How to hire a deputy program director

How to hire a deputy program director, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your deputy program director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a deputy program director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A deputy program director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, deputy program directors 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of deputy program directors.

   Type of Deputy Program Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Deputy Program Director	Producers and directors create motion pictures, television shows, live theater, commercials, and other performing arts productions. They interpret a writer’s script to entertain or inform an audience.	$35-80
   Director Of After School Program	A director of after school programs oversees and directs childcare centers in communities. They take the lead in setting goals and guidelines, conducting research and analyses to identify the students' interests and needs, developing programs that provide recreational activities and academic support, supervising the recruitment and training of employees, and monitoring the daily operations to ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently... Show more	$14-38
   Program Manager	A program manager is responsible for monitoring the project's progress, improving and developing new strategies, and coordinate various projects across the organization to ensure the success of the business objective. Program managers also manage the program's expenses, ensuring that the projects adhere to the budget goals without compromising the quality and accuracy of the result... Show more	$31-67

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Oversight
   • Program Management
   • DOD
   • Technical Assistance
   • SharePoint
   • Social Work
   • Strategic Plan
   • Financial Management
   • Policy Changes
   • CMS
   • Employee Development
   • National Security
   • Global Health
   • Development Programs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the introduction and upgrade of wireless infrastructure at remote locations to ensure adherence with internal and international wireless standards.
   • Establish internal and external metrics, including on time, delivery, escapes, logistics and turn-around times.
   • Represent the logistics business division for all quality relate issues including process development for all ISO and Non-ISO certify warehouse locations.
   • Provide PMO support to multiple global product teams providing consolidation, and standardization of financial information across the organization.

   More deputy program director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your deputy program director job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A deputy program director 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 deputy program director in Arkansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level deputy program director usually earns less than a senior-level deputy program director. Additionally, a deputy program director 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 deputy program director salary

   $111,829yearly

   $53.76 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level deputy program director salary

   $74,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average deputy program director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$159,192	$77
   2	New York	$144,549	$69
   3	District of Columbia	$129,950	$62
   4	Massachusetts	$107,569	$52
   5	Washington	$106,658	$51
   6	Maryland	$104,565	$50
   7	Texas	$104,258	$50
   8	Colorado	$102,438	$49
   9	Florida	$95,696	$46
   10	Ohio	$91,131	$44
   11	Alaska	$79,183	$38

   Average deputy program director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Earthjustice	$149,929	$72.08
   2	ICF	$134,174	$64.51	25
   3	Cubic	$125,583	$60.38	3
   4	SOS International	$119,261	$57.34	7
   5	Colorado State Express	$117,689	$56.58
   6	International Center for Transitional Justice	$117,420	$56.45
   7	City & County Of San Francisco - Police Department (sfpd)	$117,371	$56.43	8
   8	Maryland Transportation Authority	$110,114	$52.94
   9	ACLU of Illinois	$109,220	$52.51	1
   10	Centers For Disease Control And Prevention	$105,411	$50.68
   11	Best Buddies International	$102,916	$49.48	26
   12	Touro College	$102,058	$49.07	9
   13	International Rescue Committee	$100,719	$48.42
   14	Service Employees International Union Local 205	$100,668	$48.40	10
   15	Washington State University	$96,225	$46.26	2
   16	Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A	$77,262	$37.15
   17	Alaska State Library	$73,918	$35.54	9
   18	Community Healthcare Network	$73,862	$35.51	3
   19	Sound Transit	$73,682	$35.42
   20	Autism Society of America	$65,197	$31.34

4. Writing a deputy program director job description

   A deputy program 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 deputy program director job description:

   Deputy program director job description example

   Are you a socially conscious, dedicated individual who is committed to building a better future for children, families, and their communities? If so, join us as we support early childhood education programs across the country to create positive outcomes for the children and families served.
   
   The YoungStar Deputy Director of Program Support is responsible for all quality improvement services for a diverse set of early care and education and school-age care providers, including but not limited to in-person and online individual and group quality coaching; help desk; training; and peer to peer learning opportunities. With a commitment to equity principles, this position leads a small management team, informs the collection of data pertinent to the strategic direction of the quality supports, and learns from multiple data sources to improve upon technical assistance. The Deputy Director will directly supervise several staff members, including three Coaching Managers and a Help Desk Manager. The Deputy Director of Program Support collaborates with and directs the work of relevant partners and subcontractors. Additionally, they will serve as a member of both the YoungStar and Shine Public System Leadership Teams.
   Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
   • Serves as a member of the leadership team, which includes supporting the Project Director in meeting all goals through continuous improvement and refinement.
   • Leads and directs cross-functional team collaborations and develops the coaching strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization.
   • Manages budget for all coaching services.
   • Creates and maintains consistent standards and quality assurance processes for all coaching services.
   • Utilizes data from programs, advisory committees, the state of Wisconsin, partners, and new research in the field to strategically prioritize coaching experiences.
   • Collaborates with and leads programmatic subcontractors.
   • Ensures all coaching related project performance goals meet or exceed contract requirements.
   • Participates in assigned meetings, events and training as required.
   • Collaborates with leaders and colleagues across Shine to advance coaching and quality improvement services. Requirements:
   1. Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Development or related field, Master's degree preferred
   2. 5 years' experience in a related field, early childhood education, or childcare-specific experience, specifically in the state of Wisconsin preferred
   3. Experience delivering professional and program development in a variety of forms
   4. Specialized training around implicit bias, anti-bias ECE programming, equity, inclusion, or related area
   5. Must have specialized training in Practice Based Coaching
   6. Experience teaching or coaching in an ECE classroom/program setting
   7. Recognized as a Master Trainer and/or Approved Consultant through the Wisconsin Registry's Professional Development Approval System (PDAS)
   8. Background checks are required for this position
   9. Travel required locally or long-distance up to 10% of the time for work-related meetings and functions; may increase based on project need.
   10. Must have a valid driver's license and reliable transportation
   Application deadline is October 19th, 2022 This position earns up to 90,000.00 Annually Why Acelero Learning or Shine Early Learning?
   - Ability to make an impact in the lives of the children, families, and partners we serve
   - Career growth and professional development opportunities
   - Supportive working environment
   - Average of 5 weeks of paid time off during 1st year of employment
   - Comprehensive benefits, including 401K matching and 100% vesting program
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and healthy work place. Still have questions about this role or our company? Submit an anonymous question by copying and pasting this link, , into your browser. Or feel free to contact . Thank you for considering employment with us!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find deputy program directors 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 deputy program directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level deputy program directors 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 deputy program director job on Zippia to find and recruit deputy program 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 deputy program 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 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 deputy program director

   Once you've decided on a perfect deputy program director candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new deputy program director. 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.)

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