Head vs. Director — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 26, 2023
Head typically refers to someone leading a department or division, while Director often denotes a higher-ranking executive or board member.
Difference Between Head and Director
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
In many organizations, the term "Head" denotes the principal or leading figure in a specific department or division. It signifies someone who supervises a team or oversees a specific function. For example, the Head of Marketing would be responsible for the entire marketing department and its initiatives. On the other hand, the term "Director" generally indicates a senior executive position, often reporting to the C-level executives or the board. Directors typically oversee multiple departments or major initiatives within a company.
The title "Head" often emphasizes expertise in a specific domain. For instance, the Head of IT would be expected to have a deep understanding of information technology and its applications within the company. Conversely, a "Director," like a Director of Operations, would be tasked with broader responsibilities, often encompassing several different domains and ensuring they align with the organization's overall strategy.
In the hierarchy of many corporations, a "Head" might report to a "Director." This is especially true in larger organizations where there are multiple layers of leadership. For example, the Head of Content could report to the Director of Marketing, reflecting the more encompassing role of the Director compared to the specialized focus of the Head.
Both "Head" and "Director" are leadership roles, but their scopes and responsibilities can differ. The term "Head" is more narrowly focused on specific departments or functions, while "Director" often has a broader purview, overseeing multiple departments or even steering the direction of the entire organization.
Comparison Chart
Scope
Specific department or function.
Broad, overseeing multiple departments or the whole organization.
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Hierarchy
Often reports to a Director or higher executive.
Senior executive position, may report to C-level or board.
Expertise
Domain-specific, based on the department/function.
Broader expertise across multiple domains.
Grammar usage
Can also mean the top or front of something (e.g., head of a table).
Primarily used to denote a position of authority or a film/theater role.
Associated connotations
Leadership within a specific realm; also, the forefront or leading part.
High-level leadership, decision-making, and strategic vision; film direction.
Compare with Definitions
Head
Foremost in rank or importance.
The head cook
Director
A member of a board of people that manages or oversees a business or institution.
The company's directors held a meeting to discuss the quarterly results.
Head
The top or front of something.
He sat at the head of the table.
Director
A tool or device that directs a particular function or activity.
The director of the telescope was adjusted for a clearer view.
Head
The leader or chief of a group or organization.
She is the head of the department.
Director
A person who supervises the production of a show (as in theater or film).
Spielberg is a renowned film director.
Head
A unit of measure; specifically used in counting livestock.
They own fifty head of cattle.
Director
One that supervises, controls, or manages.
Head
The head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste, respectively. Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do, regardless of size.
Director
A member of a group of persons chosen to control or govern the affairs of an institution or corporation.
Head
The upper part of the human body, or the front or upper part of the body of an animal, typically separated from the rest of the body by a neck, and containing the brain, mouth, and sense organs.
Director
A person who supervises the creative aspects of a dramatic production or film and instructs the actors and crew.
Head
A thing resembling a head either in form or in relation to a whole.
Director
The conductor of an orchestra or chorus.
Head
The front, forward, or upper part or end of something.
Director
An electronic device that continually calculates and displays information used for firing weapons at moving targets, such as missiles or aircraft.
Head
A person in charge of something; a director or leader
The head of the Dutch Catholic Church
Director
One who directs; the person in charge of managing a department or directorate (e.g., director of engineering), project, or production (as in a show or film, e.g., film director).
Head
A person considered as a numerical unit
They paid fifty pounds a head
Director
A member of a board of directors.
Head
A component in an audio, video, or information system by which information is transferred from an electrical signal to the recording medium, or vice versa.
Director
A counselor, confessor, or spiritual guide.
Head
A body of water kept at a particular height in order to provide a supply at sufficient pressure
An 8 m head of water in the shafts
Director
That which directs or orientates something.
Head
A toilet on a ship or boat
They were cleaning out the heads
Director
(military) A device that displays graphical information concerning the targets of a weapons system in real time.
Head
The word that governs all the other words in a phrase in which it is used, having the same grammatical function as the whole phrase.
Director
(chemistry) The common axis of symmetry of the molecules of a liquid crystal.
Head
A superficial deposit of rock fragments, formed at the edge of an ice sheet by repeated freezing and thawing and then moved downhill.
Director
One who, or that which, directs; one who regulates, guides, or orders; a manager or superintendent.
In all affairs thou sole director.
