Vice Director job description.
A Vice Director supports the Director in leading a department, division, or organization, stepping in to manage operations, staff, and strategic priorities when the Director is unavailable or focused elsewhere. Common in nonprofits, government agencies, hospitals, and universities, the role bridges day-to-day execution with longer-term planning, translating leadership decisions into action across teams while maintaining accountability for budgets, performance, and compliance within their assigned area.
The Vice Director job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 9 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Vice Director Reports to: Director or Executive Director
A Vice Director supports the Director in leading a department, division, or organization, stepping in to manage operations, staff, and strategic priorities when the Director is unavailable or focused elsewhere. Common in nonprofits, government agencies, hospitals, and universities, the role bridges day-to-day execution with longer-term planning, translating leadership decisions into action across teams while maintaining accountability for budgets, performance, and compliance within their assigned area.
- Support the Director in setting departmental strategy, priorities, and budgets
- Assume operational leadership in the Director's absence or by delegation
- Supervise managers and staff across assigned programs or business units
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
9 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Director or Executive Director
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.
- Support the Director in setting departmental strategy, priorities, and budgets
- Assume operational leadership in the Director's absence or by delegation
- Supervise managers and staff across assigned programs or business units
- Monitor performance metrics and intervene to correct underperformance
- Represent the department in cross-functional and external meetings
- Oversee compliance with organizational policy and applicable regulations
- Prepare reports and recommendations for senior leadership or the board
- Manage escalated staff, client, or stakeholder issues
- Contribute to hiring, performance reviews, and staff development decisions
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- 5+ years of progressive leadership or management experience
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
- Strong track record of team and budget oversight
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Master's degree in business, public administration, or related field
- Experience in the organization's specific sector (healthcare, education, government, or nonprofit)
- Familiarity with board or executive-level reporting
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Vice 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 Vice 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 (Director or Executive Director) 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 does a Vice Director differ from an Assistant Director?
- A Vice Director typically carries broader authority to act on the Director's behalf across the whole department, while an Assistant Director role is often scoped to a specific function or program.
- Is a Vice Director considered part of the executive team?
- In many organizations yes, particularly in nonprofits, hospitals, and government agencies, where the title signals a formal second-in-command position with decision-making authority.
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.
Chief of Staff
A Chief of Staff works directly alongside a senior executive to drive strategic priorities, coordinate cross-functional initiatives, and improve organisational effectiveness.
This Vice 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.