Company Director Job Description, KRAs and Skills

A Company Director is a member of the board and shares legal responsibility for how the company is run. Directors set the direction, appoint and oversee senior management, approve major decisions, and protect the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders. The role is about governance, not daily management. A good director prepares for meetings, asks the questions others avoid, keeps the company compliant with the Companies Act, and holds management accountable while backing sound long-term decisions.

Detail	For this role
Department	Leadership and Senior Management
Level	Leadership
Reports to	Board of Directors
Direct reports	None
Experience	Senior leadership, professional or domain experience relevant to the board

Company Director job description template

Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.

Job title: Company Director

Department: Leadership and Senior Management

Reports to: Board of Directors

Location: [City], [office, branch or site]

About the role

Key responsibilities

Attend and contribute to board meetings, and prepare properly on every agenda item.
Set the company's direction and approve its strategy, budgets and major decisions.
Appoint, oversee and, when needed, replace the senior management team.
Monitor performance against plan, and hold management accountable for results.
Oversee risk, internal controls and compliance with the Companies Act and other laws.
Serve on board committees such as audit, nomination or remuneration as required.
Approve financial statements, dividends and related-party transactions with care.
Act in good faith in the interests of the company and its stakeholders.
Declare interests and avoid conflicts, and step back from decisions where conflicted.
Keep informed about the business, its markets and its risks between meetings.

Requirements

A professional or business background relevant to the company
Understanding of directors' duties under the Companies Act
A Director Identification Number is required to be appointed
Senior leadership, professional or domain experience relevant to the board

KRAs and KPIs for a Company Director

Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.

Key result area	How to measure it
Meeting participation	Attendance at board and committee meetings meets the required minimum
Governance	No governance or Companies Act breaches attributable to the board
Oversight quality	Key risks and decisions reviewed and minuted each quarter
Committee work	Assigned committee duties completed on the agreed schedule
Independence of view	Conflicts declared and recusals recorded whenever they arise

Skills and tools

Corporate governanceFinancial literacyStrategic judgementRisk oversightCompanies Act knowledgeCommittee workIndependent thinkingIntegrity

Tools used day to day: Board meeting papers, Financial statements, Governance policies, Board portal software.

Reporting line and career path

Moves up from: Senior Executive, Functional Head, Business Head
Next roles: Chairman, Managing Director

Interview questions for a Company Director

How do you prepare for a board meeting so you can add real value?
You disagree with a decision the rest of the board supports. What do you do?
How do you hold management accountable without slipping into running the company?
What are a director's key duties under the Companies Act?
How do you handle a situation where you have a conflict of interest?
How do you satisfy yourself that the numbers management presents are reliable?

Managing a Company Director in ZeniaHR

AttendanceA non-executive director is not a regular employee and is not put on the attendance system. Keep only a profile in Employees with their appointment details, and record board and committee meeting attendance in the minutes rather than through daily punches.LeaveLeave does not apply to a non-executive director, and no leave balance is kept for the role. Absence from a board or committee meeting is recorded in the meeting register, not the leave ledger.Performance and KRAsDirectors are assessed through the board's own periodic evaluation, not an HR review cycle. HR does not set goals or run appraisals for the role. Store the evaluation outcome and reappointment papers in Employee Documents.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a company director do?

A company director is a board member who shares legal responsibility for the company. Directors set direction, approve strategy and major decisions, appoint and oversee senior management, monitor performance and risk, and keep the company compliant with the Companies Act. The role is about governance and oversight, not running the business day to day.

What is the difference between a director and an executive?

An executive manages the business day to day and is an employee. A director sits on the board, sets direction and oversees management, and may not be an employee at all. Some people are both, holding an executive job and a board seat as an executive director, while non-executive directors only sit on the board.

What qualifications do you need to be a company director?

There is no fixed degree, but a director needs a Director Identification Number and must understand their duties under the Companies Act. Boards look for relevant senior experience, sound judgement, financial literacy and integrity. Directors must not be disqualified under the Act, for example by certain convictions or unpaid dues.