Co-Director job description.
A Co-Director shares leadership of an organization, program, or production alongside one or more fellow directors, jointly setting strategy and dividing operational responsibility. Common in nonprofits, arts organizations, and shared-leadership structures, the role requires close collaboration and clear division of duties to avoid overlap.
The Co-Director job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Co-Director Reports to: Board of Directors
A Co-Director shares leadership of an organization, program, or production alongside one or more fellow directors, jointly setting strategy and dividing operational responsibility. Common in nonprofits, arts organizations, and shared-leadership structures, the role requires close collaboration and clear division of duties to avoid overlap.
- Co-develop and execute organizational or program strategy with fellow director(s)
- Divide and own distinct operational areas to avoid duplicated effort
- Represent the organization to funders, partners, boards, or stakeholders
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
2 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Board of Directors
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Co-develop and execute organizational or program strategy with fellow director(s)
- Divide and own distinct operational areas to avoid duplicated effort
- Represent the organization to funders, partners, boards, or stakeholders
- Oversee hiring, supervision, and development of assigned staff
- Manage budget and resource allocation within areas of responsibility
- Coordinate regularly with co-director(s) to maintain aligned decision-making
- Report jointly or individually to a governing board or senior leadership
- Resolve operational issues within scope of authority
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- 5+ years of leadership experience in a relevant sector
- Demonstrated ability to co-lead or work in shared-authority structures
- Strong communication and conflict-resolution skills
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent leadership experience
- Prior experience in a nonprofit, arts, or mission-driven organization
- Track record of successful budget or program ownership
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Co-Director job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Co-Director job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The senior band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Board of Directors) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- How should co-director responsibilities be divided in the job posting?
- Spell out each co-director's distinct area of ownership (e.g. programs vs. operations) so candidates and staff understand who makes which decisions.
- Is a co-director structure suitable for every organization?
- It works best where workload or expertise genuinely splits into complementary areas; smaller organizations often find a single director role simpler to manage.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Assistant Director
An assistant director supports a director or department head in managing daily operations, staff, and programs.
Executive Director
An executive director leads the overall strategy, operations, and performance of an organization, often within the nonprofit or association sector.
Program Director
A Program Director oversees the planning, execution, and evaluation of one or more organizational programs, ensuring they meet objectives, budget, and compliance requirements.
This Co-Director job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.