How to hire a development manager

How to hire a development manager, step by step

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

What does a development manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your development manager 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 manager 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 development manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, development managers 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.

   Here's a comparison of development manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Development Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Development 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.	$36-76
   Vice President Product Development	A vice president for product development is responsible for leading the product development team in the execution of development activities to enhance the product's brand image in the market and achieve the sales performance target. Vice presidents for product development monitor the product development techniques from the conceptualization to the final execution and market release... Show more	$52-124
   Director New Business Development	A director of new business development is in charge of spearheading new programs and procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to set goals and objectives in adherence to the company's vision and mission, establishing guidelines, allocating budgets, and overseeing the progress of all efforts... Show more	$34-80

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Customer Service
   • Patients
   • Java
   • Database
   • Professional Development
   • C++
   • Software Development
   • Object Oriented Programming
   • Scrum
   • Business Development
   • JavaScript
   • Performance Management
   • HR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Thank and recognize donors in an appropriate and timely manner and manage and maintain donor database including updating and managing files.
   • Utilize BizTalk to automate HIPAA standard transactions.
   • Manage the integration of CTIOS to the CRM application.
   • Lead design/development of prototyping of new software for relate revenue streams.
   • Lead the global investment banking development team and corporate SOX application.
   • Manage and chair product design and development using custom J2EE and MVC framework.

   More development manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $110,678yearly

   $53.21 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level development manager salary

   $76,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average development manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$145,852	$70
   2	Washington	$120,004	$58
   3	Connecticut	$115,839	$56
   4	Massachusetts	$113,929	$55
   5	New York	$113,268	$54
   6	Virginia	$112,314	$54
   7	Michigan	$108,992	$52
   8	Oregon	$108,857	$52
   9	Nevada	$108,476	$52
   10	Pennsylvania	$106,674	$51
   11	Wisconsin	$105,114	$51
   12	Arizona	$104,389	$50
   13	Texas	$103,846	$50
   14	Utah	$103,630	$50
   15	Illinois	$103,537	$50
   16	District of Columbia	$102,390	$49
   17	North Carolina	$101,900	$49
   18	Minnesota	$100,589	$48
   19	Georgia	$99,549	$48
   20	Ohio	$99,168	$48

   Average development manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld	$197,876	$95.13
   2	Morgan Lewis	$195,497	$93.99
   3	Meta	$195,048	$93.77	468
   4	Google	$186,837	$89.83	140
   5	Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman	$186,826	$89.82	2
   6	Apple	$184,729	$88.81	51
   7	McKinsey & Company Inc	$184,413	$88.66
   8	Ropes & Gray	$181,908	$87.46	17
   9	California Resources	$177,973	$85.56
   10	Clifford Chance	$175,246	$84.25	4
   11	NVIDIA	$174,146	$83.72	42
   12	PayPal	$172,376	$82.87	29
   13	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$166,007	$79.81	3
   14	Boston Consulting Group	$165,792	$79.71
   15	Practice Fusion	$165,294	$79.47
   16	eBay	$164,991	$79.32	5
   17	Vedder Price	$164,954	$79.30
   18	Levi Strauss & Co.	$164,628	$79.15	2
   19	Everyday Health	$163,394	$78.55
   20	Brookfield Properties	$162,328	$78.04

4. Writing a development manager job description

   A job description for a development manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a development manager job description:

   Development manager job description example

   Current Employees:
   If you are a current employee at Ryder (not a Contractor or temporary employee through a staffing agency), please click here to log in to Workday to apply using the internal application process. To learn how to apply for a position using the Career worklet, please review this quick reference guide.
   
   Job Seekers can review the Job Applicant Privacy Policy by clicking HERE.
   
   You are the driving force behind our company.Start your career with Ryder today!
   
   SummaryThe Technical Trainer will provide and/or coordinate adequate training solutions to all shop personnel so that each employee has the necessary knowledge and skill for their level which contributes to the attainment of maintenance initiatives, cost controls, customer satisfaction and retention, employee growth and retention and overall performance and productivity. This position is responsible for insuring Ryder administered training meets or exceeds the expectation of our internal customers. Effective training is required to insure trainees will be able to positively impact running costs by reducing rework, breakdown and outside spend once complete. The MSD is responsible for driving continuous improvement in safety, quality and speed throughout the FMS maintenance organization.Essential Functions
   Responsible for administering technical and leadership training to all FMS maintenance employees Responsible for the qualification of technical training to all FMS Maintenance employees Actively involved in identification, development and updating of current and new training materials and courses Responsible for timely updating Workday LMS upon course completion Monitor training facilities to insure they provide high quality training environments, are adequately supplied and equipped to support world class training. Communicate to Operations Leadership the needs of the center Operate as catalyst for TTRP to improve eligibility and participation Promote and support ASE participation and Safety programs
   Additional Responsibilities
   Performs other duties as assigned.
   Skills and Abilities
   Ability to build strong customer relationships Strong verbal and written communication skills Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills Possesses strong technical aptitude Develops and delivers effective presentations Ability to create and maintain professional relationships within all levels of the organization (peers, work groups, customers, supervisors) Ability to work independently and as a member of a team Capable of multi-tasking, highly organized, with excellent time management skills Detail oriented with excellent follow-up practices Prior training and development knowledge intermediate preferred
   Qualifications
   Bachelor's degree required BusinessThree (3) years or more in transportation industry preferably with heavy duty trucks, tractors, trailers, refrigeration and related components (diesel engines, transmissions, brakes, power train, etc.). required Three (3) years or more Rental and Lease company experience preferred One (1) year or more experience in managing people and remote personnel preferred Prior training and development knowledge intermediate preferred TMC,ASE,VICA/Skills USA certifications
   TravelGreater than 60%Safety Sensitive
   Non-Regulated - Tech Practice Safety during training sessions DOT RegulatedCDL - optional depending on location assignment
   
   Job Category
   Training and Development
   
   Ryder is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.
   
   Job Seekers can review the Job Applicant Privacy Policy by clicking HERE.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find development 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 development manager job on Zippia to find and recruit development manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific 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 development 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.

   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 manager

   Once you've selected the best development manager 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 manager. 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 development manager?