How to hire a director of special services

How to hire a director of special services, step by step

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

Post a director of special services job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The director of special services hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 special services's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of special services 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 shows salaries for various types of directors of special services.

   Type of Director Of Special Services	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Special Services	Elementary, middle, and high school principals manage all school operations, including daily school activities. They coordinate curricula, oversee teachers and other school staff, and provide a safe and productive learning environment for students.	$26-56
   After School Program Coordinator	An after school program coordinator is primarily in charge of coordinating after-school learning and recreational activities designed for children to enhance their potentials and skills. Their job entails performing research and assessments, collaborating with fellow educators and experts, developing and implementing curricula, and monitoring the students' progress, communicating with parents as necessary... Show more	$12-22
   Vice Principal	A vice-principal works as an assistant educational administrator whose primary responsibility is to assist the school's principal with daily school administrative tasks, such as certifying and hiring teachers and school staff. In addition to these tasks, a vice-principal conducts parent interviews and serves as mentors and counselors to students... Show more	$30-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Business Development
   • Mental Health
   • Securities
   • Treasury
   • Staff Development
   • IEP
   • Education Programs
   • Direct Supervision
   • Professional Development
   • Public Schools
   • Federal Regulations
   • K-12
   • Oversight

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and manage a capital budget of $200K, an operational budget of $100K and 50 FTE's.
   • Coordinate Medicaid billing for the district.
   • Direct the administrative and clinical operations of rehabilitation services for a two-campus 325-bed acute-care hospital and hospital-base home health agency.
   • Maintain and supervise all clinical performance improvement systems for JCAHO accreditation.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, directors of special services' average salary in hawaii is 45% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of special services 52% less than senior-level directors of special services.
   • Certifications. A director of special services 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 special services's salary.

   Average director of special services salary

   $81,779yearly

   $39.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of special services salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing a director of special services job description

   A director of special services 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 special services job description:

   Director of special services job description example

   Responsibilities
   This Administrative Director for Surgical Services is a professional who, will work with the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, to accelerate Jefferson Health Abingtons Surgical Transformation and Integration towards top performance in patient centered high quality care excellence and patient safety outcomes. This individual will support the design, diffusion, and active dissemination of High Reliability Organizing (HRO) and System Safety principles throughout Abington Division Surgical Service Lines, Divisions, and Clinics, in alignment with the Jefferson health Enterprise surgical team. The Administrative Director will have direct administrative oversight over the surgical managers and directors and their teams.
   This individual must be a seasoned transformational leader, who will inspire trust and forward thinking, by fostering strong relationships to improve the reliability and resiliency of inter-disciplinary care at Jefferson Health Abington. This individual will utilize their expertise in safety science, lean, change management, change leadership, and continuous performance improvement to lead, skills, and attitudes into daily clinical operations. He/She will facilitate identification of high impact improvement opportunities quality, safety and pt family centered care/experience, lead strategic and tactical planning to prioritize and address opportunities identified, and drive results and accountability through growth and programmatic approach to leading and supporting high quality patient centered care.
   
   Qualifications
   Experience: 5+ years of experience in healthcare leadership. Surgical clinical experience preferred
   Education and Training: Master’s Degree required.
   License Certification: Current licensure as RN in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. CPR required.

   Conditions of Employment
   Covid Vaccination is a requirement for employment at Jefferson for employees working at Jefferson’s clinical entities or at the University. If you are not currently vaccinated you will be required to receive the vaccination prior to hire date if you are offered employment, unless you request and receive an approved medical or religious exemption from Jefferson.

   Closing Statement
   Jefferson Health delivers state of the art healthcare services to patients throughout the Delaware Valley and southern New Jersey. Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) provides more than 8,400 students from nearly 40 states and 40 countries with 21st century professional education. Combined, we have over 30,000 employees.

   Jefferson Health, with 14 hospitals (seven are Magnet designated by the ANCC for nursing excellence) and 40+ outpatient and urgent care locations, offers a broad range of primary and complex, highly specialized care that touches the lives of more than four million patients annually. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Thomas Jefferson University Hospital among the nation’s best in eight specialties. Jefferson Health also includes the NCI designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center; it is one of only 70 such centers in the nation.

   Thomas Jefferson University has ten colleges and three schools that offer more than 160 undergraduate and graduate programs. Our University is dedicated to inter-professional and transdisciplinary approaches to learning that offer a vibrant and expandable platform for professional education. Through this unique model, we are preparing our students for current and yet to be imagined careers.

   As an employer, Jefferson maintains a commitment to provide equal access to employment. Jefferson values diversity and encourages applications from women, members of minority groups, LGBTQ individuals, disabled individuals, and veterans.

   Company DescriptionJefferson Health delivers state-of-the-art healthcare services to patients throughout the Delaware Valley and southern New Jersey. Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) provides more than 8,400 students from nearly 40 states and 40 countries with 21st-century professional education. Combined, we have over 30,000 employees.
   
   With 14 hospitals (seven are Magnet-designated by the ANCC for nursing excellence) and 40+ outpatient and urgent care locations, Jefferson Health offers a broad range of primary and complex, highly specialized care that touches the lives of more than four million patients annually. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Thomas Jefferson University Hospital among the nation’s best in eight specialties. Jefferson Health also includes the NCI designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center; it is one of only 70 such centers.
   
   Thomas Jefferson University has ten colleges and three schools that offer more than 160 undergraduate and graduate programs. Our University is dedicated to inter-professional and transdisciplinary approaches to learning that offer a dynamic and expandable platform for professional education. We are preparing our students for current and yet to be imagined careers through this unique model.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right director of special services 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 directors of special services they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit directors of special services 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 director of special services job on Zippia to find and attract quality director of special services candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting directors of special services requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 special services

   Once you've selected the best director of special services 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.

   To prepare for the new director of special services 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a director of special services?