Head
A group of pheasants
It is easy to get up a head of pheasants with the aid of good keepers
Director
One of a body of persons appointed to manage the affairs of a company or corporation; as, the directors of a bank, insurance company, or railroad company.
What made directors cheat in South-Sea year?
Head
Chief; principal
The head waiter
Director
A part of a machine or instrument which directs its motion or action.
Head
Be in the leading position on
The St George's Day procession was headed by the mayor
Director
A slender grooved instrument upon which a knife is made to slide when it is wished to limit the extent of motion of the latter, or prevent its injuring the parts beneath.
Head
Give a title or caption to
An article headed ‘The Protection of Human Life’
Director
Someone who controls resources and expenditures
Head
Move in a specified direction
He was heading for the exit
We were headed in the wrong direction
Director
Member of a board of directors
Head
Shoot or pass (the ball) with the head
A corner kick that Moody headed into the net
Director
Someone who supervises the actors and directs the action in the production of a show
Head
Lop off the upper part or branches of (a plant or tree)
The willow is headed every three or four years
Director
The person who leads a musical group
Head
(of a lettuce or cabbage) form a head.
Director
A person in charge of an administrative department of an organization.
The director of human resources addressed the new policy changes.
Head
The uppermost or forwardmost part of the body of a vertebrate, containing the brain and the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and jaws.
Director
Someone who guides, instructs, or manages a specific initiative.
As the director of the school play, she made sure everything ran smoothly.
Head
The analogous part of an invertebrate organism.
Head
The length or height of such a part
The horse lost by a head. She is two heads taller than he is.
Head
The seat of the faculty of reason; intelligence, intellect, or mind
I did the figuring in my head.
Head
Mental ability or aptitude
She has a good head for mathematics.
Head
Freedom of choice or action
Give the child his head and see how well he solves the problems.
Head
A habitual drug user. Often used in combination
A dopehead.
Head
An enthusiast. Often used in combination
A chilihead.
Head
A person considered foolish or contemptible. Often used in combination
A chowderhead.
Head
A portrait or representation of a person's head.
Head
Often heads (used with a sing. verb) The side of a coin having the principal design, often the profile of a political leader's head.
Head
(Informal) A headache
Had a bad head early this morning.
Head
An individual; a person
Charged five dollars a head.
Head
Pl. head A single animal
20 head of cattle.
Head
A person who leads, rules, or is in charge; a leader, chief, or director
The head of the corporation.
Head
A headmaster or headmistress.
Head
The foremost or leading position
Marched at the head of the parade.
Head
A headwaiter.
Head
The difference in depth of a liquid at two given points.
Head
The measure of pressure at the lower point expressed in terms of this difference.
Head
The pressure exerted by a liquid or gas
A head of steam.
Head
The liquid or gas exerting the pressure.
Head
The froth or foam that rises to the top in pouring an effervescent liquid, such as beer.
Head
The tip of an abscess, boil, or pimple, in which pus forms.
Head
A turning point; a crisis
Bring matters to a head.
Head
A projection, weight, or fixture at the end of an elongated object
The head of a pin.
A head of land overlooking the harbor.
Head
The working end of a tool or implement
The head of a hammer.
Head
The looped part at the end a lacrosse stick, to which the webbing is attached.
Head
The part of an explosive device that carries the explosive; a warhead.
Head
The part of a stringed instrument where the strings are wound; a tuning head.
Head
A tuning machine.
Head
The rounded proximal end of a long bone
The head of the femur.
Head
The end of a muscle that is attached to the less movable part of the skeleton.
Head
An attachment to or part of a machine that holds or contains the operative device.
Head
The magnetic head of a tape recorder or VCR.
Head
The device in a magnetic disk or tape drive that enables it to read data from and write data to the disk or tape.
Head
A rounded compact mass, as of leaves or buds
A head of cabbage.
Head
(Botany) A flower head.
Head
The uppermost part; the top
Place the appropriate name at the head of each column.
Head
The end considered the most important
Sat at the head of the table.
Head
Either end of an object, such as a drum, whose two ends are interchangeable.
Head
The forward part of a vessel.
Head
The top part or upper edge of a sail.
Head
A toilet, especially on a ship.
Head
A passage or gallery in a coal mine.
Head
The top of a book or page.
Head
A headline or heading.
Head
A distinct topic or category
Under the head of recent Spanish history.
