How to hire an executive director/administrator

How to hire an executive director/administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step executive director/administrator hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your executive director/administrator 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 executive director/administrator 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 executive director/administrator 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 executive director/administrator that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of executive director/administrator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Executive Director/Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Executive Director/Administrator	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$24-75
   Director	Directors work in show business, whether in a film, a television show, or a theatre production. They are responsible for bringing the material to life... Show more	$31-92
   Director/Manager	A director/manager is responsible for developing strategic techniques to boost the operational efficiency of an organization in delivering high-quality services and satisfaction for the customers and business clients. Directors/managers identify business opportunities that would support the company's long-term goals and objectives, generating more revenues and closing contract deals for the business... Show more	$42-89

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Healthcare
   • Nursing Home
   • Patients
   • Financial Statements
   • Oversight
   • Home Health
   • Patient Care
   • Human Resources
   • Financial Management
   • Senior Care
   • Resident Care
   • Business Development
   • Direct Supervision
   • Clinical Operations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create a coordinate university social media committee quadrupling engagement during campaigns and achieving a national twitter trend during commencement.
   • Maintain and oversee effective and accurate management of gifts and donor stewardship efforts, including oversight of donor database.
   • Formulate an annual operating budget and responsible for A/R, A/P, payroll, billing, taxes, and financial reports.
   • Provide oversight on quality patient/family care.
   • Implement employee self-service website for payroll and benefit information.
   • Direct operations of adolescent inpatient addiction and abuse recovery healthcare facility.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, executive directors/administrator' average salary in alaska is 56% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level executive directors/administrator earn 68% less than senior-level executive directors/administrator.
   • Certifications. An executive director/administrator 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 executive director/administrator's salary.

   Average executive director/administrator salary

   $90,284yearly

   $43.41 hourly rate

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   Entry-level executive director/administrator salary

   $51,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing an executive director/administrator job description

   An executive director/administrator 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 an executive director/administrator job description:

   Executive director/administrator job description example

   General/ Environmental Service
   
   1.0 FTE, 8 Hour Day Shift
   
   At Stanford Children's Health, we know world-renowned care begins with world-class caring. That's why we combine advanced technologies and breakthrough discoveries with family-centered care. It's why we provide our caregivers with continuing education and state-of-the-art facilities, like the newly remodeled Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. And it's why we need caring, committed people on our team - like you. Join us on our mission to heal humanity, one child and family at a time.
   
   Job Summary
   
   This paragraph summarizes the general nature, level and purpose of the job.
   
   The Executive Director - Hospitality Services is responsible for setting the overall strategy, design, implementation, communication, and administration of the Hospitality Services department within General Services. Provides strategic leadership in overseeing, developing, managing, and guiding of Food and Nutrition Services, Facility Service Response Center (FRSC), Housekeeping, Patient Equipment Management (PEMS), Transport/Lift Technicians, LPCHS Gift Shop, Quality Manager for Sodexo Services and Security for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.
   
   Essential Functions
   
   The essential functions listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification. They are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.
   
   Employees must abide by all Joint Commission Requirements including but not limited to sensitivity to cultural diversity, patient care, patient rights and ethical treatment, safety and security of physical environments, emergency management, teamwork, respect for others, participation in ongoing education and training, communication and adherence to safety and quality programs, sustaining compliance with National Patient Safety Goals, and licensure and health screenings.
   
   Must perform all duties and responsibilities in accordance with the hospital's policies and procedures, including its Service Standards and its Code of Conduct.
   
   + Responsible for setting the overall strategy, design, implementation, communication, and administration of the organization's Department of Hospitality Services including strategic planning, establishing goals and objectives, controlling costs and improving efficiency and service delivery effectiveness. Applies Lean concepts and tools to promote ownership of operational performance and reinforce continual improvement efforts.
   
   + Provides both strategic and tactical leadership on all aspects of Hospitality Services for LPCHS ensuring enablement and alignment with the broader business initiatives. Applies principles of operations engineering and lean design to create an environment of care that acknowledges the unique nature of a complex care environment while also bringing LPCHS into alignment with the industry benchmarks for patient satisfaction.
   
