How to hire a department director

How to hire a department director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step department director hiring guide:

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

What does a department director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a department director, 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 department director 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 department director salaries for various roles:

   Type of Department Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Department Director	Medical and health services managers, also called healthcare executives or healthcare administrators, plan, direct, and coordinate medical and health services. They might manage an entire facility, a specific clinical area or department, or a medical practice for a group of physicians... Show more	$30-71
   Clinical Manager	A clinical manager is responsible for monitoring medical procedures and administrative duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations in a healthcare facility. Clinical managers manage the facility's staffing needs, evaluate budget reports, assist healthcare professionals on administering medical duties, and develop strategic procedures to optimize treatments and maximize productivity... Show more	$26-61
   Nurse Manager	The primary role of nurse managers is to supervise the nursing staff in a clinical or hospital setting. They are the ones who are in charge of patient care, setting work schedules, and making budgetary and management decisions... Show more	$28-55

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patient Care
   • Patients
   • Healthcare
   • Oversight
   • Human Resources
   • Payroll
   • Program Development
   • Direct Supervision
   • Financial Reports
   • Staff Development
   • Process Improvement
   • Curriculum Development
   • Professional Development
   • Direct Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and direct bureau operations, and provide oversight of criminal investigations of statewide importance.
   • Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
   • Ensure compliance with all CMS regulations.
   • Provide public education in the areas of fire department capabilities and history as well as CPR classes.
   • Follow up and coordination of rehabilitation services.
   • Cross-Train pre-operative and PACU staff to optimize efficiency.

   More department director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the department director job description is a good way to get more applicants. A department director 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 department director in Georgia may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level department director. Additionally, a department director with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average department director salary

   $97,804yearly

   $47.02 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level department director salary

   $64,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 27, 2025

   Average department director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$110,994	$53
   2	Connecticut	$110,931	$53
   3	California	$109,875	$53
   4	District of Columbia	$108,742	$52
   5	Virginia	$107,021	$51
   6	Washington	$106,738	$51
   7	West Virginia	$105,506	$51
   8	Oregon	$93,349	$45
   9	Arizona	$90,849	$44
   10	Pennsylvania	$90,064	$43
   11	Indiana	$89,892	$43
   12	Louisiana	$88,854	$43
   13	Massachusetts	$86,640	$42
   14	Colorado	$85,890	$41
   15	Maryland	$85,798	$41
   16	Florida	$85,753	$41
   17	Puerto Rico	$85,090	$41
   18	Illinois	$84,221	$40
   19	Alaska	$83,321	$40
   20	North Carolina	$82,834	$40

   Average department director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Anna Jaques Hospital	$152,152	$73.15
   2	Hospital for Special Surgery	$151,115	$72.65	7
   3	Children's Hospital Los Angeles	$148,612	$71.45	1
   4	Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital	$143,988	$69.22	21
   5	Hunt Regional Healthcare	$129,562	$62.29
   6	WestEd	$129,450	$62.24
   7	Kaiser Permanente	$121,911	$58.61	64
   8	The Aerospace Corporation	$117,965	$56.71	12
   9	Mercy Health	$117,905	$56.69	26
   10	Henry County Medical Center	$112,156	$53.92
   11	Stephens College	$111,498	$53.60
   12	University of Massachusetts Boston	$111,448	$53.58	2
   13	Guidehouse	$110,437	$53.09	192
   14	St. Bernard Hospital	$109,947	$52.86
   15	Tenet Healthcare	$108,615	$52.22	113
   16	The American Musical and Dramatic Academy	$108,490	$52.16	1
   17	CHRISTUS Health	$107,534	$51.70	51
   18	Tucson Medical Center	$105,604	$50.77
   19	Sutter Health	$105,553	$50.75	28
   20	North Country Hospital	$104,549	$50.26

4. Writing a department director job description

   A department director 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 a department director job description:

   Department director job description example

   A wonderful Emergency Department Director opportunity is located a couple of hours west of Colorado Springs, CO in a beautiful scenic area. Come join a wonderful team. Great pay and benefits. Details are below!
   Pay: $43.83 - $54.77/hourly
   Sign-on bonus: $6,000
   Relocation Package: $4,000
   Emergency Department Director Opportunity:
   The director role demonstrates leadership and responsibility for the function of the defined service line which will include two or more unrelated departments.
   The strength of this role is through the collaboration that results in organizational-level performance
   This management role facilitates improved alignment with strategic vision for the entire service line.
   Director level position possesses the training and skills to perform Administrator on Call (AOC) role and participates with the call rotation.
   Emergency Department Director is responsible for the supervision overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of the Emergency Department staff and Emergency Preparedness Department.
   Emergency Department Director Qualifications:
   Minimum of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited nursing program
   Minimum of three years of emergency department experience.
   Emergency Department Director must have one year of management, supervisory, and/or charge nurse experience
   Emergency Department Director must have BLS, ACLS, PALS, and TNCC
   The Surrounding Environment:
   Picturesque town that thrives on art, locally sourced restaurants, and outdoor adventure.
   Town that is filled with whitewater rafting, mountain climbing, great restaurants, and hours spent learning about the local culture and history.
   Whitewater rafting and zip-lining to exploring local art galleries and artists,
   Amazing local breweries and distinct restaurants that offer a wonderful feel to the city
   
   
   Requirements.
   Benefits.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right department director for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit department directors, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 department director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the department director 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new department director. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 department director?