Internal directors are high level professionals who are responsible for overseeing all operations that take place within an organization and from which an organization benefits. For example, internal directors who work in information technology (IT) departments might be responsible for designing and optimizing all information and telecommunication systems that enable employees to communicate with one another and store business intelligence. Some of the most common duties of an internal director might include orchestrating all operations within his or her department and learning about the needs of other departments that might impact workflow or supply chain effectiveness. An internal director also is responsible for the behaviors and performances of his or her employees and answers to high level managers and executives.
It is possible to find an internal director in nearly any industry. Professionals who take these roles tend to have high levels of technical expertise in their fields, as well as a strong understanding of their companies' practices and overall culture, including preferred codes of conduct and procedural issues. Most internal directors have undergraduate degrees related to their fields and in some cases might also have graduate degrees. While internal directors normally have many years of experience in management positions, they commonly do not take part in big picture decision making common among high level managers and executives.
Much of what an internal director does depends on his or her area of expertise. Internal directors who work in finance or accounting, for example, might project manage and evaluate internal audits, which usually are performed either to assist managers in their decision making or to inform shareholders. An internal director at a distribution center, on the other hand, might perform transportation logistics and inventory management In all cases, internal directors normally have whole departments for which they are responsible and they also might have assistants who perform correspondence and file data.
A director often is judged by the success of his or her division. For this reason, he or she might continually train and attempt to optimize the performances of his or her employees. In scenarios when an internal director is responsible for machinery or software, he or she might focus on productivity levels and continually provide solutions.
While it is uncommon for an internal director to contribute to decision making processes, they often do communicate with executives and influence decisions. For example, an internal director in IT might talk about budgetary concerns that reflect the relevancy of a business's networks. This information can make high level managers skeptical about taking steps forward in a project.