Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Regional Director of Operations

🎯 Role Definition

The Regional Director of Operations is a senior operations leader responsible for driving operational excellence, delivering profitable growth, and ensuring consistent execution across a cluster of sites or territories. This role partners with commercial, finance, HR, safety, and supply chain teams to translate corporate strategy into measurable results, manage P&L performance, optimize processes, and develop high-performing multi-site teams. The ideal candidate balances strategic planning with hands-on execution, uses data to drive decisions, and champions continuous improvement and customer experience.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Area Manager / District Manager with progressive multi-site responsibility
Operations Manager / Senior Operations Manager with P&L exposure
Director of Store Operations or Director of Field Operations

Advancement To:

Vice President of Operations
Senior Director of Operations, National Operations Lead
Chief Operating Officer (in smaller to mid-market companies)

Lateral Moves:

Regional General Manager (multi-product lines)
Director of Supply Chain / Distribution Operations
Director of Customer Experience / Field Services

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Own full P&L responsibility for the region, including revenue forecasting, margin protection, cost control, and monthly/quarterly financial reporting to corporate leadership; deliver against growth and profitability targets.
Develop and execute a multi-year regional operations strategy aligned to corporate priorities that improves customer experience, reduces operating costs, and scales best practices across sites.
Lead, mentor, and grow a matrixed team of district managers, site managers, and operations supervisors—set clear goals, conduct regular performance reviews, and build succession plans to ensure bench strength.
Drive operational consistency across all sites by standardizing processes, KPIs, SOPs, and metrics dashboards; ensure consistent execution of service delivery and brand standards.
Implement data-driven decision making using operational KPIs (e.g., revenue per available resource, utilization, average handle time, on-time delivery, safety incidents) and present actionable insights to stakeholders.
Manage headcount planning and labor optimization across the region to balance service levels with profitability; approve staffing models and lead workforce scheduling strategy.
Lead continuous improvement and lean initiatives (Kaizen, Six Sigma, 5S) to reduce waste, increase throughput, improve cycle times, and enhance quality across operations.
Own capital expenditure planning for regional facilities and operations assets; prioritize investments, manage vendor selection, and oversee project delivery to budget and timeline.
Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements, OSHA standards, corporate policies, and local laws across sites; lead audits and implement corrective action plans as required.
Drive cross-functional collaboration with sales, marketing, product, HR, and supply chain to align regional execution with commercial goals and new product or service rollouts.
Manage large-scale change, including rollout of new technology (ERP/WMS/CRM), operational model transformations, and major process redesigns; develop change management plans to secure adoption.
Lead crisis and incident response across the region (supply disruptions, safety incidents, natural disasters), coordinate recovery, and maintain business continuity plans.
Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers and enterprise accounts in the region, serving as executive escalation point to resolve complex operational or service issues.
Negotiate and manage vendor and third-party service provider contracts, oversee SLAs and performance metrics, and drive cost savings through procurement optimization and consolidation.
Establish and report on monthly/quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with regional leadership, outlining performance vs. plan, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and opportunities for growth.
Drive regional sales enablement through operations support—optimize onboarding, fulfillment, and post-sale service to reduce churn and increase lifetime value.
Champion employee engagement, retention, and a safety-first culture through targeted programs, recognition, training, and local leadership development.
Monitor and improve customer satisfaction and NPS by analyzing feedback, driving operational improvements, and aligning frontline training to customer-focused outcomes.
Implement and oversee workforce training programs and standard operating procedures to ensure consistent service delivery, compliance, and performance improvement.
Use predictive analytics and forecasting models to anticipate demand fluctuations, capacity needs, and seasonal trends; translate forecasts into actionable resource plans.
Set and enforce performance standards across the region; drive accountability through clear metrics, coaching, corrective action, and continuous feedback loops.
Evaluate new market or site expansion opportunities within the region—conduct due diligence, build business cases, and lead operational readiness for openings or acquisitions.

Secondary Functions

Support periodic corporate initiatives by contributing regional insights, pilot testing new programs, and scaling successful prototypes across multiple locations.
Facilitate monthly cross-regional calls and forums to share best practices, highlight operational wins, and air challenges that require corporate support.
Partner with HR on talent acquisition strategies for frontline and leadership roles; support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and localized retention programs.
Oversee operational technology adoption (mobile workforce tools, scheduling platforms, BI dashboards) and coordinate site-level training and rollouts.
Participate in vendor selection committees for regional service contracts, conduct supplier performance reviews, and implement corrective actions when necessary.
Maintain high standards of facility maintenance and asset lifecycle management; coordinate preventive maintenance schedules and capital repair projects.
Lead efforts to improve environmental, social, and governance (ESG) outcomes at the regional level—reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, and support community engagement programs.
Support ad-hoc strategic projects (cost-to-serve analysis, route optimization, last-mile strategies) and provide operational subject-matter expertise to cross-functional teams.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

P&L ownership and financial acumen: budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and cost control at the regional level.
Multi-site operations management: experience overseeing distributed teams, facility operations, and consistent SOP execution.
Process improvement and Lean methodologies: Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, or similar continuous improvement tools with measurable outcomes.
Data-driven analytics: proficiency with operational dashboards, BI tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI), and making decisions from KPI trends.
Workforce planning and labor modeling: scheduling tools and methods to optimize labor costs while meeting service-level agreements.
Enterprise systems experience: ERP, WMS, field service management, CRM, and workforce management platforms.
Project and change management: leading large scale rollouts, technology deployments, and process transformations with structured PM methodologies.
Contract and vendor management: negotiation, SLA management, and vendor performance measurement.
Regulatory and compliance knowledge: OSHA, local labor regulations, safety protocols, and quality standards relevant to the industry.
Forecasting and capacity planning: demand planning, scenario analysis, and resource allocation to meet seasonal and growth demands.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership: ability to translate corporate strategy into regional tactics and measurable results.
People leadership and coaching: develop high-performing teams, deliver constructive feedback, and create succession pipelines.
Communication and stakeholder management: excellent written and verbal communication; able to influence senior leaders and front-line staff.
Problem solving and critical thinking: diagnose root causes, design sustainable solutions, and drive timely execution.
Change management and resilience: lead teams through ambiguity and evolving priorities with empathy and clarity.
Customer focus and relationship building: build trust with internal and external customers and resolve escalations diplomatically.
Decision making under pressure: prioritize actions and make high-impact decisions in fast-paced environments.
Cross-functional collaboration: partner effectively with sales, finance, HR, supply chain, and IT to achieve shared goals.
Coaching and talent development: mentor leaders, run development plans, and foster a culture of continuous learning.
Results orientation and accountability: set stretch goals, monitor progress, and hold teams accountable for outcomes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field.

Preferred Education:

MBA or relevant advanced degree in Operations, Finance, or Strategic Management.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Operations Management
Supply Chain / Logistics
Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical)
Finance or Accounting

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

8–15+ years of progressive operations experience, with at least 5 years in multi-site or regional leadership roles.

Preferred:

Demonstrated experience managing P&L for a region, leading large teams (50–500+ employees), executing major operational transformations, and delivering measurable productivity and quality improvements.
Industry-specific experience (retail, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, or field services) depending on employer needs.