How to hire a director of project management

How to hire a director of project management, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of project management hiring guide:

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

What does a director of project management do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a director of project management, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A director of project management's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of project management 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 director of project management salaries for various roles:

   Type of Director Of Project Management	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Project Management		$40-89
   Project Director	A project director is a professional responsible for supervising workers from various departments given specific tasks to complete a given project. They create a budget to complete a job while monitoring the amount of money spent to ensure that overspending is avoided... Show more	$33-77
   Consultant/Project Manager	Consultants/project managers act as planners, leaders, and advisors in business enterprises. These professionals facilitate meetings and establish positive relationships with vendors, management, and clients... Show more	$35-65

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Oversight
   • Risk Management
   • Resource Management
   • Business Objectives
   • Healthcare
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Process Improvement
   • Direct Reports
   • Program Management
   • PMO
   • Client Facing
   • Manage Cross
   • Business Development
   • Employee Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and manage RFP processes to procure third party products and services.
   • Manage & facilitate agile scrum masters, project managers and business analysts including providing direction, guidance and training.
   • Develop and lead divisional IP application strategy and review process to improve patent return on investment and alignment with product strategies.
   • Direct logistics and manufacturing process at Baltimore depot and revamp of product line to achieve desire mission-readiness capability.
   • Streamline and centralize usage of project management tools to manage dependencies and transparent delivery milestones for highly complex SaaS platforms
   • Lead scrum team through multiple development sprints for overall product improvement base on customer feedback and market research.

   More director of project management duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of project management job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A director of project management can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, directors of project management' average salary in north dakota is 46% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of project management 55% less than senior-level directors of project management.
   • Certifications. A director of project management 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 director of project management's salary.

   Average director of project management salary

   $126,958yearly

   $61.04 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of project management salary

   $85,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average director of project management salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$162,988	$78
   2	Washington	$141,820	$68
   3	Nevada	$122,905	$59
   4	Texas	$121,874	$59
   5	Oregon	$117,350	$56
   6	Arizona	$117,198	$56
   7	New Jersey	$116,952	$56
   8	New York	$115,699	$56
   9	Virginia	$115,112	$55
   10	Maine	$112,353	$54
   11	Massachusetts	$107,428	$52
   12	Maryland	$107,389	$52
   13	Florida	$105,679	$51
   14	Indiana	$101,795	$49
   15	Colorado	$101,463	$49
   16	District of Columbia	$101,240	$49
   17	Illinois	$100,042	$48
   18	Delaware	$98,189	$47
   19	West Virginia	$97,564	$47
   20	New Hampshire	$96,771	$47

   Average director of project management salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$200,253	$96.28	499
   2	Fried Frank	$195,612	$94.04
   3	Walmart	$180,028	$86.55	158
   4	NorthStar Anesthesia	$177,872	$85.52
   5	ViacomCBS	$175,465	$84.36
   6	The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research	$172,160	$82.77	1
   7	Ergotron	$167,574	$80.56	1
   8	Nowcom	$165,299	$79.47
   9	Proofpoint	$164,424	$79.05	35
   10	BMO Capital Markets	$162,220	$77.99	17
   11	The AES	$161,313	$77.55	5
   12	Museum of Science	$160,213	$77.03
   13	Ralph Lauren	$158,375	$76.14	3
   14	BGC Partners	$156,902	$75.43	1
   15	Prologis	$156,307	$75.15	6
   16	Macy's	$154,360	$74.21	54
   17	Raise	$154,307	$74.19
   18	Colfax Corporation	$154,164	$74.12	4
   19	Lucid Motors	$154,030	$74.05	33
   20	Pci	$153,607	$73.85	2

4. Writing a director of project management job description

   A director of project management 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 director of project management job description:

   Director of project management job description example

   Are you interested in leading and motivating a team, growing a business, and finding new ways to leverage technology to improve the lives of citizens? As Director of Operations for Tyler Technologies NIC - New Mexico division, you will have the opportunity to be part of the management team that is focused on this and more every day.
   Who are we?
   NIC - New Mexico is a subsidiary Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) the national leader in government technology solutions that create smarter, safer and stronger communities.We are a talented team of innovators, programmers, and project managers dedicated to improving the lives of New Mexicans through web and mobile applications that we build on behalf of our government partner in New Mexico. We are passionately leading a new era of digital public service, using technology to bring government to the people in meaningful and convenient ways.
   
   The Director of Operations is part of the management team with varied and broad responsibilities, including project management, product development, marketing and the service desk management. The Director of Operations is first and foremost a leader and ensures that each team is operating efficiently and effectively. This position serves as a backup to the General Manager, assisting with financial forecasting and budgeting as well as meeting with customers to build and maintain relationships.
   
   Excellent written and verbal communication skills are a requirement for this position, and experience managing teams is a must.
   
   Duties of the Director of Operations include, but are not limited to:
   Lead and inspire a team of professional technologists and project managers Provide guidance and oversight to teams responsible for key aspects of the business Develop strategies for growth and execute on tactics that will improve effectiveness and accelerate progress toward our mission Oversee marketing and public relations Seek out and implement improvements to all aspects of the business Manage complex and key eGovernment projects Meet with agencies to discuss existing services, potential projects, and projects in development; create proposals based on scope of work Assist the General Manager with reports, presentations and meetings with government partners in the Santa Fe area and at conferences and tradeshows around the state Work closely with the Director of Technology and leadership team to ensure effectiveness of all teams Ensure quality and timeliness of marketing and project management deliverables, including compliance with established company processes and standards Oversee and enhance project management process Manage application project queue and priorities Conduct regular meetings with team on status of completed and ongoing projects and assist with priorities, decision-making Understand and document requirements (business analysis and writing) and train others to perform and document requirements gathering for digital government project. Manage service desk operations; act as the escalation point and develop strategies for improvement
   Requirements:
   Undergraduate degree Outstanding communications skills Minimum of five years' related job experience Experience with Agile development methodology a plus, including sprint planning Web application project management and PMI certification preferred Excellent customer service skills, including good verbal and written abilities Strong leadership, organizational, prioritization, and project management skills
   
   Location
   Santa Fe, New Mexico
   
   Great Place to Work & Grow Your Career
   Come join us as we transform the public sector! Our guide everything we do. We're also frequently recognized as a great workplace locally and nationally. See our many .
   
   Taking Care of You & Your Family
   Your health and well-being are important to us. That's why we invest in our team members by offering competitive benefits to support their health and financial wellness. .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right director of project management for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of project management job on Zippia to find and recruit director of project management candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with director of project management candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 director of project management

   Once you've decided on a perfect director of project management 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 employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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