; hire with an executive director job description, not this one.
Other meanings
Off-target for hiring
A board director (a governance position, usually unpaid or fee-based) and a film or theatre director are different roles entirely. If that is what you mean, this template does not fit.
Match the Posting to the Meaning
If the role leads a department or function inside a company, these functional director templates fit. If it leads a whole nonprofit, you want an executive director job description, a separate role. A board director is a governance position, and a film or theatre director is different entirely. Using the wrong meaning attracts the wrong candidates.
Director Duties and Responsibilities
Director duties cluster into four areas: strategy and direction, people and team, budget and results, and leadership and cross-function. A strong job description picks the responsibilities from each area that match the function, written at the ownership level rather than as a task list.
Strategy and direction
Set the strategy for the department
Translate company goals into plans
Define priorities and key results
People and team
Lead, manage, and develop the team
Hire, onboard, and evaluate staff
Build the function as it scales
Budget and results
Own the department budget
Own and report on key metrics
Drive execution on priorities
Leadership and cross-function
Partner with leadership and peers
Coordinate across departments
Report progress, risks, and results
The weighting shifts by function: a Director of Sales leans into revenue and quota, a Director of Finance into planning and reporting, an HR Director into people and compliance. For a structured way to scope any role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by function: general for any department, then the specific versions for operations, marketing, finance, sales, and HR. All six share the same senior-leadership skeleton, but the responsibilities differ enough by function that the matched version reads correctly to candidates. Use this guide to choose.
Director (General)
Any department
The universal version for any functional director: owns a department's strategy, team, budget, and results. The starting point if your function is not listed below.
Director of Operations
Highest SMB relevance
The classic second-in-command: runs day-to-day operations across the business so the founder can focus on growth. The most common director hire at a small company.
Director of Marketing
Growth and brand
Owns marketing strategy, demand generation, and brand, and turns marketing into pipeline and revenue. Often the first senior marketing hire.
Director of Finance
Financial planning
Owns financial planning, reporting, and budgeting, and gives leadership the numbers to decide. A growing company's first senior finance leader.
Director of Sales
Revenue and team
Leads the sales team, owns quota and pipeline, and builds a repeatable sales process. Note the base-plus-commission pay structure.
HR Director
People function
Owns HR strategy and operations across hiring, compliance, performance, and culture. Often a company's first senior people hire.
Match the Template to the Function
Any department, or a function not listed: Director (General). Running the business day to day: Director of Operations, the most common small-company director hire. Growth and brand: Director of Marketing. Planning and reporting: Director of Finance. Revenue and the sales team: Director of Sales (note the commission structure). The people function: HR Director. Every version is senior and exempt.
6 Free Director Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company context, a senior leadership summary, responsibilities by area, experience requirements, and a compensation note. Every template is framed for a hands-on director at a growing company. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
General director, operations, marketing, finance, sales, and HR director. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Director (General)
The universal version for any functional director: owns a department's strategy, team, budget, and results. The starting point if your function is not listed below.
Director Job Description (General)
DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Department: __ ([Operations / Marketing / etc.])
Location: __ [ ] On-site [ ] Hybrid [ ] Remote
Reports to: [Founder / CEO / VP]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive)
Compensation: $_____ base + [bonus] + [equity]
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[One or two sentences about your company, the department this director will lead,
and why the role exists now.]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Director to lead our [department / function]. You will
own the strategy and day-to-day leadership of the team, turn company goals into
an action plan, manage and develop the people in your department, and own the
results. This is a senior leadership role reporting to [the founder / CEO].
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Set and own the strategy for the [department / function]
•Translate company goals into department plans and priorities
•Lead, manage, and develop the team and its performance
•Own the department budget and key results
•Hire, onboard, and evaluate team members
•Partner with leadership and other departments
•Report progress, risks, and results to leadership
•Improve processes and scale the function as the company grows
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[7-10]+ years in [function], with leadership experience
•Track record of leading a team and owning results
•Strong strategic, people, and communication skills
•Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
•Experience scaling a function at a growing company a plus
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ base + [bonus] + [equity]
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 2: Director of Operations
The classic second-in-command: runs day-to-day operations across the business so the founder can focus on growth. The most common director hire at a small company.
