部長
ぶちょう · buchou · JLPT N4 · noun
director
💼 部長 = department (部) + chief (長): the chief of the department
部 means section or department, as in 部分 (part) and 部屋 (room). 長 means long, and by extension the senior person or head, as in 社長 (company president) and 校長 (principal). So 部長 is literally the department head.
部 — 阝(邑) right + 咅 phonetic
The right-side 阝 derives from 邑 (city/settlement), giving the meaning of a region, district, or administrative division. The left side 咅 supplies the sound. Originally referring to a settlement, the meaning broadened to 'part,' 'section,' or 'ministry.'