How to hire an executive project manager

How to hire an executive project manager, step by step

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

What does an executive project manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an executive project manager, 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

   An executive project manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, executive project managers 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 executive project manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Executive Project Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Executive Project Manager		$30-72
   Information Technology Project Manager	An information technology project manager is responsible for supervising the technology department, ensuring that all tasks are being done by following technological strategies and solutions. Information technology project managers' duties include monitoring the technology team's daily operation, handling team members' concerns, managing customers' inquiries and complaints, helping team members' in achieving their professional growth, creating reports, sharing updates during team and board meetings, and maintaining effectivity of operational procedures... Show more	$36-71
   Project Manager/Team Lead	Project Managers are responsible for managing and overseeing the operations of a project from inception to completion. Their duties include defining project scope, developing a project plan, creating work breakdown structures to distribute resources, and communicating responsibilities to all project team members and vendors... Show more	$39-66

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Project Scope
   • Business Development
   • Infrastructure
   • Development Projects
   • Business Process
   • Application Development
   • Microsoft Project
   • Oversight
   • Project Completion
   • Business Plan
   • Human Resources
   • Process Improvement
   • PMO

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead professional services engagements from assessment analysis to completion by partnering directly with healthcare providers to enhance revenue collection and efficiency.
   • Foster IBM executive awareness of PMO by implementing standardize management system, ensuring consistent and efficient delivery to client.
   • Act as part of the PMO review board to ensure business requirements are defined and assign.
   • Institute technology processes to compliment the new healthcare facility and current business operations in order to increase productivity and patient experience.
   • Interpret DOD regulations for government programs to ensure compliance with performance work statement.
   • Charge with the development, implementation, and monitoring of policies regarding installation management throughout the DoD.

   More executive project manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the executive project manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. An executive project manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an executive project manager in Virginia may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level executive project manager. Additionally, an executive project manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average executive project manager salary

   $99,099yearly

   $47.64 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level executive project manager salary

   $64,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average executive project manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$130,898	$63
   2	Washington	$120,500	$58
   3	New York	$104,763	$50
   4	Arizona	$96,076	$46
   5	New Jersey	$91,702	$44
   6	Pennsylvania	$90,621	$44
   7	Minnesota	$90,465	$43
   8	Illinois	$82,689	$40
   9	Indiana	$82,055	$39
   10	Missouri	$81,868	$39
   11	Florida	$81,433	$39
   12	Puerto Rico	$72,380	$35

   Average executive project manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Morgan Stanley	$134,471	$64.65	17
   2	CBRE Group	$110,763	$53.25	536
   3	Randstad North America, Inc.	$108,188	$52.01	8
   4	CB Richard Ellis Memphis LLC	$107,370	$51.62
   5	The Official Promenade Towers	$105,361	$50.65
   6	Industrial Control	$104,905	$50.44
   7	KBR	$102,053	$49.06	66
   8	Polaris Software Lab India Limited	$100,541	$48.34
   9	Sempra Energy	$99,879	$48.02
   10	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$99,459	$47.82	389
   11	Engineering Incorporated	$98,296	$47.26	4
   12	Engaging Solutions	$95,944	$46.13
   13	TASC	$93,716	$45.06
   14	AKQA	$91,971	$44.22
   15	Fortive	$91,471	$43.98	18
   16	rms	$85,865	$41.28
   17	AmeriHealth Caritas	$85,580	$41.14	8
   18	Arden Wood	$81,555	$39.21
   19	UCLA	$81,192	$39.03	18
   20	Salient CRGT	$78,913	$37.94

4. Writing an executive project manager job description

   An executive project 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. Below, you can find an example of an executive project manager job description:

   Executive project manager job description example

   Executive Project Manager - (220002C2) Description
   Facility Profile
   
   TGH is the area's only level I trauma center and one of just two ABA-verified adult & pediatric burn centers in Florida. With five medical helicopters*, we transport critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. The hospital is home to one of the busiest solid organ transplant centers in the country. TGH is a nationally designated comprehensive stroke center, and has a 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit. Other outstanding centers include cardiovascular, orthopedics, high-risk and normal obstetrics, urology, ENT, endocrinology, and the Children's Medical Center, which features a nine-bed pediatric intensive care unit and pediatric kidney transplant services. As the region's leading safety net hospital, Tampa General is committed to providing area residents with world-class and compassionate health care ranging from the simplest to the most complex medical services.
   
   Tampa General Hospital was named the #1 hospital in Tampa Bay by U.S. News & World Report, 2020-2021, and recognized as one of America's Best Hospital's in five medical specialties: Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Nephrology, and Orthopedics. Tampa General Hospital has been designated a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the highest recognition for nursing excellence, for the fourth consecutive time - an accomplishment that fewer than one percent of hospitals nationwide have earned. TGH is accredited by The Joint Commission and was awarded disease-specific certification in five medical specialties. TGH is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). *Air transport provided by Metro Aviation, Inc.
   
   Job Summary
   
   Under the guidance of the Executive Vice President, the Executive Project Manager manages assigned projects for the division. Primary work consists of managing people and activities necessary to complete defined projects. Utilizes industry standards and principles to document business issues and problem statements, prepares analysis of current and future processing states, documents project scope of work, identifies and recommends solutions. Prepares detailed workplans, organizes and manages project teams, prepares project and team documentation, prepares and manages project budgets, prepares and implements training plans, supervises and coordinates activities of contracted project personnel, serves as liaison between hospital and vendor personnel, and other activities and responsibilities associated with project management. This position will facilitate project organization and completion related to executive office projects. This position will manage and maintain priorities of all work within the executive office supporting the strategic plan.
   Qualifications
   Bachelor's degree and 1 year experience in project management OR Associates degree, with three years of experience in project management, OR five years of experience in project management.
   PMI certification preferred.
   
   Primary Location: TampaWork Locations: TGH Main Campus 1 Tampa General Circle Tampa 33606Job: Business OfficeOrganization: TGH - HospitalSchedule: Full-time Scheduled Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, FridayShift: Day JobJob Posting: Sep 23, 2022, 7:33:33 PM

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit executive project managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 executive project manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the executive project manager 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 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 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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How much does it cost to hire an executive project manager?