Director of Operations Job Description
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __
Reports to: [Founder / CEO]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive)
Compensation: $_____ base + [bonus] + [equity]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Director of Operations to run the day-to-day business
and keep the company executing. Often the second-in-command at a growing company,
you will own operations across the business: processes, systems, vendors, and
cross-functional execution, freeing the founder to focus on strategy and growth.
This is a hands-on leadership role at a [size]-person company.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Own day-to-day operations across the business
•Build and improve processes, systems, and workflows
•Manage budgets, vendors, and operational metrics
•Lead and develop operations and cross-functional staff
•Drive execution on company priorities and projects
•Identify and remove bottlenecks as the company scales
•Partner closely with the founder or CEO
•Report on operational performance and risks
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[5-10]+ years in operations or general management
•Experience running operations at a small or growing company
•Strong process, systems, and people-leadership skills
•Comfortable being hands-on in a lean organization
•Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ base + [bonus] + [equity]
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Still Using Spreadsheets for Onboarding?
Automate documents, training assignments, task management, and track onboarding progress in real time.
Leads the sales team, owns quota and pipeline, and builds a repeatable sales process. Note the base-plus-commission pay structure.
Director of Sales Job Description
DIRECTOR OF SALES JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __
Reports to: [Founder / CEO / VP Sales]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive)
Compensation: $_____ base + commission / variable + [equity]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Director of Sales to lead our sales team and own
revenue. You will set the sales strategy, build and coach the team, own the
pipeline and quota, and put the process and systems in place to hit and exceed
targets. Often the leader who turns early, founder-led selling into a repeatable
sales function.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Own the sales strategy, targets, and forecast
•Build, lead, and coach the sales team
•Own pipeline, quota attainment, and revenue
•Build a repeatable sales process and playbook
•Manage the CRM, sales metrics, and reporting
•Partner with marketing on pipeline and with product on fit
•Hire, ramp, and develop sales reps
•Report results and forecast to leadership
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[6-10]+ years in sales, with team-leadership experience
•Track record of hitting and exceeding revenue targets
•Experience building or scaling a sales team
•Strong coaching, process, and CRM skills
•Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
COMPENSATION NOTE AND HOW TO APPLY
Sales leadership pay often combines base with commission or variable; total
compensation can run well above base. State the structure clearly.
Compensation: $_____ base + commission / variable + [equity]
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 6: HR Director
Owns HR strategy and operations across hiring, compliance, performance, and culture. Often a company's first senior people hire.
HR Director / Director of HR Job Description
HR DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __
Reports to: [Founder / CEO / COO]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive / administrative)
Compensation: $_____ base + [bonus]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring an HR Director to own our people function. You will lead
HR strategy and operations across hiring, onboarding, compliance, performance,
and culture, build the policies and systems a growing company needs, and serve as
the senior people leader. Often a company's first dedicated senior HR hire.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Own HR strategy, policy, and operations
•Lead hiring, onboarding, and employee lifecycle
•Ensure employment-law and HR compliance
•Build performance, compensation, and benefits programs
•Develop culture, engagement, and employee relations
•Advise leadership on people decisions and org design
•Manage HR systems, records, and reporting
•Build and scale the HR function as the company grows
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[7-10]+ years in HR, with leadership experience
•Strong knowledge of employment law and HR compliance
•Experience building HR at a growing company
•SHRM-CP/SCP or SPHR/PHR certification a plus
•Bachelor's degree in HR, business, or related field
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ base + [bonus]
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Director vs Manager vs VP, and the SMB Reality
Three things make a director posting land: getting the level right against manager and VP, writing for the hands-on small-company reality, and matching the functional template to the department. Here is what each means in practice.
