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How to hire a general manager of business development

General manager of business development hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring general managers of business development in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire a general manager of business development is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per general manager of business development on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 39,191 general managers of business development in the US, and there are currently 236,333 job openings in this field.
  • Eden Prairie, MN, has the highest demand for general managers of business development, with 2 job openings.

How to hire a general manager of business development, step by step

To hire a general manager of business development, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a general manager of business development:

Here's a step-by-step general manager of business development hiring guide:

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

    First, determine the employments status of the general manager of business development you need to hire. Certain general manager of business development 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?

    Hiring the perfect general manager of business development also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    The following list breaks down different types of general managers of business development and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of General Manager Of Business DevelopmentDescriptionHourly rate
    General Manager Of Business DevelopmentAdvertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.$33-92
    Business Unit ManagerA business unit manager handles a unit or segment of the company. This unit may be a specialized team on specific projects or a part of a significant production process... Show more$38-88
    Business ManagerA business manager is responsible for directing the overall operations of the company, ensuring that all employees do their tasks efficiently and accurately. Business managers' duties include developing strategic solutions, evaluating employees' performance, identifying business opportunities to grow, monitoring the company's expenses to meet its budget goals, implementing techniques to boost the company's revenue and profitability, and adhering to the company's legal policies and procedures... Show more$22-69
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Business Development
    • Business Growth
    • Trade Shows
    • Product Development
    • Sales Strategies
    • Emerging Markets
    • R
    • Account Management
    • Business Plan
    • Business Relationships
    • Payroll
    • Client Relations
    • Human Resources
    • General Management
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Lead and manage large RFP responses to ensure corporate objectives for profitability, sustainability, and operational delivery objectives are meet.
    • Lead centralized, electronic referral center coordinating post-acute service needs of patients discharging from multiple acute facilities in Arizona region.
    • Transform poor performing distributors into successful growing partners, through developing individual growth plans and participating in their execution.
    More general manager of business development duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your general manager of business development job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A general manager of business development can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, general managers of business development' average salary in south dakota is 50% less than in california.
    • Seniority. Entry-level general managers of business development 64% less than senior-level general managers of business development.
    • Certifications. A general manager of business development 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 general manager of business development's salary.

    Average general manager of business development salary

    $116,506yearly

    $56.01 hourly rate

    Entry-level general manager of business development salary
    $70,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 18, 2025

    Average general manager of business development salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$142,322$68
    2New York$102,881$49
    3Nevada$99,497$48
    4North Carolina$98,722$47
    5Michigan$93,672$45
    6Maryland$92,053$44
    7Texas$90,086$43
    8Illinois$88,965$43
    9Florida$83,436$40
    10Ohio$82,071$39
    11Colorado$78,245$38
    12Minnesota$75,029$36
    13Missouri$69,419$33

    Average general manager of business development salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Arrow Electronics$145,289$69.8581
    2Northrop Grumman$127,375$61.2467
    3DISH Network$112,139$53.91
    4Doctors Medical Ctr$103,747$49.88
    5ZOLTEK$103,251$49.64
    6NextNav$103,249$49.64
    7The Parking Spot$102,706$49.386
    8Accord Healthcare$101,973$49.03
    9Pemex Procurement International$101,964$49.02
    10The Trade Desk$101,860$48.9719
    11Flight Centre$95,200$45.7731
    12UnitedHealth Group$92,166$44.3180
    13Central Garden & Pet$83,088$39.956
  4. Writing a general manager of business development job description

    A good general manager of business development 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 general manager of business development job description:

    General manager of business development job description example

    United States, Georgia, Atlanta

    TechOps

    14-Oct-2022

    Ref #: 17779

    LinkedIn Tag: #LI-MP2

    How you'll help us Keep Climbing (overview & key responsibilities)

    Accountable for managing a team tasked with developing competitive proposals for customers while maximizing profitability. Technical subject matter expert for all MRO sales products, and is the key advisor to the Integrated Regional Teams. Develops new product platforms in order to grow the business and differentiate TechOps from industry competition. Analyzes MRO event profitability and drives corrective action initiatives.

    JOB SUMMARY

    + Plans and directs the work of team formed to meet contractual commitments and exceed customer expectations

    + Develops and recommends customized maintenance program solutions for current and prospective MRO customers

    + Manages effort with other Internal Business Units to develop new sales platform capabilities

    + Partners with Finance to develop business cases for capital acquisitions and cash flow models for sales opportunities

    + Partners with Engineering to develop DER solutions for MRO customers

    + Works with MRO Materials Management team to develop strategic materiel management plans to support customer events and to optimize profitability

    + Monitors customer engine performance for indication of negative trends, determine root cause, develop first time-fix corrective actions, and implement solutions

    + Responsible for effectiveness of the work scope control process for MRO PBH and T&M contracts ensuring operational and profitability goals are met or exceeded

    + Partners with Finance and Internal Business Units to develop and implement profit margin improvement initiatives

    + Manages business processes to collect and analyze MRO event profitability, investigates variances, and recommends corrective actions

    + Designs and implements processes to ensure invoice TAT is world class and profitability is maximized

    + Develops metrics to drive performance and to identify root causes for service delivery failures

    + Maintains working knowledge of business processes and business specific automation products

    + Supports and achieves world-class business practices by seeking and implementing process improvements

    + Develop both strategic and tactical plans which create a safety conscious environment that results in employee safety and well-being.

    + Develop highly effective cross-divisional relationships

    What you need to succeed (minimum qualifications)

    + Bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent is required. MBA/Masters degree highly preferred

    + Five + years of progressive leadership responsibilities in either the airline or MRO industry is required

    + Five + years of experience working in and developing fleet management maintenance programs is required

    + History managing larger teams and high profile projects highly preferred

    + Proven track record of problem solving skills and ability to use analytical tools is required

    + Experience implementing lean, six sigma, or other process improvement methodologies is highly preferred

    + Must have experience showing the ability to influence and drive change at all levels of the organization

    + Must be highly proficient in written and oral communications and able to produce concise, relevant, strategically-driven documents and presentations for senior leaders

    + Demonstrated experience in managing complex processes within cross-functional teams

    + Ability to manage and execute multiple priorities in a timely manner

    + Ability to travel up to 10% of the time

    + Demonstrates that privacy is a priority when handling personal data.

    + Embraces a diverse set of people, thinking and styles.

    + Consistently makes safety and security, of self and others, the priority.

    + Where permitted by applicable law, must have received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by date of hire to be considered for U.S.-based job, if not currently employed by Delta Air Lines, Inc.

    What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications)

    *

    Delta Air Lines, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer and provides reasonable accommodation in its application process for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you are a qualified individual, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings through this site, apply for jobs through Delta's online system, or at any point in the selection process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please click here
  5. Post your job

    To find the right general manager of business development 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 general managers of business development they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit general managers of business development 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 general manager of business development job on Zippia to find and recruit general manager of business development candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit general managers of business development, 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.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 general manager of business development

    Once you've found the general manager of business development 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 general manager of business development. 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 a general manager of business development?

Before you start to hire general managers of business development, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire general managers of business development pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

The median annual salary for general managers of business development is $116,506 in the US. However, the cost of general manager of business development hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a general manager of business development for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $33 and $92 an hour.

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