How to hire a development & communications associate

How to hire a development & communications associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step development & communications associate hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your development & communications associate 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 development & communications associate 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a development & communications associate 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 development & communications associate that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of development & communications associate salaries for various roles:

   Type of Development & Communications Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Development & Communications Associate	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$17-37
   Social Media Internship	In a social media internship, the primary role is to take part in managing a brand's social media platforms for public relations. One of their primary duties is to craft informative and captivating content while under the supervision and guidelines of a manager or supervisor... Show more	$11-18
   Digital Media Internship	In a digital media internship, an intern participates in various creative projects while under the supervision and guidance of a supervising manager or staff. They usually perform support tasks to gather industry insights and experience, which typically includes creating digital content according to project guidelines and themes, conducting research and analyses, utilizing client feedback, and handling digital platforms, such as websites and social media pages... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Entry
   • Community Outreach
   • Community Development
   • Donor Relations
   • Event Planning
   • Blog Posts
   • Press Releases
   • Alumni
   • External Communications
   • Facebook
   • Twitter
   • Fact Sheets
   • Donor Database
   • Salesforce

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all aspects of donor prospecting, cultivation, stewardship, and budget/vendor/consultant management for special events and individual giving.
   • Maintain database (Salesforce) with accurate up-to-date records on all gifts and responses.
   • Contribute to writing and editing quarterly alumni newsletter.
   • Conduct research of university development/alumni websites to benchmark Jefferson s alumni website.
   • Prepare and edit donor stewardship and proposals, physician presentations, and leadership communications independently and in conjunction with communications teammates.
   • Investigate individuals suspect of committing criminal activity in the NCIC system.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your development & communications associate job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A development & communications associate can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, development & communications associates' average salary in maine is 50% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level development & communications associates 53% less than senior-level development & communications associates.
   • Certifications. A development & communications associate 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 development & communications associate's salary.

   Average development & communications associate salary

   $53,446yearly

   $25.70 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level development & communications associate salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a development & communications associate job description

   A development & communications associate 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 development & communications associate job description:

   Development & communications associate job description example

   New America-an innovative nonprofit policy institute in the heart of Washington, D.C.-is seeking a candidate who is comfortable being responsible for planning, designing, implementing, and maintaining software solutions for mission critical digital products, for a Python Developer position. (New America's offices are based in Washington, DC, though this position can be performed either on a hybrid office/remote schedule or fully remote.) You will help the New America Product team design, build, and deploy data-based products. The team is a small, collaborative, agile group, where each developer has a significant impact on our products.
   PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
   
   Your role will be to work with other developers and the Deputy Director of Product Design to propose, design, and implement solutions to the various challenges presented by the maintenance and ongoing improvement of the site and its supporting applications, as well as new features and products that scale the work of New America's programs.
   
   Write code using these tools:
   
   Python, using the Django web framework
   
   HTML and CSS
   
   JavaScript
   
   React (Nextjs)
   
   Support Systems using these components
   
   Heroku and some AWS
   
   PostgreSQL
   
   Wagtail CMS
   
   Docker
   
   Quality Assurance: every feature we release undergoes systematic testing by another member of the team not involved in code generation.
   
   Code Review: every feature also undergoes thorough code review by another team member prior to release.
   
   PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   You should have most of these skills, but certainly not all are required.
   
   A minimum of 4 years development experience in web development
   
   Experience with high-level language, HTML/CSS, and Javascript as well as familiarity with relational databases. We use Python/Django PostgreSQL; experience with Wagtail CMS or similar CMS
   
   Familiarity with basic version control concepts - preferably Git;
   
   Unit testing experience and/or enthusiasm
   
   You love to learn and use new technologies
   
   You like working collaboratively on a team and welcome feedback on code reviews
   
   Bonus points if:
   
   You consider yourself a excellent at any of our major technologies: Python, Django, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Git, Heroku, and especially Wagtail.
   
   Have experience with headless CMS implementation.
   
   You've deployed code into production
   
   You have frontend experience (React) beyond a typical backend developer.
   
   Submit a cover letter, resume and links to portfolios of work and/or GitHub repos. Applicants without samples of work will not be considered. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so early submissions are recommended.
   
   New America is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce at all
   
   levels of the organization thereby creating a culture that allows us to better serve our mission,
   
   our employees, and our communities. We value and encourage the contributions of our
   
   employees and strive to create an environment where everyone can reach their full potential
   
   and drive outstanding results. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment
   
   without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital
   
   status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state,
   
   or federal law. This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one's employment, including
   
   hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find development & communications associates 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 development & communications associate job on Zippia to find and attract quality development & communications associate candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit development & communications associates, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 development & communications associate

   Once you've selected the best development & communications associate candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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 development & communications associate. 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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