Head
Headway; progress.
Head
(Linguistics) The word determining the grammatical category of a constituent, often establishing relations of concord or agreement (such as subject-verb agreement) with other constituents.
Head
Vulgar Slang Oral sex.
Head
Of, relating to, or intended for the head. Often used in combination
Headshaking.
Headwrap.
Head
Foremost in rank or importance
The head librarian.
Head
Placed at the top or the front
The head name on the list.
Head
(Slang) Of, relating to, or for drugs or drug users.
Head
To be in charge of; lead
The minister headed the committee.
Head
To be in the first or foremost position of
Collins heads the list of job candidates.
Head
To aim, point, or turn in a certain direction
Headed the team of horses up the hill.
Head
To remove the head or top of.
Head
(Sports) To hit (a soccer ball) in the air with one's head.
Head
To provide with a head
Head each column with a number.
Headed the flagpole with a golden ball.
Head
To proceed or go in a certain direction
Head for town.
Head
To form a head, as lettuce or cabbage.
Head
To originate, as a stream or river; rise.
Head
(countable) The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
Be careful when you pet that dog on the head; it may bite.
Head
(people) To do with heads.
Head
(animals) To do with heads.
Head
(countable) The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
What does it say at the head of the page?
Head
The end of a table.
Head
(countable) The principal operative part of a machine or tool.
Head
The foam that forms on top of beer or other carbonated beverages.
Pour me a fresh beer; this one has no head.
He never learned how to pour a glass of beer so it didn't have too much head.
Head
(engineering) The end cap of a cylindrically-shaped pressure vessel.
Head
(coopering) The end cap of a cask or other barrel.
Head
(geology) The uppermost part of a valley.
Head
Deposits near the top of a geological succession.
Head
(journalism) headline
Head
(medicine) The end of an abscess where pus collects.
Head
(music) The headstock of a guitar.
Head
(nautical) A leading component.
Head
(British) A headland.
Head
A leader or expert.
Head
The place of honour, or of command; the most important or foremost position; the front.
Head
(metonymy) Leader; chief; mastermind.
I'd like to speak to the head of the department.
Police arrested the head of the gang in a raid last night.
Head
(metonymy) A headmaster or headmistress.
I was called into the head's office to discuss my behaviour.
Head
A person with an extensive knowledge of hip hop.
Only true heads know this.
Head
A significant or important part.
Head
A beginning or end, a protuberance.
Head
A component.
Head
Headway; progress.
We are having a difficult time making head against this wind.
Head
Topic; subject.
We will consider performance issues under the head of future improvements.
Head
Denouement; crisis.
These isses are going to come to a head today.
Head
(fluid dynamics) Pressure and energy.
Head
A buildup of fluid pressure, often quantified as pressure head.
Let the engine build up a good head of steam.
How much head do you have at the Glens Falls feeder dam?
Head
The difference in elevation between two points in a column of fluid, and the resulting pressure of the fluid at the lower point.
Head
More generally, energy in a mass of fluid divided by its weight.
Head
Fellatio or cunnilingus; oral sex.
She gave great head.
Head
(slang) The glans penis.
Head
A heavy or habitual user of illicit drugs.
Head
(obsolete) Power; armed force.
Head
Of, relating to, or intended for the head.
Head
Placed at the top or the front.
Head
Coming from in front.
Head sea
Head wind
Head
(transitive) To be in command of. (See also head up.)
Who heads the board of trustees?
To head an army, an expedition, or a riot
Head
(transitive) To come at the beginning or front of; to commence.
A group of clowns headed the procession.
The most important items headed the list.
Head
(transitive) To strike with the head; as in soccer, to head the ball
Head
(intransitive) To move in a specified direction.
We are going to head up North for our holiday.
We will head off tomorrow.
Next holiday we will head out West, or head to Chicago.
Right now I need to head into town to do some shopping.
I'm fed up working for a boss. I'm going to head out on my own, set up my own business.
Where does the train head to?
Head
(fishing) To remove the head from a fish.
The salmon are first headed and then scaled.
Head
(intransitive) To originate; to spring; to have its course, as a river.
Head
(intransitive) To form a head.
This kind of cabbage heads early.
Head
(transitive) To form a head to; to fit or furnish with a head.
To head a nail
Head
(transitive) To cut off the top of; to lop off.
To head trees
Head
To behead; to decapitate.
