How to hire an associate director, marketing

How to hire an associate director, marketing, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate director, marketing hiring guide:

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

What does an associate director, marketing do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an associate director, marketing, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An associate director, marketing's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, associate directors, marketing 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 associate directors, marketing.

   Type of Associate Director, Marketing	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Director, Marketing	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$33-69
   Marketing Manager/Project Manager	A marketing manager/project manager oversees a company's marketing programs and projects, aiming to attract more customers and increase the brand value of a business, product, or service. They primarily perform market research and assessments to identify marketing trends and opportunities, gather and analyze data to generate business leads, study the consumer and competitors in the industry, and identify the weaknesses and strengths of existing marketing projects, utilizing information to enhance operations... Show more	$26-52
   Marketing Program Manager	The job of marketing program managers is to create marketing campaigns for a company's programs and products. They often work closely with the sales and advertising managers and assist in developing pricing strategy and monitoring marketing trends... Show more	$30-55

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Marketing
   • Market Research
   • Healthcare
   • Strong Project Management
   • Project Management
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Cycle Management
   • Brand Marketing
   • Integrated Marketing
   • Brand Management
   • HCP
   • KPIs
   • ROI
   • CRM

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Implement growth and test strategies to increase net revenue and ensure all annual and ROI goals are achieved.
   • Manage budgets up to $150K for season base on initiatives, consistent record of high ROI base on allocations.
   • Manage all social media relations through facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, flickr, animoto, wordpress, jibjab and foursquare.
   • Manage copywriting, proofreading and editing processes.
   • Monetize artist's YouTube videos.
   • Play a vital role in designing and implementing internal contests to meet KPIs.

   More associate director, marketing duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, associate directors, marketing' average salary in oklahoma is 37% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level associate directors, marketing 51% less than senior-level associate directors, marketing.
   • Certifications. An associate director, marketing 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 associate director, marketing's salary.

   Average associate director, marketing salary

   $100,954yearly

   $48.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate director, marketing salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average associate director, marketing salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$123,675	$59
   2	Connecticut	$119,411	$57
   3	New Jersey	$118,547	$57
   4	Massachusetts	$114,307	$55
   5	Illinois	$112,600	$54
   6	Virginia	$110,643	$53
   7	New York	$110,028	$53
   8	District of Columbia	$107,415	$52
   9	Texas	$104,592	$50
   10	Indiana	$103,985	$50
   11	Alaska	$100,243	$48
   12	Colorado	$99,947	$48
   13	Maryland	$99,439	$48
   14	Washington	$99,136	$48
   15	Georgia	$97,258	$47
   16	Minnesota	$94,210	$45
   17	North Carolina	$92,894	$45
   18	Delaware	$88,470	$43
   19	Pennsylvania	$87,468	$42
   20	Arizona	$85,908	$41

   Average associate director, marketing salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cambridge Associates	$160,108	$76.97	3
   2	Biogen	$148,992	$71.63	18
   3	Handy	$143,415	$68.95
   4	AstraZeneca	$139,981	$67.30	26
   5	Chewy	$139,497	$67.07	23
   6	Vista Equity Partners	$139,400	$67.02	6
   7	Boehringer Ingelheim	$138,855	$66.76	20
   8	Horizon Pharma USA, Inc.	$137,928	$66.31
   9	Cedars-Sinai	$137,006	$65.87	4
   10	Alexion Pharmaceuticals	$134,999	$64.90	8
   11	ViacomCBS	$134,732	$64.78
   12	Novartis	$133,730	$64.29	148
   13	AbbVie	$133,644	$64.25	159
   14	Eli Lilly and Company	$133,641	$64.25	90
   15	Stanford University	$132,585	$63.74	13
   16	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$131,342	$63.15	66
   17	Condé Nast	$130,747	$62.86	10
   18	Jazz Pharmaceuticals	$130,332	$62.66	1
   19	BD	$129,535	$62.28	10
   20	UBS	$128,412	$61.74	9

4. Writing an associate director, marketing job description

   An associate director, marketing 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 associate director, marketing job description:

   Associate director, marketing job description example

   • A bachelor’s degree in journalism, marketing, or creative field is required; master’s degree preferred
   • 5+ years professional experience in higher education admissions communications and marketing or related field required
   • Strong organizational skills with a high attention to detail
   • Experience developing and executing email marketing campaigns, using data to inform decisions
   • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
   • Excellent computer skills including advanced working knowledge of all MS Office applications
   • Ability to work effectively with multiple departments while managing multiple, time sensitive projects
   • Have the ability to exercise and apply sound judgment and decision-making skills as well as the ability to maintain integrity and confidentiality of data
   • Occasional weekend and evening work may be required
   • Possess a strong work ethic, good sense of humor, excellent strategic thinking abilities, and outstanding communication and interpersonal skills

   Other Duties:

   The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

   Job responsibilities and activities may be modified or changed at any time with or without notice. Job descriptions will be audited periodically by the Ursinus Human Resources department to ensure they are up-to-date and reflect the essential responsibilities and duties of the job.

   Applications:

   Interested candidates should hit the apply button. Once you create an applicant account, you will be prompted to upload your cover letter, resume, and a list with contact information for three references to the applicant database.

   Ursinus is an EO/AA employer. Ursinus College does not discriminate on grounds of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, creed, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, disability, or other classification protected by applicable law in the administration of any of its educational programs or activities or with respect to employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right associate director, marketing 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 associate directors, marketing they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit associate directors, marketing 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 associate director, marketing job on Zippia to find and recruit associate director, marketing candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit associate directors, marketing, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 associate director, marketing

   Once you've selected the best associate director, marketing 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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