   + Develops and revises policies and procedures in areas of responsibility; implements approved changes. Interprets hospital and departmental policies and procedures and ensures compliance with laws and policy language.
   
   + Responsible for overall departmental budget management to ensure achievement of functional and budget/financial goals.
   
   + Develops and implements metrics as appropriate to measure outcomes, integrating various data sources in LPCHS to create a set of analytics and reports that provide insight into hospitality performance.
   
   + Responsible for the overall design, implementation, communication and administration of productivity and staffing modelling systems that support the company's strategic objectives. Creates models from the analytics and technology to correlate and predict volumes and customer requirements.
   
   + Develops excellent relationships and works closely with key stakeholders and outside vendors. Responsible for negotiation, contracting, invoice and purchase orders. Leverages technologies and redesigned business workflows to create a process that is responsive to time sensitive needs, but also cost-effective with adequate controls and oversight.
   
   + Consistently develops organization and healthcare industry expertise, using a variety of sources to acquire new knowledge and skills; ensures own expertise and that of the division/operational area is up-to-date, working with individuals to fulfill their development and training requirements.
   
   + Projects a positive image of LPCH and a commitment to high professional standards, safety and service standards, and organization values to internal and external stakeholders, including colleagues.
   
   + Promotes the value of diverse teams and understands the importance of differing perspectives to develop unique solutions or ideas.
   
   + Builds effective teams within the department by ensuring multi-disciplinary participation on projects and involvement in important divisional / operational area decisions; understands and involves relevant stakeholders.
   
   + Actively builds a culture of belonging and seeks out diverse views and celebrates differences within the division/operational area, serving as a role model for inclusive behavior; integrates people of different backgrounds within and across teams, works to reduce biases and address inequities in processes
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities as well as possession of any required licenses or certifications is qualifying.
   
   Education: Bachelor's degree in a work-related field/discipline from an accredited college or university.
   
   Experience: Ten (10) years of progressively responsible and directly related work experience with at least (1) at a senior level within a major healthcare institution with extensive hospitality services and responsibility for managing and executing business process change initiatives.
   
   License/Certification: None required.
   
   Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
   
   These are the observable and measurable attributes and skills required to perform successfully the essential functions of the job and are generally demonstrated through qualifying experience, education, or licensure/certification.
   
   + Ability to operate at a strategic, tactical and a detailed analytical level.
   
   + Ability to express themselves succinctly and with clarity. Ability to influence senior executives and of delivering cross functional global initiatives
   
   + Ability to interpret data so as to develop concepts that will drive improvement.
   
   + Ability to deal with ambiguity, changing priorities and differing needs of the business.
   
   + Ability to work effectively cross functionally, bringing teams together to deliver shared goals.
   
   + Ability to manage multiple competing priorities.
   
   + Proven project management skills on large projects that are highly integrated and cross functional in nature (developing project plans including charter, scope, project management approach, management plans, cost estimates, schedule, and work breakdown). Knowledge and expertise in process execution and compliance.
   
   + Ability to work in a fast-paced, hard-driving culture with a lean structure, demonstrated ability to succeed in and to drive a culture of performance.
   
   + Ability to collaborate, motivate and lead globally through others and influence the achievement of common goals.
   
   Physical Requirements
   
   The Physical Requirements and Working Conditions in which the job is typically performed are available from the Occupational Health Department. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   L ucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford strongly values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all of its policies and practices, including the area of employment. Accordingly, LPCH does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or disability, or the perception of any of the above. People of all genders, members of all racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Qualified applicants with criminal convictions will be considered after an individualized assessment of the conviction and the job requirements, and where applicable, in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
   
   #LI-GP1
   
   REQNUMBER: 15740-1A

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting executive directors/administrator 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.

   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 executive director/administrator

   Once you have selected a candidate for the executive director/administrator position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   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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