Director versus manager versus VP: it is about scope, not just title
Job titles for leadership roles are not standardized, but the rough hierarchy is manager, then director, then vice president, then C-suite. A manager runs a team and its day-to-day work; a director owns a whole department or function, sets its strategy, and usually has managers or senior individual contributors reporting to them; a VP owns a larger area or several functions and sits closer to the executive team. At a small company the lines compress, and a director may do work that looks like a VP or even a department of one. The practical point for a posting is to define the scope, what the role owns, who reports to it, and what it is accountable for, rather than leaning on the title alone, because the same title means very different things at a ten-person company and a thousand-person one.
At a small company, the director is a player-coach, not a layer of bureaucracy
Most published director templates are written for large organizations, where a director sits atop a sizable department with multiple layers below. That is not the small-company reality. When a twenty-to-fifty-person company hires its first Director of Operations, Marketing, or Finance, that person is a hands-on player-coach: they set strategy and also do the work, often with a small team or none yet. Writing the posting as if the director will inherit a large department sets the wrong expectation and attracts the wrong candidate. The strongest small-company director postings are explicit that the role is hands-on, that the team is lean or still being built, and that the director reports directly to the founder. The templates here are written in that spirit so they fit a growing company rather than a corporate org chart.
Match the functional template to the department, and post it on its own
Director is an umbrella over very different jobs, and the most useful thing a posting can do is name the function. A Director of Operations runs the business day to day; a Director of Marketing owns growth and brand; a Director of Finance owns planning and reporting; a Director of Sales owns revenue and the sales team; an HR Director owns the people function. Each draws a different candidate pool and reads to candidates as a distinct role, which is why the functional templates here are separate rather than one generic description. Pick the one that matches the department you are building, use the general version only when your function is not listed, and write the responsibilities to that specific function rather than a catch-all.
For the wage-and-hour classification that applies to senior leadership roles, the exempt vs non-exempt guide covers the executive exemption that a director clears.
Requirements and Skills to Include
Requirements for a director center on years of leadership in the function, a track record of owning results, and the judgment to set direction, not a long tool list. The SHRM guide describes a good job description as a plain-language summary of a role's duties and requirements; for a senior role that means stating the function, the level of ownership, and the experience clearly. The difference shows in how the lines are written.
Weak requirement
Strong requirement
Leadership experience
7+ years leading a team in the function
Strategic thinker
Owned a department's strategy, budget, and results
Good with people
Hired, developed, and managed a team
Results-oriented
Track record of owning and hitting key metrics
Startup experience a plus
Built or scaled a function at a growing company
Set the bar at demonstrated ownership and leadership in the function, scale it to your company stage, and keep every line job-related and neutral. The EEOC rules on job advertisements prohibit postings that express preferences based on protected characteristics, so the demands of the role belong in the posting written as the job's requirements, not a sketch of the person imagined doing it.
Director Salary by Function
Director pay is high and varies sharply by function, because there is no single federal occupation for the title and it maps onto whichever management occupation applies. Anchor on the function-specific BLS proxy, recognize that national medians blend company sizes, then benchmark to your stage.
BLS Proxy Medians by Function (May 2024)
Director pay tracks the management occupation it maps to. May 2024 medians (BLS): operations near $102,950 (general and operations managers), finance about $161,700, marketing about $161,030, sales about $138,060, and HR about $140,030. These blend company sizes, so small-company directors often earn below them while still being well-paid, and total comp frequently adds bonus, equity, or commission.
For the broad reference point, the management occupations group had a median of about $122,090 in May 2024. National medians run higher than what many small companies pay, so a growing business should benchmark to its stage and market rather than the national figure, and state a realistic structure including base, bonus, and any equity. Sales leadership in particular adds commission or variable pay on top of base. National compensation surveys are a useful cross-reference for function and stage.
Is a Director Exempt From Overtime?
Yes, in nearly all cases. A director is a senior leadership role that clears the federal executive exemption by definition.
