How to hire a customer program manager

How to hire a customer program manager, step by step

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

What does a customer program manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the customer program manager you need to hire. Certain customer program 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a customer program 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 customer program manager that fits the bill.

   This list presents customer program manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Customer Program Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Customer Program Manager	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.	$36-69
   Manager, Strategy	A strategy manager is a professional who reviews a company's objectives for growth and works with executives to formulate actionable plans to achieve these objectives. To make comprehensive recommendations, strategy managers must conduct data analysis of the organization as well as the overall industry... Show more	$37-73
   Market Manager	A marketing manager is an executive who manages a brand or product's promotion positioning. Marketing managers analyze the trends in the industry and the demand for certain products and services... Show more	$25-68

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Project Management
   • Program Management
   • CRM
   • Customer Feedback
   • Process Improvement
   • Customer Support
   • Customer Engagement
   • On-Time Delivery
   • Post Sales
   • Product Management
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Business Development
   • Lean Six Sigma

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage low volume parts to PPAP requirements within on site manufacturing facility.
   • Assist in developing a custom MRP database to help manage the variety of documents.
   • Lead APQP launch teams and assist with engineering, quality, customer service, financial and manufacturing.
   • Manage source business through development and into production utilizing APQP process.
   • Manage the ERP implementation and integration with existing software for new corporate acquisitions.
   • Manage cross-functional teams including global communications, product/parts replacements, logistics and hardware fulfillment, warranty, and escalations.

   More customer program manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your customer program manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A customer program manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, customer program managers' average salary in nebraska is 39% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level customer program managers earn 48% less than senior-level customer program managers.
   • Certifications. A customer program manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a customer program manager's salary.

   Average customer program manager salary

   $105,176yearly

   $50.57 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level customer program manager salary

   $76,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average customer program manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$130,211	$63
   2	California	$123,404	$59
   3	Maryland	$117,160	$56
   4	District of Columbia	$116,810	$56
   5	Ohio	$115,352	$55
   6	North Carolina	$111,812	$54
   7	South Carolina	$109,716	$53
   8	Michigan	$109,594	$53
   9	Minnesota	$108,581	$52
   10	New Jersey	$107,038	$51
   11	Oregon	$106,656	$51
   12	Massachusetts	$105,463	$51
   13	Virginia	$102,424	$49
   14	Texas	$100,816	$48
   15	Illinois	$100,717	$48
   16	New York	$99,113	$48
   17	Georgia	$94,305	$45
   18	Florida	$91,674	$44
   19	Colorado	$90,396	$43
   20	Missouri	$88,482	$43

   Average customer program manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$140,320	$67.46	608
   2	Google	$130,966	$62.96	308
   3	WEC Energy Group	$124,202	$59.71	1
   4	Microsoft	$121,426	$58.38	168
   5	NVIDIA	$120,619	$57.99	36
   6	Cisco	$120,267	$57.82	48
   7	Motor Coach Industries	$118,656	$57.05
   8	Astronics	$118,086	$56.77	4
   9	PayPal	$116,927	$56.21	8
   10	Amd	$116,829	$56.17	33
   11	Qualtrics	$116,188	$55.86	5
   12	Starbucks	$116,068	$55.80	13
   13	Lenovo	$115,434	$55.50	10
   14	Nokia	$115,354	$55.46	8
   15	Walgreens	$114,091	$54.85	4
   16	General Electric	$112,795	$54.23	81
   17	Amazon	$112,062	$53.88	692
   18	The Home Depot	$112,053	$53.87	28
   19	Hyve Solutions	$111,818	$53.76	7
   20	Qualcomm	$110,771	$53.26	25

4. Writing a customer program manager job description

   A customer program 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 customer program manager job description:

   Customer program manager job description example

   About the role:
   
   Aurora Solar is a fast-growing Series D company on a mission to create a future of solar energy for all. Aurora makes the software that is enabling society to transition to a world powered by solar power. It's our goal to have every solar installation in the world pass through our software, which has already been used to design millions of solar projects. Named one of “The Best Remote-First Companies To Work for in 2022” by BuiltInSF.com and awarded #1 Solar Software platform by Solar Power World, Aurora is disrupting the energy industry and changing the course of history.
   
   The Program Manager role at Aurora is central to Aurora's progress as they drive cross-functional initiatives that traverse sales, marketing, customer success, and related functions. This role requires a strong mix of organizational, project management, and analytical skills. The Program Manager will liaise with business stakeholders and other team members to identify and drive initiatives that create a more efficient organization and positively impact our customers' experience. A strong grounding in the solar industry is preferred, however not mandatory.
   
   We are a passionate and diverse team that aspires to be the best place for the best people and we're looking for talented individuals to accelerate our exponential growth as we continue to scale. If you are looking for a stimulating and fulfilling role, come join us!
   
   What you'll do:Design and manage cross-functional programs that impact sales, marketing, customer success, and other groups Direct technical programs that include updates to go-to-market processes and technology to drive efficiency across the business organization Act as an anchor across multiple projects, guiding progress and reporting to stakeholders and management teams Partner with business stakeholders to identify and evaluate group requirements, and guide cross-functional sessions to influence project prioritization Collaborate with go-to-market teams including sales and customer success to improve the customer experience, and direct initiatives that explore new markets or expand existing offerings Manage the rollout of key features and programs that have a customer-facing impact, partnering with the product and marketing teams to drive the maximum impact and adoption
   What we value:Expertise in SaaS go-to-market processes, programs, and technologies, specifically CRM, marketing automation, and customer success technology Established track record of driving programs to fruition, involving cross-functional stakeholders and participants Consultative approach to working with stakeholders and groups, identifying programs to work on with a keen eye for business outcomes Reliance on data to drive decisions; familiarity with business intelligence tools and best practices
   
   Aurora is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce of people who believe in and are passionate about creating a future of solar energy for all. We are an equal opportunity employer, we welcome and consider qualified applicants regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, citizenship, pregnancy status, veteran status, or any other differences. We encourage you to apply even if you believe that you do not meet all of the above criteria!
   
   For San Francisco applicants: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find customer program 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 customer program manager job on Zippia to find and attract quality customer program manager candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit customer program managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 customer program manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the customer program 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.

   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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How much does it cost to hire a customer program manager?