How to hire an engagement manager

How to hire an engagement manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step engagement manager hiring guide:

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

What does an engagement manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your engagement 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 an engagement 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an engagement manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an engagement manager that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of engagement manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Engagement Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Engagement Manager	Computer and information systems managers, often called information technology (IT) managers or IT project managers, plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization. They help determine the information technology goals of an organization and are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet those goals.	$40-72
   Manager, Systems Engineering	A systems engineering manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of the company's technology systems and network infrastructure. System engineering managers inspect the output deliverables of computer systems, identifying process improvement techniques to improve optimal performance and maintain high-quality results... Show more	$46-84
   Manager, Program Management	A program management manager is a professional who guides project managers and oversees and coordinates an organization's projects, products, and other strategic initiatives. The day-to-day responsibilities of a program manager include planning the overall program, managing the program's budget and the main program documents, and defining the program governance... Show more	$39-74

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Analytics
   • Customer Service
   • Healthcare
   • Digital Transformation
   • Business Development
   • Portfolio
   • Cloud
   • Client Relationships
   • CRM
   • Client Facing
   • Salesforce
   • Professional Services
   • Digital Marketing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead implementation services team for ITSM SaaS solution through deployment of ServiceNow.
   • Create and manage project plan & schedule; monitor project status throughout the SDLC.
   • Manage customer interactions and relationship building with support staff, managers, and c-level executives.
   • Manage all the environments and play key role performance test SME for the entire program.
   • Lead the sale and implementation of leading edge technologies with a specialization in CRM and portal applications.
   • Lead efforts and implement compliance programs establishing compliance with GAAP; IFRS, FERC, and other regulatory reporting.

   More engagement manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, engagement managers' average salary in wyoming is 37% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level engagement managers earn 44% less than senior-level engagement managers.
   • Certifications. An engagement 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 an engagement manager's salary.

   Average engagement manager salary

   $112,413yearly

   $54.04 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level engagement manager salary

   $84,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average engagement manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$131,316	$63
   2	California	$127,870	$61
   3	Connecticut	$120,618	$58
   4	New Jersey	$118,496	$57
   5	Massachusetts	$118,295	$57
   6	Ohio	$117,973	$57
   7	Pennsylvania	$117,576	$57
   8	Virginia	$115,592	$56
   9	District of Columbia	$113,316	$54
   10	Texas	$110,131	$53
   11	Michigan	$109,240	$53
   12	Arizona	$109,151	$52
   13	North Carolina	$106,986	$51
   14	Illinois	$106,787	$51
   15	Washington	$102,498	$49
   16	Georgia	$101,080	$49
   17	Minnesota	$100,737	$48
   18	Indiana	$100,290	$48
   19	Florida	$100,008	$48
   20	Oregon	$98,747	$47

   Average engagement manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	L.E.K. Consulting	$191,310	$91.98
   2	McKinsey & Company Inc	$168,829	$81.17	6
   3	Oliver Wyman	$161,582	$77.68
   4	Boston Consulting Group	$156,910	$75.44	14
   5	Google	$155,699	$74.86	121
   6	Credit Karma	$152,361	$73.25	2
   7	Meta	$152,069	$73.11	422
   8	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$150,663	$72.43	1
   9	Fenwick & West	$149,625	$71.94	2
   10	Sprinklr	$148,562	$71.42
   11	VMware	$147,339	$70.84
   12	Medallia	$146,799	$70.58	2
   13	Databricks	$144,788	$69.61	4
   14	ServiceNow	$143,770	$69.12	70
   15	Apple	$143,310	$68.90	69
   16	eBay	$143,303	$68.90	19
   17	Simpson Thacher & Bartlett	$141,910	$68.23	6
   18	Prophet	$140,916	$67.75
   19	Deutsche Bank	$140,779	$67.68	5
   20	Trianz	$140,580	$67.59	14

4. Writing an engagement manager job description

   An engagement 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. To help get you started, here's an example of an engagement manager job description:

   Engagement manager job description example

   WATE 6 On Your Side is looking to hire someone who has a passion for helping local nonprofits and can help tie our station back to the community. Must be detail oriented and a strong planner and communicator. You'll bring your creativity, experience and energy to our fast-paced organization and join our effort to better East Tennessee through community involvement
   Community
   
   Cultivate and maintain relationships with local non-profit organizations Work closely with all station departments during WATE Event planning and execution.Media partnerships/sponsorships We support more than 150 non-profit and other community organizations (city/county government, school systems) annually. Of those, we closely partner with about 75-100 on PSA campaigns, event sponsorships, public appearances, and other special projects.Efforts for these partnerships include coordinating news coverage, booking news interviews, booking interviews on Living East Tennessee, writing PSA scripts, coordinating/approving PSA production, filling appearance requests, attending events, posting web stories/social media, strategizing with non-profits on messaging efforts Station events Significant responsibility for planning and executing station events such as telethon/phone banks or other donation drives, free shred day, as well as station participation in large scale community events such as Rossini Festival.Keep track of all of our community contacts and cultivate new relationships. Maintain a library of PSA's.Manage internship program Interviews, paperwork, supervision, coordination Founder's Day and other social responsibility efforts manager Manage our annual United Way giving campaign, Founder's Day of Caring activities, and any other efforts the station may choose to engage in such as Relay for Life, 5Ks, etc.
   
   Additional Requirements
   Requirements listed indicate the minimum levels of skills, knowledge, and abilities for the job.
   Excellent written and verbal communications skills, with a keen attention to detail and an ability to tailor message to various audiences. Passion for local news and the critical role it plays in the community. Experience with donor management systems and in data reporting and analysis. Successful track record of growth in fundraising development with an emphasis on digital platforms, continually meeting or exceeding goals. Highly organized and deadline oriented with a demonstrated ability to plan, socialize and manage projects. Highly collaborative and capable of partnering across a complex organization to achieve goals. Demonstrated ability to relate well to, and understand the needs and interests of donors, prospects and other key audiences and the ability to translate this into effective fundraising. Demonstrated ability to build trust by operating with ethics and integrity, remaining open to new ideas and different points of view.
   Job Responsibilities:
   Direct liaison between the station and all its community/public affairs events and partnerships. Strategic coordination of all talent appearances in conjunction with News Director & Creative Services Director.Working closely to support and lead WATE community events in addition to seeking out new relationships and partnerships within the community.Consistent visibility within the community with key station partners/events.
   Experience Requirements:
   Experience building relationships with a variety of community partners or relationship building in a similar capacity.Experience managing events from inception to event completion.Extremely flexible with the ability to easily shift priorities with a positive and can-do personality and work style.Excellent networking and communication skills.
   Education:
   Related experience and/or training considered as well as a combination of education and experience.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find engagement managers 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 engagement managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level engagement managers 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 engagement manager job on Zippia to find and recruit engagement manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with engagement manager 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.

   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 engagement manager

   Once you've found the engagement manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new engagement 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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How much does it cost to hire an engagement manager?