Department Head job description template
If you are hiring for this role, start here. This free template is our detailed definition of the position, with everything you need to find and hire the right person. Copy it, add your own requirements, and post it.
What is a Department Head?
Department Head is the highest-ranking employee in a particular department within the company responsible for monitoring and leading all aspects of the department’s operations, such as planning, hiring, managing, organizing, budgeting, etc.
Their job is to ensure compliance with company standards and regulations, coordinate with other departments on mutual efficiency and productivity, lead the hiring, onboarding, and training processes, and manage and monitor department budgets.
Department Heads are also responsible for setting goals, analyzing department operations to suggest possible improvements, scheduling meetings and training sessions, and collecting feedback from team members and department managers.
The top Department Head skills.
Five things separate a strong hire from a résumé that reads well. Use these as your scorecard criteria.
The job description, ready to post.
Copy it as written, or edit it until it sounds like your company. Both work.
Our company is hiring an experienced Department Head to run and manage department operations. You will be responsible for monitoring and leading all aspects of planning, staffing, and managing activities within your department, coordinating with other departments to ensure efficiency, implementing department policies and standards, setting goals and objectives for department employees, and planning and managing the department budgets and expenses.
Your job will also be to collect feedback from team members and managers on current processes, review and evaluate employee performance, analyze department operations to suggest improvements, establish professional relationships with clients and stakeholders, and schedule meetings and training sessions.
To ensure success as a Department Head, you should have exquisite leadership, communication, strategic, decision-making, and organizational skills.
Duties and responsibilities
- Monitor and lead all aspects of the department’s operations including planning, organizing, managing, staffing, etc
- Coordinate with other departments to ensure efficiency and cooperation
- Review and evaluate employee performance to ensure they are meeting company standards
- Set goals within the department and suggest areas of improvement
- Lead the department’s hiring, onboarding, and training processes
- Participate in the planning and implementation of company policies and standards
- Collect feedback from team members and department managers on current processes and potential issues
- Plan, manage, and monitor department budget
- Collaborate with managers, supervisors, and clients to achieve set goals
- Observe and analyze department operations to suggest improvements
- Ensure all safety and company regulations are followed by staff members
- Schedule meetings, training sessions, and teambuilding events
- Establish and maintain professional relationships with clients, team members, and stakeholders
- Write and maintain reports and evaluations
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in management, business administration, business management, or other specific field
- Relevant working experience related to a particular industry
- In-depth knowledge of the applicable operations and activities within the given department
- Financial literacy and budget management
- Exceptional communication and leadership skills
- Strategic mindset
- Decision-making
- Organization
Take the template with you
Copy it straight into your job board or ATS, or have it emailed to you with the interview questions for this role.
What education this role needs.
A minimum educational requirement for Department Heads is a Bachelor’s degree in the field of study or industry relevant to the specific department requirements.
Common degrees include business management, business administration, finance, etc. In some cases, a Master’s degree is mandatory for more senior or advanced positions.
Practical working experience is equally important.
Employers value candidates with a proven track record of success in the industry.
Sample interview questions for a Department Head.
Once you have gathered the applications, work through these in order. Twelve questions across four areas, enough to tell your shortlist apart.
- Could you define your personality in a few words?
- What aspirations did you have for your ideal career at an earlier stage in your life?
- How do you typically work on improving your skillset?
- How do you think your education and qualifications can contribute to this company?
- What do you know about departments in this company so far?
- Based on your previous working experience, what would be your ideal salary range for this position?
- How would you describe your leadership style and the way it contributed to your previous team?
- What strategies do you use to align departmental goals with the overall company objectives and standards?
- Tell us about the time when you successfully resolved a conflict between your team members.
- What methods do you utilize to ensure productivity and quality in the workplace?
- Are there any specific tools or technologies that you are proficient in?
- How do you stay informed on current trends and advancements in the industry?
How much to pay when hiring.
Annual pay by percentile. Where you land depends on the size of the cycle they will own, and the 25th percentile is usually where a first analyst hire sits.
Hourly equivalents run from $8 at the 10th percentile to $23 at the 90th.
Candidates may apply under a different name.
Post the title your industry uses and keep the rest of the description. These three roles overlap enough that the same posting usually reaches all of them.
Three titles, one description.
Search behavior varies by industry, so the same job is advertised under several names. If you are unsure which one your candidates search for, run two titles and see which fills.
Department Manager
A Department Manager is a person responsible for the productivity, functionality, and supervision of a company division.
$46,676 medianHiring Manager
A Hiring Manager is a key player in an organization's recruitment process.
$68,510 medianExecutive Director
The Executive Director, also known as the Chief Executive Officer, is one of the highest and most important positions in the company or organization.
$89,818 medianFrequently asked questions.
What do Department Heads do?
Department Heads are responsible for managing, monitoring, and leading all aspects of the department’s operations and activities.
They evaluate employee performance, manage budgets, implement goals and strategies, and provide leadership to team members.
What are the departments that Department Heads can manage?
Department Heads can manage various departments within the company, such as marketing, sales, advertising, finance, accounting, etc.
How much do Department Heads earn per year?
Department Heads earn between $15,360 and $47,000 annually.
What skills should Department Heads possess?
Department Heads should have outstanding leadership, communication, strategic, decision-making, and organizational skills.
Other job description templates.
Same format, same free, same median pay data. Browse the full library if the role you are hiring for is not here.
Department Manager
A Department Manager is a person responsible for the productivity, functionality, and supervision of a company division.
$46,676 medianField Operations Manager
Field operations managers are in charge of carrying out and enhancing their company's field marketing, sales, and merchandising strategies.
$78,382 median