How to hire a contracted office manager

How to hire a contracted office manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step contracted office 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 contracted office manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new contracted office manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a contracted office manager, 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

   Hiring the perfect contracted office manager 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.

   Here's a comparison of contracted office manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Contracted Office Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Contracted Office Manager		$15-34
   Office Lead	An office lead is responsible for performing complex administrative tasks, especially in front office operations, managing staff performance, and providing high-quality customer service by responding to visitors' inquiries and concerns and directing them to the appropriate department. These leads monitor daily business transactions, write business reports, and manage the information in the system database... Show more	$24-61
   Billing Manager	A billing manager is in charge of overseeing the systems and processes concerned with billing in a company. One of their primary duties is to handle the receivable accounts to ensure smooth cash flow, assess the validity of bills, provide corrective measures when necessary, supervise the workforce's performance, and solve issues raised by staff... Show more	$25-54

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Reports
   • Purchase Orders
   • Contract Management
   • Vendor Relations
   • Office Operations
   • Office Management
   • A/R
   • Human Resources
   • A/P
   • Contract Administration
   • Telephone Calls
   • Office Equipment
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Real Estate

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead or facilitate formal RFP evaluation; lead negotiation teams.
   • Manage procedural implementation for transition of office to HIPPA regulatory compliance and Medicare PQRI guidelines.
   • Obtain medical referrals for services and maintain paper case files according to HIPAA standards.
   • Review and approve RFP s, certify payroll, travel calendars, employee/subcontractor applications, and safety management meeting trainings.
   • Create PowerPoint presentations, correspondence and spreadsheets for the organization.
   • Prepare spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and coordinate meetings with out-of-town governmental employees.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your contracted office manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A contracted office manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, contracted office managers' average salary in maine is 47% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level contracted office managers 55% less than senior-level contracted office managers.
   • Certifications. A contracted office manager 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 a contracted office manager's salary.

   Average contracted office manager salary

   $48,312yearly

   $23.23 hourly rate

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   Entry-level contracted office manager salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 14, 2026

4. Writing a contracted office manager job description

   A job description for a contracted office manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a contracted office manager job description:

   Contracted office manager job description example

   The Manager, Clinical Trials Contracts Office, is responsible for providing leadership and direction for all Clinical Research Contracts Coordinator activities. This position will develop and implement departmental standards and SOPs relating to Clinical Research Contracts Management and other related activities as requested. Estimate and oversee workload and capabilities for Clinical Research Contracts Coordinators. Supervise and train Clinical Research Contracts Coordinators in all areas of contract development and negotiation from inception through revisions to finalization, ensuring mitigation of risk of loss and liability. Oversee and ensure the ongoing integrity of the contract tracking database through database management. Serve as personnel manager for Clinical Research Contracts Coordinator team to include interviewing, hiring, training, study assignments, time management and timely performance reviews. Facilitate communications across the team, including internal and external stakeholders, participate in team meetings, and conference calls as required. Specifically, serve as the main conduit for contracting dispute resolution in partnership with Legal Services.
   Minimum Education
   
   * Bachelor's degree in business administration, health care, or a related scientific field required
   * Master's degree preferred
   
   Minimum Experience
   
   * Eight (8) years of experience with clinical research and/or contracts administration required
   * Management experience is required
   * Project management experience preferred
   
   Required Credentials
   
   * None
   
   Other Credentials
   
   * (LC:SOCRA or LC:ACRP) Certification from the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) or the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) is required within two (2) year of hire
   * Clinical Research Contract Professional Certification preferred
   
   Other Information
   
   St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   No Search Firms:
   
   St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.
   
   COVID-19 vaccine:
   
   St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for all employees, excluding those with an approved medical or religious accommodation, as a condition of employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find contracted office managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit contracted office managers, 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.

   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 contracted office manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the contracted office manager 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 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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