An operations director or chief operating officer, also called COO, is one of the highest-ranking executive positions in an organization and is part of top management. The chief operating officer is usually the company's second-in-command, especially if the highest-ranking executive is the president and CEO. The chief operating officer (COO) is a senior executive responsible for overseeing the daily administrative and operational functions of a company. The COO usually reports directly to the executive director (CEO) and is considered second in the chain of command.
The difference between a CEO and a COO is that the CEO is the high-level position in the top management of a company, followed by the COO. The chief executive officer (CEO) is responsible for the success or failure of his companies. Facebook's chief operating officer, Cheryl Sandberg, reports directly to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Sandberg's direct reports include vice-presidents, other high-level executives and other department leaders.
It oversees all operational functions of the company. Operations managers are high-level managers in a company, so no starting salary will be indicated for this particular profession. The requirements for an employer to become a director of operations can be quite vague, given the high-level cross-functional skill sets involved.