Head
To go in front of.
To head a drove of cattle
To head a person
Head
To get in the front of, so as to hinder or stop; to oppose.
The wind headed the ship and made progress difficult.
Head
(by extension) To check or restrain.
Head
To set on the head.
To head a cask
Head
The anterior or superior part of an animal, containing the brain, or chief ganglia of the nervous system, the mouth, and in the higher animals, the chief sensory organs; poll; cephalon.
Head
The uppermost, foremost, or most important part of an inanimate object; such a part as may be considered to resemble the head of an animal; often, also, the larger, thicker, or heavier part or extremity, in distinction from the smaller or thinner part, or from the point or edge; as, the head of a cane, a nail, a spear, an ax, a mast, a sail, a ship; that which covers and closes the top or the end of a hollow vessel; as, the head of a cask or a steam boiler.
Head
The place where the head should go; as, the head of a bed, of a grave, etc.; the head of a carriage, that is, the hood which covers the head.
Head
The most prominent or important member of any organized body; the chief; the leader; as, the head of a college, a school, a church, a state, and the like.
The heads of the chief sects of philosophy.
Your head I him appoint.
Head
The place or honor, or of command; the most important or foremost position; the front; as, the head of the table; the head of a column of soldiers.
An army of fourscore thousand troops, with the duke of Marlborough at the head of them.
Head
Each one among many; an individual; - often used in a plural sense; as, a thousand head of cattle.
It there be six millions of people, there are about four acres for every head.
Head
The seat of the intellect; the brain; the understanding; the mental faculties; as, a good head, that is, a good mind; it never entered his head, it did not occur to him; of his own head, of his own thought or will.
Men who had lost both head and heart.
Head
The source, fountain, spring, or beginning, as of a stream or river; as, the head of the Nile; hence, the altitude of the source, or the height of the surface, as of water, above a given place, as above an orifice at which it issues, and the pressure resulting from the height or from motion; sometimes also, the quantity in reserve; as, a mill or reservoir has a good head of water, or ten feet head; also, that part of a gulf or bay most remote from the outlet or the sea.
Head
A headland; a promontory; as, Gay Head.
Head
A separate part, or topic, of a discourse; a theme to be expanded; a subdivision; as, the heads of a sermon.
Head
Culminating point or crisis; hence, strength; force; height.
Ere foul sin, gathering head, shall break into corruption.
The indisposition which has long hung upon me, is at last grown to such a head, that it must quickly make an end of me or of itself.
Head
Power; armed force.
My lord, my lord, the French have gathered head.
Head
A headdress; a covering of the head; as, a laced head; a head of hair.
Head
An ear of wheat, barley, or of one of the other small cereals.
Head
A dense cluster of flowers, as in clover, daisies, thistles; a capitulum.
Head
The antlers of a deer.
Head
A rounded mass of foam which rises on a pot of beer or other effervescing liquor.
Head
Tiles laid at the eaves of a house.
Head
Principal; chief; leading; first; as, the head master of a school; the head man of a tribe; a head chorister; a head cook.
Head
To be at the head of; to put one's self at the head of; to lead; to direct; to act as leader to; as, to head an army, an expedition, or a riot.
Head
To form a head to; to fit or furnish with a head; as, to head a nail.
Head
To behead; to decapitate.
Head
To cut off the top of; to lop off; as, to head trees.
Head
To go in front of; to get in the front of, so as to hinder or stop; to oppose; hence, to check or restrain; as, to head a drove of cattle; to head a person; the wind heads a ship.
Head
To set on the head; as, to head a cask.
Head
To originate; to spring; to have its source, as a river.
A broad river, that heads in the great Blue Ridge.
Head
To go or point in a certain direction; to tend; as, how does the ship head?
Head
To form a head; as, this kind of cabbage heads early.