A Bona Fide Executive
A director generally qualifies as exempt under the FLSA executive exemption: paid on a salary basis at or above the federal threshold of $684 per week, with a primary duty of managing a department, customarily directing the work of two or more full-time employees, and hiring and firing authority or meaningful input. Director pay is well above the threshold, and the duties fit, so this is rarely a close call. Classification follows actual duties, not the title. This is general information, not legal advice.
The practical point for the posting is to classify the director as a salaried, exempt role and state it plainly. The federal salary threshold is $684 per week ($35,568 a year) after the 2024 rule was vacated, and every director salary is a multiple of that. The Fair Labor Standards Act overview explains how the exemption tests work, and employers should confirm any state-specific rules.
After You Hire: Onboarding a Director
Onboarding a director is a senior, high-stakes start: beyond the offer, the new leader needs a clear mandate, a place in the org chart, and the relationships to start leading quickly. Because a director has people reporting to them, the reporting structure matters from day one.
Send the executive offer
Confirm the title, base, bonus, and any equity in writing. An offer letter makes the compensation structure and exempt classification clear for a senior hire.
Place them in the org chart
A director, by definition, has people reporting to them. Slot the role into the reporting structure so the team and the new leader know the lines.
Align on the 30-60-90 mandate
Agree on the priorities and what good looks like in the first months, so a senior leader knows what they own from day one.
Onboard into the leadership team
Introduce the director to the founder, peers, and their own team, with the context to start leading and deciding quickly.
Once the offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the hire with the title, level, and compensation stated, and the onboarding template gives a structured first weeks. FirstHR connects the executive offer, e-signature, the org-chart and reporting structure, document storage, and onboarding workflow in one place, so a growing company can run a consistent process for a senior leader and slot them into the team. FirstHR is an HR and onboarding platform, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with those tools. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A director owns a department or function and its team: strategy, people, budget, and results, distinct from a manager below and a VP above.
The title spans different jobs, so name the function: general, operations, marketing, finance, sales, or HR.
At a small company the director is a hands-on player-coach, not a layer of bureaucracy; write the posting for that reality.
A director is a senior, salaried, exempt role; it clears the FLSA executive exemption and the $684-per-week federal threshold by a wide margin.
Pay varies sharply by function; BLS proxy medians run from about $103k (operations) to about $162k (finance and marketing), and blend company sizes.
A Director of Operations is usually the first such hire at a growing company; it is also distinct from a nonprofit executive director.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a director do?
A director is a senior leader who owns a department or function and the team within it. The director sets the strategy for the area, translates company goals into a department plan, leads and develops the team, owns the budget and key results, and reports to senior leadership or the founder. The exact work depends on the function: a Director of Operations runs the day-to-day business, a Director of Marketing owns growth and brand, a Director of Finance owns planning and reporting, a Director of Sales owns revenue and the sales team, and an HR Director owns the people function. At a small company the director is typically a hands-on player-coach who both sets direction and does the work, while at a large company the role sits atop a sizable department. Because the title spans very different jobs, a strong job description names the specific function and scope rather than using a generic description. This page includes general, operations, marketing, finance, sales, and HR director templates.
What is the difference between a director, a manager, and a VP?
The rough hierarchy is manager, then director, then vice president, then C-suite, though titles are not standardized across companies. A manager runs a team and its day-to-day work. A director owns an entire department or function, sets its strategy, and usually has managers or senior individual contributors reporting to them. A vice president owns a larger area or several functions and sits closer to the executive team. At a small company these lines compress, and a director may do work that looks like a VP, or lead a function that is still just themselves and a small team. The practical takeaway for hiring is to define the scope of the role, what it owns, who reports to it, and what it is accountable for, rather than relying on the title alone, because the same title means very different things at a ten-person company and a thousand-person one. Match the title to the level of ownership and the reporting structure you actually have.
What are a director's main responsibilities?
