How to hire a country manager

How to hire a country manager, step by step

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

What does a country manager do?

Post a country manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The country manager 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a country manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a country manager that fits the bill.

   This list presents country manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Country Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Country Manager	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$26-83
   Vice President & General Manager	A vice president and general manager's role is to implement policies and regulations while overseeing the business operations. Typically, it is their primary responsibility to devise training programs that would produce more efficient workforce members, create new strategies to boost sales and customer satisfaction, and participate in budget and goals creation... Show more	$51-131
   General Service Manager	General service managers are professionals who manage the administrative activities of a company to ensure that a proper environment for its operations is achieved. These managers are required to supervise the maintenance activities and upgrades of equipment and systems so that they can minimize disruptions of business activities... Show more	$25-65

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Logistics
   • Business Development
   • Business Strategy
   • Product Development
   • Revenue Growth
   • Human Resources
   • ISO
   • HQ
   • Business Plan
   • SEO
   • DOD
   • UK
   • Market Research
   • Competitor Analysis

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Achieve 3pp in EBITDA growth from 2015 and 9pp vs budget.
   • Manage Striderite's offshore sourcing operations in the Caribbean.
   • Manage two to four grants annually, totaling 1-2 million USD each year.
   • Manage billing, payroll, and other necessary fix and variable costs, maintaining profit growth year to year.
   • Lead internal risk management processes of all in-country associate parties, including final assessments/decisions.
   • Support search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns.

   More country manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your country manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A country manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a country manager in Arkansas may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level country manager usually earns less than a senior-level country manager. Additionally, a country manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average country manager salary

   $99,341yearly

   $47.76 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level country manager salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average country manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$133,989	$64
   2	Massachusetts	$118,117	$57
   3	California	$117,984	$57
   4	District of Columbia	$112,675	$54
   5	New Jersey	$111,777	$54
   6	Virginia	$100,063	$48
   7	Colorado	$97,918	$47
   8	Pennsylvania	$90,890	$44
   9	Nevada	$87,511	$42
   10	Arizona	$85,464	$41
   11	Florida	$81,084	$39
   12	Texas	$74,666	$36
   13	North Carolina	$73,618	$35
   14	Georgia	$71,163	$34
   15	Illinois	$65,039	$31
   16	Tennessee	$63,243	$30
   17	Missouri	$59,935	$29
   18	Puerto Rico	$58,362	$28

   Average country manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Genentech	$189,497	$91.10	12
   2	American Institutes for Research	$140,718	$67.65
   3	Groupon	$130,832	$62.90
   4	Visa	$126,165	$60.66	45
   5	Halliburton	$123,125	$59.19	6
   6	Amazon	$120,173	$57.78	1,243
   7	ION Geo	$117,516	$56.50
   8	uShip	$114,525	$55.06
   9	Riot Games	$113,643	$54.64	1
   10	DISYS	$112,521	$54.10
   11	Sonic Automotive	$111,153	$53.44	5
   12	Indeed	$109,465	$52.63
   13	Jam City	$108,257	$52.05
   14	Boeing	$106,785	$51.34	37
   15	iBASIS	$100,997	$48.56
   16	Bounce	$100,103	$48.13
   17	International Budget Partnership	$99,474	$47.82
   18	Kristi House	$95,893	$46.10
   19	Cotton On Group	$93,699	$45.05	72
   20	Inline Plastics	$93,294	$44.85

4. Writing a country manager job description

   A country 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 country manager job description:

   Country manager job description example

   About Us
   The Kraft Heinz Company is one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world, with eight $1 billion+ brands and global sales of approximately $25 billion. We're a globally trusted producer of high-quality, great-tasting, and nutritious foods for over 150 years. Our brands are truly global, with products produced and marketed in over 40 countries. These beloved products include condiments and sauces, cheese and dairy, meals, meats, refreshment beverages, coffee, infant and nutrition products, and numerous other grocery products in a portfolio of more than 200 legacy and emerging brands.
   
   No matter the brand, we're united under one vision: To sustainably grow by delighting more consumers globally. Bringing this vision to life is our team of 39,000+ food lovers, creative thinkers, and high performers worldwide. Together, we help provide meals to those in need through our global partnership with Rise Against Hunger. We also stand committed to responsible, sustainable practices that extend to every facet of our business, our consumers, and our communities. Every day, we're transforming the food industry with bold thinking and unprecedented results. If you share our passion - and are ready to create the future, build a legacy, and lead as a global citizen - there's only one thing to do: join our table and let's make life delicious!
   
   Our Culture of Ownership, Meritocracy & Collaboration
   We're not afraid to think differently. Embrace new ideas. Dream big. We empower our people at every level - from entry-level intern to senior leader - to own their work. We share a responsibility to think like Owners - to be mindful of the collective and sustained success of Kraft Heinz - which we apply to every situation, every day. As part of Kraft Heinz, you're supported to grow and achieve. You're expected to bring your authentic self to work every day, to lead with humility, and drive outstanding performance at every level - and you'll be rewarded. You're given opportunities to leave a mark and build a legacy. But you won't do it alone. You're supported by passionate teammates along the way, and our collective, collaborative spirit fuels our incredible progress.
   
   Job Description
   Main Purposes of the Job:
   Lead the commercial execution of country business plan in Retail & FoodserviceManage the daily country operations & identify key opportunities to accelerate growth & profitability in the market(s) through increase distribution, perfect store execution, portfolio management, and acquisition of new business.Evaluate & improve GTM with the mindset of efficiency and effectiveness.Identify & commercialize sizeable opportunities with Lift & Launch and Innovation.Oversee consumer/shopper strategy.Maintain effective relationship for both internal (Marketing, Operations, Finance, Regional Foodservice, & HR) & external (distributors & customers) teams & stakeholders.Develop & implement guidelines to support the local commercial team to achieve MBO.Ensure compliance with local government polices & regulations as well as KHC ethics & country regulatory.
   
   Detailed Job Responsibilities:
   Key Performance Indicators: Delivery of annual budgeted:Net Sales Value (NSV) Profitability / Contribution MarginInnovation/lift and launch pipeline Grow sales (volume & value mix), market share and weighted distribution within scope.Drive Kraft Heinz strategic commercial plans including but not limited to: new market/channel entry, geo-expansion, direct-to-consumer, new product launches, cross-category promotions, distributor management, trade engagement/loyalty, promotion adherence, etc.Build integrated business plans to drive sales within scope and engage all stakeholders for execution.Optimize portfolio strategy (SKU/channel/area mix) to attain maximum value creation.Build the “Kraft Heinz” brand name to give consumers compelling reasons to choose our brand over competing brands Develop a tactical program to support both Marketing and Sales objectives and expand distribution channels Contribute to structure and implement segmentation and RVP (Retail Value Propositions) by segment and merchandising standards.
   Location(s)
   Home Based - Singapore
   
   Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right country manager 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 country managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit country managers 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 country manager job on Zippia to find and recruit country manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting country 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 country manager

   Once you've found the country 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.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new country manager. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a country manager?