Head
The upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains;
He stuck his head out the window
Head
A single domestic animal;
200 head of cattle
Head
That which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings; the seat of the faculty of reason;
His mind wandered
I couldn't get his words out of my head
Head
A person who is in charge;
The head of the whole operation
Head
The front of a military formation or procession;
The head of the column advanced boldly
They were at the head of the attack
Head
The pressure exerted by a fluid;
A head of steam
Head
The top of something;
The head of the stairs
The head of the page
The head of the list
Head
The source of water from which a stream arises;
They tracked him back toward the head of the stream
Head
(grammar) the word in a grammatical constituent that plays the same grammatical role as the whole constituent
Head
The tip of an abscess (where the pus accumulates)
Head
The length or height based on the size of a human or animal head;
He is two heads taller than his little sister
His horse won by a head
Head
A dense clusters of flowers or foliage;
A head of cauliflower
A head of lettuce
Head
The educator who has executive authority for a school;
She sent unruly pupils to see the principal
Head
An individual person;
Tickets are $5 per head
Head
A user of (usually soft) drugs;
The office was full of secret heads
Head
A rounded compact mass;
The head of a comet
Head
The foam or froth that accumulates at the top when you pour an effervescent liquid into a container;
The beer had a large head of foam
Head
The part in the front or nearest the viewer;
He was in the forefront
He was at the head of the column
Head
A difficult juncture;
A pretty pass
Matters came to a head yesterday
Head
Forward movement;
The ship made little headway against the gale
Head
A V-shaped mark at one end of an arrow pointer;
The point of the arrow was due north
Head
The subject matter at issue;
The question of disease merits serious discussion
Under the head of minor Roman poets
Head
A line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about;
The heading seemed to have little to do with the text
Head
The rounded end of a bone that bits into a rounded cavity in another bone to form a joint;
The head of the humerus
Head
That part of a skeletal muscle that is away from the bone that it moves
Head
(computer science) a tiny electromagnetic coil and metal pole used to write and read magnetic patterns on a disk
Head
(usually plural) an obverse side of a coin that bears the representation of a person's head;
Call heads or tails!
Head
The striking part of a tool;
The head of the hammer
Head
(nautical) a toilet on board a boat or ship
Head
A projection out from one end;
The head of the nail
A pinhead is the head of a pin
Head
A membrane that is stretched taut over a drum
Head
Oral-genital stimulation;
They say he gives good head
Head
To go or travel towards;
Where is she heading
We were headed for the mountains
Head
Be in charge of;
Who is heading this project?
Head
Travel in front of; go in advance of others;
The procession was headed by John
Head
Be the first or leading member of (a group) and excel;
This student heads the class
Head
Direct the course; determine the direction of travelling
Head
Take its rise;
These rivers head from a mountain range in the Himalayas
Head
Be in the front of or on top of;
The list was headed by the name of the president
Head
Form a head or come or grow to a head;
The wheat headed early this year
Head
Remove the head of;
Head the fish
Head
The foremost part or place.
The parade started, and we were right at the head.
Head
The cognitive faculties, intelligence.
Use your head and think it through.
Common Curiosities
Can "Head" and "Director" be used interchangeably?
While both indicate leadership roles, they often denote different levels of responsibility, so they're not always interchangeable.
What does it mean to be the "Head" of a department?
It means you lead or oversee that specific department or function.
Is the title "Head" more senior than "Director"?
Not usually. In most organizations, a "Director" is a more senior position than "Head."
Can a company have multiple directors?
Yes, companies often have multiple directors, each overseeing different areas or serving on a board.
Does the term "Head" only refer to leadership roles?
No, "Head" can also refer to the top or front of something, like the head of a table.
Is "Head" more of a British term compared to "Director"?
Both terms are used globally, but "Head" is often more common in British English for certain contexts.
What's the difference between a "Director" and a "Manager"?
A "Director" typically holds a higher rank and oversees broader areas than a "Manager."
Is a "Director" always a part of the board of directors?
No, while some directors sit on boards, others may simply be high-ranking executives in the company.
Can one person be both the "Head" and "Director" in a company?
Yes, in some smaller organizations, one person might hold multiple titles.
Can "Head" also refer to a physical part of an object or person?
Yes, it can refer to the topmost part, like the head of a nail or the human head.
In filmmaking, what does a "Director" do?
A director oversees the creative aspects, guiding the film's content, visuals, and performances.
Do all organizations have both a "Head" and "Director" position?
No, the presence and hierarchy of these roles vary based on the organization's size, structure, and industry.
In a movie crew, is the "Director" the most senior role?
While the director has significant creative control, the producer typically holds the most senior role concerning the film's overall production.
How does a "Director" impact company strategy?
Directors often play a key role in shaping and implementing company strategy due to their high-ranking positions.
Can the term "Head" refer to the beginning of something?
Yes, like the head of a river or the head of a parade.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