A director's responsibilities cluster into four areas. Strategy and direction: setting the strategy for the department, translating company goals into plans, and defining priorities and key results. People and team: leading, managing, and developing the team, hiring and evaluating staff, and building the function as it scales. Budget and results: owning the department budget, owning and reporting on key metrics, and driving execution on priorities. Leadership and cross-function: partnering with leadership and peers, coordinating across departments, and reporting progress, risks, and results. The weighting shifts by function, a Director of Sales leans on revenue and quota while a Director of Finance leans on planning and reporting, so a strong job description picks the responsibilities that match the specific function and writes them at the ownership level, what the director is accountable for, rather than a list of tasks.
Is a director exempt or non-exempt from overtime?
A director is almost always exempt from overtime. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the executive exemption applies when the employee is paid on a salary basis at or above the federal threshold, their primary duty is managing a department or the enterprise, they customarily and regularly direct the work of at least two full-time employees, and they have hiring and firing authority or meaningful input into it. A director role meets these tests by definition, since directing a department and its people is the core of the job, and director compensation is well above the federal salary threshold of $684 per week. The administrative exemption can also apply to some director roles. Because the role clearly satisfies both the salary and duties tests, a director is properly classified as a salaried, exempt position. As always, classification follows the actual duties and pay rather than the title, and employers should confirm the analysis and any state-specific rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a director make?
Director pay is high and varies sharply by function, since the Bureau of Labor Statistics has no single director occupation and the title maps onto whichever management occupation applies. Using May 2024 BLS medians for the proxy occupations: a Director of Operations maps to general and operations managers at about $102,950; a Director of Finance to financial managers at about $161,700; a Director of Marketing to marketing managers at about $161,030; a Director of Sales to sales managers at about $138,060; an HR Director to human resources managers at about $140,030; and a Director of Engineering to engineering or computer-and-information-systems managers at roughly $167,000 to $171,000. These national medians blend company sizes, so directors at small companies often earn below them while still being well-compensated, and total compensation frequently includes bonus or equity, with sales leadership adding commission. For a posting, benchmark to your function, company stage, and market, and state a realistic structure. National compensation surveys are a useful cross-reference. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do small businesses and startups hire directors, and how is the role different?
Yes, though the role looks different than at a large company. A small or growing business, often in the twenty-to-fifty-employee range, hires its first functional director, most commonly a Director of Operations, when the founder can no longer run everything alone. At that size the director is a hands-on player-coach who both sets strategy and does the work, frequently with a small team or none yet, rather than sitting atop a large department. Writing the posting as if the director will inherit a big organization sets the wrong expectation, so the strongest small-company director postings are explicit that the role is hands-on, the team is lean or still being built, and the director reports directly to the founder. The templates on this page are written in that spirit. A Director of Operations is usually the first such hire because the role frees the founder to focus on strategy and growth, with marketing, finance, sales, and HR directors following as the company scales.
What is the difference between a director and an executive director?
They are different roles despite the shared word. A functional or department director, the role these templates cover, leads a single department or function such as operations, marketing, or finance within a company and reports to senior leadership. An executive director is the top staff leader of a nonprofit organization, closer to a CEO than a department head, responsible for the whole organization, its mission, staff, fundraising, and board relationship. At a small nonprofit the executive director is often a player-coach who runs the organization end to end. The two roles call for different job descriptions, different candidate pools, and different framing, so if you are hiring the head of a nonprofit you want an executive director job description rather than this functional director template. Note also the board director, a governance role on a board, which is different again and usually unpaid or fee-based. Match the posting to the specific role you mean. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a director job description include?
A strong director job description names the function first, since general, operations, marketing, finance, sales, and HR directors are different roles that draw different candidates. It should state the reporting line and a summary that frames the role's ownership and scope, and, for a small company, make clear that the role is hands-on and the team is lean. Group the responsibilities into strategy and direction, people and team, budget and results, and leadership and cross-function, and set the experience bar to the level. Because a director is a senior, exempt role, state the FLSA classification and a realistic compensation structure with base, bonus, and any equity, and for sales note the commission or variable component. Distinguish the role clearly from a manager below it and a VP above it, and from a nonprofit executive director. Close with an equal opportunity statement and clear application instructions. Matching the function and scope to the actual need is what separates a sharp posting from a generic one. This is general information, not legal advice.
