How to hire a direct marketing manager

How to hire a direct marketing manager, step by step

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

What does a direct marketing manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your direct marketing 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 direct marketing 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

   Hiring the perfect direct marketing manager 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of direct marketing managers.

   Type of Direct Marketing Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Direct Marketing 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.	$30-62
   Manager, Field Marketing	A field marketing manager oversees a company's field marketing operations, aiming to improve brand awareness and reach sales goals. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around devising marketing strategies, participating in organizing campaigns and trade shows, setting objectives for the team, and monitoring the progress of marketing programs, ensuring they are functioning effectively and efficiently... Show more	$32-61
   Marketing Strategist	The marketing strategist is an executive who works with the members of the marketing team to ensure the implementation of high-quality marketing strategies within a given time frame. Marketing strategists examine data to find out the best way to administer resources to increase revenue and profits... Show more	$25-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Marketing
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Project Management
   • Email Campaigns
   • CRM
   • ROI
   • Campaign Performance
   • Channel Marketing
   • Creative Development
   • Email Marketing
   • Salesforce
   • Lead Generation
   • B Testing
   • Telemarketing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design and manage all web advertising components including email, SEM, affiliate and banner/tile ads.
   • Manage customer lifecycle workflow utilizing Aprimo project management tool.
   • Develop and manage marketing programs and partner integration for industry marketing in government, healthcare and education markets.
   • Develop SEO initiatives around same long tail keywords to increase organic traffic.
   • Direct all employees on company SEO efforts including blogs, forums, and social networks.
   • Contribute to the visual design, interaction, and usability of CRM and other sales application interfaces.

   More direct marketing manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $90,736yearly

   $43.62 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level direct marketing manager salary

   $63,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average direct marketing manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$120,550	$58
   2	Oregon	$106,371	$51
   3	New York	$103,609	$50
   4	Pennsylvania	$103,344	$50
   5	Connecticut	$102,455	$49
   6	North Dakota	$96,753	$47
   7	Massachusetts	$96,100	$46
   8	Maryland	$94,732	$46
   9	Nevada	$94,472	$45
   10	Ohio	$93,470	$45
   11	South Carolina	$92,748	$45
   12	Michigan	$89,445	$43
   13	West Virginia	$89,423	$43
   14	New Hampshire	$88,595	$43
   15	Colorado	$88,510	$43
   16	Alaska	$85,965	$41
   17	District of Columbia	$83,946	$40
   18	Delaware	$83,815	$40
   19	Virginia	$82,685	$40
   20	Missouri	$82,494	$40

   Average direct marketing manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Neighborly	$146,153	$70.27	8
   2	Nike	$121,306	$58.32	25
   3	LendingClub	$111,290	$53.50	6
   4	American Express	$106,747	$51.32	99
   5	Tailored Brands	$103,296	$49.66	2
   6	Wpp Us Holdings Inc	$101,974	$49.03	38
   7	The Children's Place	$96,572	$46.43	1
   8	Targetspot	$92,318	$44.38
   9	U.S. Bank	$87,852	$42.24	47
   10	AutoNation	$87,302	$41.97
   11	Lifetime Brands	$86,324	$41.50	1
   12	Wells Fargo	$84,236	$40.50	15
   13	Golden Hippo	$83,659	$40.22	6
   14	Randstad North America, Inc.	$83,102	$39.95	25
   15	OneMain	$82,328	$39.58	7
   16	GoodRx	$82,219	$39.53	1
   17	Frontline Source Group	$82,036	$39.44	2
   18	CHANEL	$81,280	$39.08	11
   19	The Reserves Network	$74,758	$35.94
   20	Democratic Party	$66,441	$31.94

4. Writing a direct marketing manager job description

   A direct marketing manager 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 direct marketing manager job description:

   Direct marketing manager job description example

   The Digital Marketing team is looking for a talented Direct Marketing Manager to execute high-visibility marketing initiatives supporting new customer acquisition and customer deepening campaigns. This role will help transform our Digital Shopping experience into a best-in-class, business-driving channel reflective of our brand. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and outstanding “get work done” champion. This person then aggressively optimizes performance through test & learn. This DMM must collaborate with a wide array of high-performing, results-oriented partners (e.g., creative, UX, analytics, line of business marketers, IT, online account opening, etc.).
   
   The DMM will be responsible for bringing to life highly trafficked digital experiences on Huntington.com, mobile app, and online account opening. This person must understand industry trends and push our organization's thinking on best-in-class shopping journeys.
   Responsibilities
   Support digital shopping strategist in designing shopping journeys for multiple lines of business and match unique shopper needs with best offering Manage the implementation and execution of digital shopping programs, with responsibility of meeting financial, regulatory, legal, and strategic objectives Develop timelines for all marketing campaign components -- pre-planning, business case development and presentation, target audience modeling and selection, creative development, review and approval processes, and quality control processes Manage the budget for marketing campaign by working with advertising agencies and production vendors to provide recommendations and options that will achieve business objectives while being cost efficient Lead proper execution that delivers on strategy Partner with advertising agencies and internal teams (including segment managers, product managers, creative/brand team, legal and compliance) to ensure creative brief and deliverables for each marketing campaign are on strategy, on time and on budget Manage the review and approval process of all marketing campaign components with creative/brand team, legal and compliance Lead the quality control process including target audience list audits for all marketing channels ensuring the business objectives are met and test design is followed Champion a consistent, elevated brand experience across Huntington.com, app, and online account opening
   
   Basic Qualifications
   Bachelor's DegreeA minimum of 5 years of direct marketing and project management experience required
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   Excellent written and verbal communication skills (face-to-face, digital, PowerPoint) and be able to sell ideas to senior leadership Ability to develop working relationships with individuals at all levels of an organization Good project management and execution skills; detail-oriented, with an analytical and financial orientation Familiarity with agile process and workflow tools Familiarity with web personalization and “right person, right place, right message”; experience with martech (e.g., Salesforce, Sitecore) a plus Has growth mindset: self-motivated, curious, and creative; self-directed learner Experience in financial services and/or consumer goods marketing Experience with performance-based digital marketing programs and driving results through digital programs Experience managing agency and vendor relationships Strong relationship building skills with ability to collaborate effectively across broad stakeholder groups Understanding of test vs. control principles and other test design techniques to demonstrate incrementality
   #LI-NG1
   #LI-Hybrid
   
   Workplace Type:
   Hybrid
   
   Huntington is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity and expression, genetic information, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law.
   
   Tobacco-Free Hiring Practice: Visit Huntington's Career Web Site for more details.
   
   Agency Statement: Huntington does not accept solicitation from Third Party Recruiters for any position

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find direct marketing 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 direct marketing manager job on Zippia to find and recruit direct marketing 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

   To successfully recruit direct marketing managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 direct marketing manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect direct marketing 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.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new direct marketing 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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