How to hire a change manager

How to hire a change manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step change manager hiring guide:

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

What does a change manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the change manager you need to hire. Certain change manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A change manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, change managers 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of change managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Change Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Change Manager	Computer and information systems managers, often called information technology (IT) managers or IT project managers, plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization. They help determine the information technology goals of an organization and are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet those goals.	$34-61
   Manager, Systems Engineering	A systems engineering manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of the company's technology systems and network infrastructure. System engineering managers inspect the output deliverables of computer systems, identifying process improvement techniques to improve optimal performance and maintain high-quality results... Show more	$46-84
   Information Technology Technical Services Manager	An information technology/technical services manager is responsible for supervising the operations of the information technology team, assisting the technical staff in providing efficient performance by improving technology systems and network infrastructure to support business functions. This job requires extensive knowledge of the technology industry, as well as an excellent command of programming and system processes to ensure smooth navigation and consistent transitions... Show more	$41-72

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Organizational Change Management
   • Portfolio
   • Governance
   • Client Facing
   • Customer Service
   • Enterprise Resource Planning
   • Communication Plan
   • Visio
   • Process Improvement
   • Management Activities
   • Change Management Process
   • Infrastructure
   • HR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Implement and manage network installations and design for ShoretTel VoIP telephone systems and upgrades to cabling for VoIP requirements.
   • Manage and maintain workflows for this CRM as well as the enterprise wide web-base work ticket solution (RedMine).
   • Manage SharePoint server configuration list.
   • Manage expenditures and all project budgets within the portfolio including monthly forecasting.
   • Manage several new global business opportunity RFP responses through securing third party proposals.
   • Manage the SDLC risk assessment matrix that include mitigation strategies and contingency plans for corporate communication.

   More change manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the change manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A change manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a change manager in South Dakota may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level change manager. Additionally, a change manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average change manager salary

   $96,652yearly

   $46.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level change manager salary

   $72,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average change manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$112,423	$54
   2	Massachusetts	$110,071	$53
   3	Connecticut	$109,220	$53
   4	New Jersey	$109,184	$52
   5	Michigan	$108,000	$52
   6	New York	$107,828	$52
   7	Ohio	$106,204	$51
   8	Wisconsin	$106,106	$51
   9	Illinois	$105,904	$51
   10	Minnesota	$104,740	$50
   11	Washington	$103,923	$50
   12	North Carolina	$102,024	$49
   13	Kansas	$101,937	$49
   14	South Carolina	$101,311	$49
   15	Arizona	$100,328	$48
   16	Georgia	$99,156	$48
   17	Oregon	$97,842	$47
   18	Pennsylvania	$96,099	$46
   19	Texas	$95,999	$46
   20	West Virginia	$94,753	$46

   Average change manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$139,229	$66.94	259
   2	Shell Trading	$127,767	$61.43
   3	Point B	$126,958	$61.04	7
   4	ServiceNow	$126,308	$60.73	38
   5	AstraZeneca	$121,778	$58.55	1
   6	Nike	$121,737	$58.53	3
   7	Accenture	$121,061	$58.20	813
   8	Goldman Sachs	$121,009	$58.18
   9	Bloomberg	$120,536	$57.95	9
   10	Microsoft	$117,144	$56.32	120
   11	CTG	$117,080	$56.29	1
   12	Perficient	$117,004	$56.25	5
   13	Bayer	$115,875	$55.71	9
   14	Zulily	$115,747	$55.65
   15	Cisco	$113,979	$54.80	6
   16	Intel	$112,629	$54.15
   17	IDG	$111,844	$53.77
   18	Corning Incorporated	$109,981	$52.88	4
   19	Turner & Townsend	$109,414	$52.60	9
   20	Huron Consulting Group	$109,370	$52.58	58

4. Writing a change manager job description

   A change manager 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a change manager job description:

   Change manager job description example

   Change Manager will work to drive higher proficiency and faster adoption of changes impacting PMO and enterprise audiences to ensure optimal results are achieved.
   
   The individual will play a key role in ensuring and driving critical activities to meet business, PMO and program objectives.
   
   The individual will have extensive level of change management experience and is responsible for leading all aspects of a change management.
   
   As a part of the PMO team, the individual will design, develop, implement, deliver, track and manage change deliverables that will enable impacted users to successfully transition from their current state to a future state.
   
   The change management deliverables including communications, training, stakeholder engagement, change impact assessment, organizational readiness analysis, coaching, resistance management, and change reinforcement.
   
   This person will also create actionable deliverables for the five change management levers: communications plan, sponsor roadmap, coaching plan, training plan, resistance management plan Manage communications, training, and stakeholder engagement.
   
   The employee will be responsible for the success of all change management deliverables assigned. Must be able to clearly articulate messages to a variety of audiences.
   RESPONSIBILITIES: Change Manager Direct change management activities and initiatives under direction from organization leadership. Communicate goals based on organizational objectives. Align transformation change advice and consultancy resources to organizational needs. Build change capability by providing training, communications and growing change advocacy within the broader organization. Create change management strategy for enterprise level initiatives and the application of a structured methodology, including leading change management activities, assessing change impact, user readiness, and communication strategy. Conduct impact analysis with key stakeholders and execute plan to address organizational and business readiness Define, measure, and report success metrics and change efforts. Collaborate with transformation program roadmaps and solutions across all business areas. Support and engage senior leaders through large scale change efforts as change sponsor. Ensure alignment with PMO methodologies and activities. Provide mentoring, coaching, and feedback to team; share best practices and lessons learned. Self-motivated, self-driven and willing to take on new responsibilities, SKILLS / EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Change Manager Bachelor's degree with 10 years relevant experience leading enterprise-wide changes in organization stemming from the changes to IT infrastructure, Applications, PMO processes or Governance changes. Substantial experience with large scale enterprise change adoption impacting people, an understanding of the change lifecycle and how people adopt change. Exceptional written and oral communication skills and able to develop executive-level presentations for EVP and Board level audiences. Bachelor's degree with 10 years relevant experience leading changes in organization stemming from the changes to IT infrastructure, Applications, PMO processes or Governance changes. Substantial experience and proven track record with large scale enterprise change adoption impacting people and enterprise exhibiting a solid understanding of the change lifecycle and how people adopt change SKILLS / EXPERIENCE PREFERRED: Change Manager Preferred Skills and Education Experience managing large scale organizational change initiatives Experience and knowledge of change management principles and methodologies Change Management Professional certification. Experience with Project Management and Agile development. EDUCATION: Change Manager Bachelor's degree with 10 years relevant experience leading changes in organization stemming from the changes to IT infrastructure, Applications, PMO processes or Governance changes. EDUCATION PREFERRED: Change Manager Change Management Professional certification and/or Project Management Professional certification ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Change Manager Shift: Standard, 9/80 OT Expected: yes Travel: no EEO Statement Apollo Professional Solutions, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability status, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, protected veteran status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other status or characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find change managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any change managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level change managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your change manager job on Zippia to find and recruit change manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting change managers 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.

   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 change manager

   Once you've found the change manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   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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