How to hire a digital program manager

How to hire a digital program manager, step by step

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

What does a digital program manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

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

   This list presents digital program manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Digital Program Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Digital 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.	$34-68
   Marketing Director	Marketing directors are responsible for the overall branding and marketing direction of the company. They are in charge of identifying goals and strategies related to marketing... Show more	$32-92
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Transformation
   • Digital Marketing
   • Project Management
   • Program Management
   • Digital Content
   • KPIs
   • User Experience
   • Product Management
   • Client Facing
   • B Testing
   • Internal Stakeholders
   • Facebook
   • Content Management System
   • Digital Program

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage schedule milestone dates in company database; supervise full-service vendor in updating Smartsheet schedule.
   • Interface with key internal and client stakeholders to define and lead digital and CRM initiatives.
   • Own entire worldwide marketing budget, prioritize spends and ensure best ROI (units & mix).
   • Provide level of effort estimations and resource requirements in partnership with BA, UX, development and QA project resources.
   • Generate complete SEO/analytic reports identifying specific aggregates, require metrics and investigate reporting discrepancies with JIRA as required.
   • Task with the ongoing improvement and optimization of these e-commerce capabilities.

   More digital program manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, digital program managers' average salary in colorado is 41% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level digital program managers earn 50% less than senior-level digital program managers.
   • Certifications. A digital 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 digital program manager's salary.

   Average digital program manager salary

   $100,853yearly

   $48.49 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level digital program manager salary

   $71,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average digital program manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$134,135	$64
   2	Washington	$117,964	$57
   3	New Jersey	$116,133	$56
   4	Pennsylvania	$116,096	$56
   5	Oregon	$107,791	$52
   6	Maryland	$102,909	$49
   7	Texas	$102,571	$49
   8	New York	$102,069	$49
   9	Delaware	$100,498	$48
   10	Virginia	$97,889	$47
   11	Massachusetts	$96,979	$47
   12	Illinois	$95,093	$46
   13	Arizona	$92,985	$45
   14	Missouri	$88,940	$43
   15	North Carolina	$84,083	$40
   16	Minnesota	$83,502	$40
   17	Nebraska	$82,253	$40
   18	Georgia	$78,156	$38
   19	Florida	$72,812	$35
   20	Colorado	$72,171	$35

   Average digital program manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$167,817	$80.68	710
   2	VMware	$152,076	$73.11	1
   3	Apple	$145,151	$69.78	158
   4	Citi	$143,519	$69.00	16
   5	Microsoft	$142,849	$68.68	247
   6	Point B	$142,593	$68.55
   7	Rivian	$137,201	$65.96	8
   8	BNY Mellon	$137,029	$65.88	19
   9	Deutsche Bank	$135,573	$65.18
   10	J.P. Morgan	$135,323	$65.06
   11	Agilent Technologies	$127,606	$61.35	5
   12	Novartis	$127,302	$61.20	6
   13	Intel	$125,987	$60.57	5
   14	General Electric	$125,598	$60.38	31
   15	HP	$125,410	$60.29	8
   16	Abbott	$124,799	$60.00	53
   17	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$124,201	$59.71	187
   18	Amazon	$122,668	$58.98	733
   19	Navistar	$122,568	$58.93	1
   20	Booz Allen Hamilton	$121,953	$58.63	35

4. Writing a digital program manager job description

   A good digital program manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a digital program manager job description:

   Digital program manager job description example

   The Program Manager, Digital Marketing is primarily responsible for overseeing lead generation efforts primarily through various digital marketing channels, including search engine marketing, search engine optimization, email campaigns, online advertising and integrated website content. The Program Manager defines the roadmap for digital marketing and demand activities tools and processes. An additional responsibility of the Program Manager, as subject matter expert, will be to increase digital marketing understanding and competencies across the marketing organization.
   
   Responsible for the management, maintenance, and quality assurance of all online marketing campaigns.
   
   Assist managing all digital marketing projects from start to finish including, websites, landing pages, emails, ads, presentations, and other collateral
   
   Measure and report on the effectiveness of digital marketing activities. Analyze results to identify opportunities for improvement and optimization.
   
   Manage the digital marketing budget and create compelling business cases for future investment in all types of digital media.
   Collaborate closely with the local marketing leaders to develop a holistic marketing strategy.
   Partner with the marketing analyst and CRM to share reporting, key insights, and recommendations with internal stakeholders on digital campaigns.
   Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously
   Evaluate, engage, and manage relationships with agencies, freelancers, and other resources.
   Be a champion for our audience, partnering with analytics, CRM and digital content teams on audience journey and segmentation work.
   Drive SEO/SEM, email, personalization, Google Analytics and digital retargeting metrics to forecast trends
   Partner with local marketing, brand, content, CRM, and analyst teams to identify to define and design personalized marketing campaign strategies and tactics to drive digital conversions
   Requirements: Bachelor Degree in Marketing, Communications, Advertising or related field Excellent written, verbal and presentation communications skills Minimum of six years of experienced working directly in digital acquisition and growth marketing including digital, CRM platforms, media, social, email and how they connect to drive result Strong ability to establish processes and drive project execution with minimal guidance amidst multiple priorities and goals Experience in the healthcare industry a plus Experience in managing multiple projects with tight and competing deadlines Experience with Sitecore 8-10 and Oracle Eloqua Work Type: Full Time

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right digital program manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with digital program managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit digital program managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your digital program manager job on Zippia to find and attract quality digital 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 digital 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.

   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 digital program manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect digital program manager 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.

   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 digital program manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 digital program manager?