How to hire a district superintendent

How to hire a district superintendent, step by step

Here's a step-by-step district superintendent hiring guide:

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

Post a district superintendent job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the district superintendent you need to hire. Certain district superintendent 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 district superintendent's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, district superintendents 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of district superintendents and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of District Superintendent	Description	Hourly rate
   District Superintendent	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$37-74
   Manager	Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department... Show more	$17-44
   General Manager	A general manager is responsible for handling the overall operations in the business. General managers manage the staff tasks efficiently, monitor the productivity and efficiency of the work environment, implement new strategies to improve the business performance, recognize the team's best efforts, and effective allocation of budget resources... Show more	$19-60

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Selection Process
   • Safety Program

   Responsibilities:

   • Value by executive management team as a successful leader driven to respectfully manage teams and drive profitability of multi-unit operations.
   • Value by executive management team as a successful leader driven to respectfully manage teams and drive profitability of multi-unit operations.
   • Integrate and administer a new POS system that maximize profits and streamline inventory control.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, district superintendents' average salary in mississippi is 52% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level district superintendents earn 50% less than senior-level district superintendents.
   • Certifications. A district superintendent 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 district superintendent's salary.

   Average district superintendent salary

   $110,560yearly

   $53.15 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level district superintendent salary

   $78,000 yearly salary

   Updated February 1, 2026

4. Writing a district superintendent job description

   A good district superintendent 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 district superintendent job description:

   District superintendent job description example

   **Job Level: Mid Level**
   
   **Department: Construction Operations**
   
   **Market: Transportation**
   
   **Employment Type: Full Time**
   
   **Position Overview**
   
   As a Superintendent you will play a significant part in the success for Kiewit's Northwest District. You will function as a field supervisor and may have responsibility for multiple Foreman, and/or laborers/craft workers. You will be responsible for the organization, work methods, scheduling, cost control, conformity with drawings and specification, workmanship, and assignment of work to accomplish the execution of the work, either directly or through General Foreman or Foreman. You will also work to maintain positive working relationships with clients, architect/engineer, suppliers, subcontractors, and jobsite staff.
   
   Our mission is to make a difference and we offer opportunities for you to make one too through our construction operations. Whether we're boring tunnels through mountains, turning rivers into energy or building bridges that connect communities, we depend on our passionate, skilled, and safety-obsessed construction professionals to get it done right. You bring your big ideas, commitment to top quality, and an unwavering work ethic. In return, we offer huge career and travel opportunities and the satisfaction of building the next big thing from the ground up. There's a reason Kiewit attracts the best: we offer fast-paced excitement and fulfillment you won't find anywhere else.
   
   **District Overview**
   
   Kiewit's Northwest District is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington. We primarily perform heavy civil projects specializing in earth moving, transportation, roadways, water resources, and underground utilities. We are looking for hard working individuals with a passion for construction who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty! Our current opportunities are spread across the entire west coast including Alaska and Hawaii.
   
   **Location**
   
   We have projects across the west coast including Alaska and Hawaii, in large cities and small towns, so our people must be willing to go where the work is. Job assignment location will be determined closer to your start date. Must be able to travel and relocate as business requires.
   
   **Responsibilities**
   
   • Mentor and help to grow Jr. Superintendents
   
   • Review and approve the balance of Foremen, journeymen and laborer's composite labor rates
   
   • Manage contract administration (subcontractor/field management meeting for communication)
   
   • Develop a program to maintain good client relations involving staff on site
   
   • Initiate and attend supplementary and regular meeting with client for problem resolution and planning
   
   • Oversee and approve the monthly job cost updates and quarterly cash flow projections
   
   • Review, approve and negotiate change orders
   
   • Develop and implement a plan for project completion and turnover
   
   • Maintain daily diary for record keeping purposes
   
   • Ensure that all performance evaluations and completed in a timely fashion for direct reports
   
   • Recommend, where appropriate, organizational, policy and procedural or staff changes
   
   • Review and approve or reject promotions up to General Foremen.
   
   **Qualifications**
   
   • 5+ years' construction experience (preferably working on infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, dams, water/wastewater treatment plants etc.)
   
   • Must be a self-starter, highly motivated with the ability to work with minimal supervision.
   
   • Ability to quickly learn and understand various processes regarding Kiewit's policies, procedures and software programs.
   
   • Ability to identify and resolve any problems that may arise.
   
   • Excellent organizational, administrative, communication and interpersonal skills.
   
   • Strong experience in Leadership, safety, negotiations, planning, and contract administration.
   
   \#LI-KM1
   
   _We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law._
   
   Company: Kiewit

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find district superintendents for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any district superintendents they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level district superintendents with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your district superintendent job on Zippia to find and recruit district superintendent candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting district superintendents 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 district superintendent

   Once you've selected the best district superintendent 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.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new district superintendent. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a district superintendent?