How to hire an assistant director of development

How to hire an assistant director of development, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant director of development hiring guide:

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

What does an assistant director of development do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The assistant director of development 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

   Hiring the perfect assistant director of development also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents assistant director of development salaries for various positions.

   Type of Assistant Director Of Development	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Director Of Development	Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will maintain or enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.	$18-46
   Public Relations Manager	A public relations manager is responsible for monitoring the public relations department to boost its brand image and attract potential clients through press releases and media coverage. They work closely with the marketing team, developing marketing campaigns and promotional strategies for creating brand awareness... Show more	$30-61
   Grant Manager	A grant manager is responsible for granting financial assistance and support to various sector programs, evaluating grant applications, and implementing policies from its conceptualization to utilization. Grant managers review the grant documents, ensuring its adherence to internal guidelines and state regulations... Show more	$22-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Professional Development
   • Alumni Relations
   • PowerPoint
   • Project Management
   • Donor Relations
   • Event Planning
   • Alumni Engagement
   • HR
   • CRM
   • Strategic Plan
   • Social Work
   • Program Development
   • Student Development
   • Financial Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Program development includes managing and building strong relationships with corporate and affinity partners to secure sponsorship and career enhancement for alumni
   • Program development includes managing and building strong relationships with corporate and affinity partners to secure sponsorship and career enhancement for alumni
   • Direct professional staff responsible for the implementation of HUD programs for the construction and rehabilitation of multi-family housing projects.

   More assistant director of development duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your assistant director of development job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An assistant director of development can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, assistant directors of development' average salary in wyoming is 45% less than in delaware.
   • Seniority. Entry-level assistant directors of development 61% less than senior-level assistant directors of development.
   • Certifications. An assistant director of development with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an assistant director of development's salary.

   Average assistant director of development salary

   $60,905yearly

   $29.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant director of development salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average assistant director of development salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Pennsylvania	$82,773	$40
   2	New York	$82,360	$40
   3	District of Columbia	$82,142	$39
   4	California	$78,016	$38
   5	Nevada	$70,890	$34
   6	North Carolina	$70,673	$34
   7	Massachusetts	$69,104	$33
   8	Virginia	$67,338	$32
   9	Illinois	$66,839	$32
   10	Michigan	$63,545	$31
   11	Ohio	$62,753	$30
   12	Maryland	$62,195	$30
   13	Indiana	$61,802	$30
   14	Wisconsin	$61,753	$30
   15	West Virginia	$60,228	$29
   16	Texas	$59,275	$29
   17	Tennessee	$57,958	$28
   18	Florida	$57,527	$28
   19	Oregon	$52,225	$25
   20	Missouri	$52,051	$25

   Average assistant director of development salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Ernst & Young	$126,225	$60.69	25
   2	Pace University	$125,356	$60.27	3
   3	Icma-rc	$107,114	$51.50	15
   4	Northwestern Mutual	$103,867	$49.94	7
   5	Hartwick College	$98,633	$47.42
   6	University of Maryland Medical System	$93,794	$45.09
   7	UC Hastings Law	$91,873	$44.17	2
   8	American Planning Association	$91,343	$43.91
   9	Chicago State University	$91,090	$43.79	1
   10	The Asia Foundation	$89,697	$43.12
   11	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$87,122	$41.89	15
   12	Kforce	$79,631	$38.28	9
   13	Eastern Kentucky University	$79,232	$38.09	2
   14	Missouri State University	$78,785	$37.88	3
   15	University of Massachusetts Boston	$75,962	$36.52
   16	Massachusetts General Hospital	$75,815	$36.45
   17	San Francisco University High School	$75,443	$36.27	2
   18	Southwest Research Institute	$74,402	$35.77
   19	National Radio Astronomy Observatory	$73,439	$35.31	3
   20	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$73,291	$35.24	3

4. Writing an assistant director of development job description

   An assistant director of development 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 assistant director of development job description:

   Assistant director of development job description example

   Raise major gifts ($25,000+) for the [College] to further the mission that Texas Tech University has implemented as a Tier 1 Research Institution.
   
   Travel in support of the college's priorities to advance fundraising efforts, including securing visits to move prospective and current donors from discover, qualification and cultivation to solicitation.
   Serve as the liaison between the [College] and the TTU Office of Advancement. Adhere to and instill best practices to make effective use of the prospect management database, including entering contact reports after each visit to ensure donor records are kept up to date. Represent the university and the [College] at business and community meetings and events in a professional manner while adhering to TTU policies. Reporting to the Associate Vice President, this position develops a comprehensive development program to meet the college's primary funding needs on an annual and long-term basis. Meet goals for key metrics including substantial contacts, visits, asks and gifts secured as established each fiscal year that are reflective of the development professional matrix. Work collaboratively with TTUS Institutional Advancement, the TTU Office of Advancement and colleagues to focus on shared strategic goals. This position requires a proven track record of fundraising. A good knowledge of all aspects of fundraising including annual giving, planned giving, campaign management, and strategic planning.Excellent interpersonal, verbal, writing and presentation skills.Exceptional initiative and the ability to work with limited direct supervision. Excellent time management and multi-tasking skills.
   
   Major/Essential Functions
   
   Performs the administrative duties of planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating special development efforts. Responsibilities may include: cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of individual, foundation, and corporate support for the TTU/System; adherence to the prospect management system; and plans, coordinates and evaluates development goals. Work is performed under general supervision with broad latitude for initiative.
   
   Required Qualifications
   
   Bachelor's degree plus one (1) year development or sales experience; OR a combination of education and/or related experience equal to five (5) years.
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   One year of experience in university or non-profit development/fundraising.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right assistant director of development for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant director of development job on Zippia to find and recruit assistant director of development candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting assistant directors of development 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 assistant director of development

   Once you've selected the best assistant director of development candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new assistant director of development. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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How much does it cost to hire an assistant director of development?