How to hire an art department head

How to hire an art department head, step by step

Here's a step-by-step art department head hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an art department head job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new art department head
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The art department head hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An art department head's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, art department heads from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of art department heads.

   Type of Art Department Head	Description	Hourly rate
   Art Department Head	Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and career and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.	$15-39
   Visiting Professor	Visiting professors are faculty members from an institution who must visit a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic they are knowledgeable in. These professors are required to create a positive learning environment among undergraduate students by inviting them to participate and engage in classroom activities, which can consistently enhance the learning process of their students... Show more	$26-115
   Music Instructor	A Music Teacher instructs children and adults to sing or play instruments. They may teach lessons at school, train students at home, or conduct choir rehearsals.	$16-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Curriculum Development
   • Studio Art
   • Fine Arts
   • Photography
   • Graphic Design
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Art History
   • Professional Development
   • K-12
   • PC
   • Drama
   • Mac
   • Visual Arts
   • Adobe Indesign

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead kids through snack, game time, homework time, an art lesson, and manage a gallery wall.
   • Produce company literature via plate making, lay-out, photography and design.
   • Design product technical illustrations, printedliterature, principle product photography, and website graphics.
   • Employ assessment tools and strategies to improve instruction methods.instruct through lectures, discussions and demonstrations in culinary arts and cooking procedures.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your art department head job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An art department head salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, art department heads' average salary in west virginia is 56% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level art department heads earn 61% less than senior-level art department heads.
   • Certifications. An art department head with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an art department head's salary.

   Average art department head salary

   $51,551yearly

   $24.78 hourly rate

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   Entry-level art department head salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing an art department head job description

   An art department head job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an art department head job description:

   Art department head job description example

   12-month tenured position

   Reports directly to the Dean of the Library. Administers and provides overall leadership for the department. Supervises 8-10 departmental faculty and staff, and supports their development and growth, particularly the mentoring of tenure-track faculty. Fosters a professional and collegial environment within the department and the library. Ensures the delivery of effective and high-quality departmental services. Develops and communicates goals and objectives for the department; and participates in the library's management group, taking a broad library-wide perspective while representing the department's needs. Collaborates with various stakeholders to achieve library and university goals including NMSU LEADS 2025 . As a member of the library faculty, pursues an active and ongoing program of professional development appropriate for rank at the university. Ensures compliance with relevant library and university policies and procedures, including department head roles and responsibilities as specified in 6.72-Department Heads Responsibilities of the New Mexico State University Administrative Rules and Procedures (ARP). As a member of the library faculty, is responsible for achieving in the following areas:

   • Librarianship
   • Scholarship and Creative Activity
   • Outreach and Extension (when appropriate)
   • Service

   Specific duties of the incumbent include the following:

   • Overseeing the Emerging Technology Lab
   • Overseeing library instruction (credit courses and one-shot instruction, including community visitors)
   • Chairing the Collection Teams to facilitate support for the research needs of the NMSU Community
   • Facilitating departmental collaboration with the Outreach and Programming Committee and internal activities for scholarly communications, community outreach, and student success initiatives
   • Facilitating and exploring research trends for reference, research, and government documents
   • Promoting a diverse and collegial work and research environment

   Moving Expenses Allowance included.

   New Mexico State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer;Minorities, Females, Veterans, and those with a Disability are encouraged to apply.

   PandoLogic. Keywords: Department Chair, Location: Washington, DC - 20037

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5. Post your job

   To find the right art department head for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with art department heads they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit art department heads who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your art department head job on Zippia to find and recruit art department head candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting art department heads requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new art department head

   Once you have selected a candidate for the art department head position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new art department head first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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