A painting director of operations makes sure every branch of a home painting company works the same way and hits its goals. The director coaches the branch GMs, checks safety and quality on jobs, and compares branches on results like revenue per labor hour.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Serves as a strategic leader responsible for translating company goals into actionable standard operating procedures across multiple painting service locations. Oversees regional and branch General Managers to ensure high-quality service delivery, safety compliance, and robust unit economics. Acts as a catalyst for operational efficiency and continuous improvement within the organization.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develops and implements standardized operating procedures that align with the company’s strategic objectives.
Leads and mentors regional and branch General Managers to drive operational excellence and accountability.
Monitors performance metrics to ensure service quality, safety standards, and profitability are maintained across all locations.
Collaborates with cross-functional teams to drive improvements in operational systems and business processes.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conducts daily performance reviews with regional/branch leaders to assess operations and identify areas for improvement.
Reviews financial and operational reports to manage unit economics and make data-driven decisions.
Engages in regular safety audits and quality checks to ensure adherence to industry and company standards.
Coordinates with suppliers and vendors to streamline operations and secure cost-effective resources.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Service Quality Rating: Achieve an average customer satisfaction rating of >4.8 stars.
Safety Compliance: Maintain a safety incident rate of <2% per quarter.
Operational Efficiency: Attain a unit economics improvement of at least 10% YoY.
Regional Performance: Ensure branch-level revenue per hour meets or exceeds $150.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field.
Minimum of 7 years of experience in operational leadership within the home services industry.
Strong analytical, organizational, and decision-making skills.
Excellent leadership and communication abilities to effectively manage cross-functional teams.
Proficiency in using software tools for operations management and performance tracking.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the painting or home services industry with a focus on regional operations.
Demonstrated success in scaling multi-location operations and driving unit economic improvements.
Background in strategic planning and implementation of SOPs for operational excellence.
Familiarity with industry-specific safety protocols and quality control processes.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally visit branches and service sites which may require moderate physical activity.
Capable of lifting up to 20 lbs occasionally when reviewing on-site materials.
Comfortable working in environments that may present temperature variations.
Required to stand, walk, and travel between locations during periodic inspections.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with flexibility as needed for project deadlines.
Occasional travel to regional branches and service locations is required.
May be on-call during critical business situations or operational emergencies.
Office-based role combined with periodic site visits to ensure operational compliance.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range of $110,000 - $140,000 USD based on experience and qualifications.
Performance-based bonuses available tied to key operational metrics.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
401(k) plan with company matching contributions.
Additional fringe benefits such as paid time off and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and excellence in customer satisfaction.
We value collaborative teamwork, transparent communication, and professional growth for all employees.
Our mission is to build a supportive environment where every team member feels empowered to contribute to our success.
We celebrate achievements and drive forward with a shared vision of industry leadership and service quality.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
This job appears once a painting company has more than one branch. The director makes those branches act like one company while respecting real differences between markets.
One way to sell, paint and close out
Each branch should use the same estimate format, prep standard and final walkthrough. The director turns the COO's procedures into branch routines, visits jobs to see them in use, and fixes gaps with the GM rather than around them. When a branch invents its own method, the director decides whether it becomes the company standard or gets dropped.
Injury records are kept branch by branch
Under OSHA's recordkeeping rule, each establishment expected to run a year or longer, such as a branch, keeps its own log of work injuries. Companies with ten or fewer employees at all times last year, and industries on OSHA's partly exempt list, usually don't need the logs. Painting contractors are not on that list. The director checks that each branch logs its cases and looks at causes, such as ladder falls or cuts from scraping. Source: 29 CFR 1904.30: Multiple business establishments (Cornell LII).
Branches serve different markets
A branch in a city of older homes does more lead-safe work and heavier prep. A branch in newer suburbs paints more interiors. A northern branch loses exterior months that a southern one keeps. The director sets fair targets for each branch, then compares revenue per labor hour and margin to find the gaps that are real.
