What does a Division Chief do?
Division chiefs are professionals who are responsible for leading and managing subordinates of a particular division of a department. These chiefs are required to conduct administrative and personnel transactions as well as review their legislation and technical program activities. In the military, division chiefs are required to supervise military personnel while implementing military personnel management operations within the command. Division chiefs must also organize training programs to ensure the skill, technical, and professional development of all marines.
Division chief responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real division chief resumes:
- Protect valuable banking, insurance and healthcare customer relationships while managing client global communication needs and adhering to regulatory compliance standards.
- Provide oversight to investigations as required, to include record searches, interviews and automate information retrieval.
- Re-Envision and realign important strategic relationships among DOD senior leadership to ensure unify communications and decision making.
- Provide oversight on all policies pertaining to organizational safety, instructor certification program, and special recognition programs.
- Research and develop country cooperation plan to facilitate partnerships and ensure efforts are synchronized with other DoD agencies.
- Protect valuable banking, insurance and healthcare customer relationships while managing client global communication needs and adhering to regulatory compliance standards.
- Establish the event medal concept design and award ceremony presentations.
Division chief skills and personality traits
We calculated that 24% of Division Chiefs are proficient in Oversight, Rehabilitation, and Human Resources. They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills, Management skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Division Chiefs that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Oversight, 24%
Provided asset management oversight for the Administration and ensure that an inventory of State property is conducted periodically.
- Rehabilitation, 10%
Planned the preservation, rehabilitation and layouts of 15 major storerooms during restricted availability.
- Human Resources, 9%
Directed the coordination of a variety of human resources related programs such as supplementary employment, financial disclosure and performance management.
- Professional Development, 6%
Prepared historical reports, coordinated professional development programs, and facilitated visits/tours of the area by veterans and their families.
- Training Programs, 5%
Organized training programs for junior personnel focused on increasing trade development and international economic integration for community leaders.
- Logistical Support, 5%
Coordinated and facilitated all logistical support within the department in support of ten separate production work centers and seven supported squadrons.
Most division chiefs use their skills in "oversight," "rehabilitation," and "human resources" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential division chief responsibilities here:
Leadership skills. One of the key soft skills for a division chief to have is leadership skills. You can see how this relates to what division chiefs do because "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Additionally, a division chief resume shows how division chiefs use leadership skills: "inspired leadership helped the team garner the 2013 hq outstanding comptroller team. "
Problem-solving skills. This is an important skill for division chiefs to perform their duties. For an example of how division chief responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a division chief: "led/facilitated four working groups in which all three-star vice-commanders in the usaf voted on the strategic solutions developed. ".
Time-management skills. A big part of what division chiefs do relies on "time-management skills." You can see how essential it is to division chief responsibilities because "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical division chief tasks: "coordinated project management and oversight of base seattle telecommunication facility to meet established deadlines and objectives. "
Communication skills. Another common skill required for division chief responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of division chiefs all the time, as "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." An excerpt from a real division chief resume shows how this skill is central to what a division chief does: "re-envisioned and realigned important strategic relationships among dod senior leadership to ensure unified communications and decision making. "
The three companies that hire the most division chiefs are:
- MThe Medicus Firm
77 division chiefs jobs
- UUniversity of Florida8 division chiefs jobs
- UUniversity of Pennsylvania7 division chiefs jobs
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Division chief vs. Owner/manager
Owners/managers are responsible for establishing a business and managing the operations once the business is running. They plan and make sure that the company has adequate financing. They also handle the initial marketing to get customers. Owners/mangers handle human resources activities, such as hiring and training employees. Once the business has launched, they start delegating activities to other employees and may also start assigning leaders to different departments. However, they still oversee the whole operation. Owners/managers are the top decision-makers and ensure that business strategies align with the goals.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a division chief are more likely to require skills like "oversight," "rehabilitation," "professional development," and "training programs." On the other hand, a job as an owner/manager requires skills like "financial statements," "inventory control," "customer service," and "business plan." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Owner/managers tend to reach lower levels of education than division chiefs. In fact, owner/managers are 16.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Division chief vs. Executive director
Executive directors are top management employees who usually function as a chief executive officer. This role is usually seen in non-profit organizations. Executive directors provide strategic direction to the organization, and they ensure that the organization's goals are actualized. They provide guidance to the employees and ensure that the employees have the organization's advocacies at the center of every project or program. They oversee the policies of the organization and create strategies that will bring the organization's programs forward. Executive directors are also responsible for making crucial decisions for the betterment of the organization.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that division chief responsibilities requires skills like "rehabilitation," "training programs," "logistical support," and "dod." But an executive director might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "patients," "customer service," "financial management," and "business development."
On average, executive directors earn a higher salary than division chiefs. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, executive directors earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $153,889. Whereas division chiefs have higher pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $115,860.executive directors earn similar levels of education than division chiefs in general. They're 2.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Division chief vs. Manager
Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department. Managers are responsible that the department they are handling is functioning well. They set the department goals and the steps they must take to achieve the goals. They are also in charge of assessing the performance of their departments and their employees. Additionally, managers are responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for department vacancies and assessing their fit to the needs of the department. Managers also set the general working environment in the department, and they are expected to ensure that their employees remain motivated.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from division chief resumes include skills like "oversight," "rehabilitation," "professional development," and "training programs," whereas a manager is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "payroll," "food safety," and "financial statements. "
Managers earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $71,781. Comparatively, division chiefs have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $115,860.When it comes to education, managers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to division chiefs. In fact, they're 17.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 3.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Division chief vs. General manager
A general manager is responsible for handling the overall operations in the business. General managers manage the staff tasks efficiently, monitor the productivity and efficiency of the work environment, implement new strategies to improve the business performance, recognize the team's best efforts, and effective allocation of budget resources. A general manager must have excellent communication, decision-making, and critical-thinking skills to identify areas of improvement in handling customer complaints, connecting with vendors and other lines of businesses that will direct the company towards its successful objectives.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between division chiefs and general managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a division chief might have more use for skills like "oversight," "rehabilitation," "professional development," and "training programs." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of general managers require skills like "customer service," "cleanliness," "food safety," and "guest service. "
In general, general managers earn the most working in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $74,849. The highest-paying industry for a division chief is the government industry.general managers reach lower levels of education compared to division chiefs, in general. The difference is that they're 17.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 3.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of division chief
Updated January 8, 2025