Buying power across branches
With several branches buying paint, the director can strike one deal on prices and rebates with a supplier. The director also keeps a list of approved products for each surface. That keeps finish quality and warranty claims the same from branch to branch. It also stops crews from buying whatever brand is closest to the job.
The GMs are the director's main work
Branch GMs often come up through sales or production and know one side well. The director coaches each GM on the side they know less, goes over their weekly numbers with them, and spots who is ready to open the next branch. A struggling GM shows up in every number the branch reports.
How much painting directors of operations make
The closest BLS group for painting directors of operations is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for painting contractors earned a median of $99,770 a year ($47.96 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 6,400 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for painting contractors.
Salary, plus a bonus that rides on branch safety, customer ratings and revenue per labor hour.
Painting contractors
$99,770$99,770 median Middle half $68,660–$142,590 10th–90th $49,530–$191,200
All industries
$105,770$105,770 median Middle half $72,320–$167,280 10th–90th $50,090–$253,390
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Painting contractors
$49,530
$68,660
$99,770
$142,590
$191,200
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
BLS reports residential and commercial painting contractors together. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has led several locations or branch managers in home services
Builds procedures and audits that branches actually follow
Compares branch results and can explain the differences
Coaches GMs on profit, people and customers
Runs useful branch visits on a regular travel schedule
Teach these on the job
Your branch scorecard and reporting tools
OSHA recordkeeping and your safety program
Your audit checklist for lead-safe jobs
Your approved product list and supplier deals
Painting prep steps for each surface
The director works from branch dashboards built on your scheduling, estimating and accounting software, plus audit checklists, each branch's OSHA log and the shared paint supplier account. Candidates will ask how branch numbers get pulled, since a director who builds every report by hand loses the first months to it.
Painting director of operations interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Set each branch's targets from its own history and market, so a northern branch isn't held to a southern branch's season. Review them with each GM weekly and with the COO monthly.
Service Quality Rating
Each branch's average customer rating from review sites and walkthrough surveys, read monthly. Pull the lowest-rated jobs in each branch and check them against company procedures.
Safety Compliance
Recordable cases from each branch's OSHA log against hours worked, using the BLS incidence rate calculator so branches of different sizes compare fairly. Add the share of job site safety audits each branch passes.
Operational Efficiency
Unit economics for each branch: revenue, gross margin and overhead per crew hour, against the same quarter one year back. Gains should come from fewer wasted hours, not thinner prep.
Regional Performance
Revenue per labor hour for each branch: produced revenue divided by crew hours on jobs, adding sub hours where you track them. Review it monthly next to each branch's mix of interior, exterior and cabinet work.
What does a director of operations do at a painting company?
The director oversees the branch general managers. Week to week, that means reviewing branch numbers, visiting branches and active jobs, running safety and quality audits, and coaching GMs on what the audits find. The director also works with suppliers on pricing and helps set up new branches.
How much does a painting director of operations make?
General and operations managers who work for painting contractors earned a median of $99,770 a year ($47.96 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $68,660 and $142,590 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
At what size should a painting company add a director of operations?
Usually once there are two or three branches and the COO or owner can no longer visit each one often. With a single location, a strong general manager and operations manager cover this work. Hire a director when branch results start drifting apart and nobody has the time to find out why.
What should a director of operations check on a branch visit?
Start with active jobs: prep that matches the standard, lead-safe setup on older homes, ladders in good repair, and the crew leader's paperwork. Then the office: backlog, unsigned change orders, open complaints, late final payments and the OSHA log. Finish with the GM, going over what you found and agreeing on fixes and dates.
Should a painting director of operations be promoted from inside?
Promoting a strong GM keeps company know-how, but that person may never have managed peers. An outside hire from another multi-branch home service company brings tested systems but needs time to learn painting. In both cases, the right person has led managers, not just crews, and can run an audit without turning it into a fight.
What should a painting director of operations job ad include?
Say how many branches the director will oversee, where they are, and how much travel that means. Name the roles that report to the director and the scorecard each branch is judged by. Mention any plan to open more branches, since getting them started may become part of the job.
