Post job

How to hire an interim director

Interim director hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring interim directors in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire an interim director is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per interim director on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 10,999 interim directors in the US and 49,433 job openings.
  • Atlanta, GA, has the highest demand for interim directors, with 6 job openings.
  • New York, NY has the highest concentration of interim directors.

How to hire an interim director, step by step

To hire an interim director, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire an interim director:

Here's a step-by-step interim director hiring guide:

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

What does an interim director do?

An interim director is responsible for supporting business operations, organizing training, as well as specific department programs for staff to maximize their productivity and improve optimal performance to meet project deliverables and achieve client satisfaction. Interim directors coordinate with the management and board executives on corporate decisions, implementing company guidelines and procedures, and identifying business opportunities to generate more revenues and profitability. They also analyze financial statements and business transactions, developing strategies to reduce expenses and minimize loss without sacrificing the organization's quality services.

Learn more about the specifics of what an interim director does
jobs
Post an interim director job for free, promote it for a fee
  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your interim director 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 interim director 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?

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

    Type of Interim DirectorDescriptionHourly rate
    Interim DirectorMedical and health services managers, also called healthcare executives or healthcare administrators, plan, direct, and coordinate medical and health services. They might manage an entire facility, a specific clinical area or department, or a medical practice for a group of physicians... Show more$31-77
    Director Of Professional ServicesA director of professional services is responsible for evaluating and improving the professional services offered by the firm. Directors of professional services assess the operational processes and systems to ensure high-quality outputs and deliverables... Show more$45-99
    Director Of Clinical OperationsA director of clinical operations is responsible for monitoring the overall operations of a clinic facility, ensuring the efficiency of staff performance in providing the best quality care services for the patients. Directors of clinical operations enforce safety guidelines and security procedures during operations for everyone's strict compliance to prevent hazards and unforeseen circumstances within the premises... Show more$40-95
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Healthcare
    • Patient Care
    • Oversight
    • Patient Safety
    • Financial Management
    • Bed Facility
    • Federal Regulations
    • Payroll
    • Medicaid
    • Acute Care
    • Infection Control
    • State Regulations
    • Human Resources
    • CMS
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage and direct department operations and staffing for the invasive and non-invasive cardiology department.
    • Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
    • Increase patient satisfaction on scores relate the cleanliness through employee engagement and through close collaboration with the management team.
    • Program development, quality improvement, JCAHO preparation, and hospital disaster preparedness.
    • Pet restraint, blood draws, catheter placement, vaccine administration.
    • Put hospital on growth trajectory, reversing negative EBITDA within first year.
    More interim director duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the interim director job description is a good way to get more applicants. An interim director 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 interim director in Kentucky may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level interim director. Additionally, an interim director with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average interim director salary

    $104,142yearly

    $50.07 hourly rate

    Entry-level interim director salary
    $66,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 20, 2026

    Average interim director salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$134,087$64
    2Oregon$103,046$50
    3New Jersey$102,614$49
    4South Carolina$101,323$49
    5Indiana$97,499$47
    6Massachusetts$97,493$47
    7Iowa$97,221$47
    8New Mexico$96,631$46
    9Texas$96,488$46
    10Illinois$96,476$46
    11North Carolina$96,368$46
    12Ohio$95,821$46
    13Washington$95,791$46
    14Maryland$95,281$46
    15Minnesota$95,164$46
    16South Dakota$93,835$45
    17Georgia$91,193$44
    18Missouri$88,945$43
    19Kansas$87,873$42
    20North Dakota$87,521$42

    Average interim director salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1UPMC$127,323$61.2121
    2CampusWorks$122,012$58.66
    3University of Washington$119,748$57.5714
    4University of Hawaii Foundation$117,808$56.64
    5West Coast University$113,127$54.391
    6Healthcare Consultants$109,479$52.63
    7Randstad North America, Inc.$107,953$51.90
    8Ethica Health & Retirement Communities$107,897$51.871
    9Continental Health Alliance$106,592$51.25
    10ETONIEN$106,472$51.19
    11LeaderStat$106,470$51.196
    12Sanford-Good Samaritan Community Health$106,348$51.13
    13Health Dimensions Group$105,818$50.873
    14Rockport Healthcare Services$104,556$50.27
    15Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company$103,948$49.98
    16University of California-Berkeley$101,536$48.82
    17Life Care Solutions$101,443$48.7711
    18Next Step Healthcare$100,843$48.488
    19Broward County Public Schools$100,790$48.46
    20Valparaiso University$100,363$48.251
  4. Writing an interim director job description

    An interim director 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 interim director job description:

    Interim director job description example

    Under the supervision of the Administrator, the Director of Nursing has the authority, responsibility, and accountability for the functions, activities, and training of the nursing services staff, in addition to the supervision of the Therapy Department and its' functions within the facility. In the absence of the Administrator, the DON assumes responsibility for the facility. The DON is responsible for the overall management of resident care 24 hours a day, seven (7) days per week. The DON is delegated the responsibility for carrying out the assigned duties in accordance with current existing federal and state regulations and established company policies and procedures.

    Demonstrates knowledge of age specific developmental factors specific to adult and geriatric residents (i.e. physical, cognitive, and socialization factors) in planning delivery of care

    Demonstrates knowledge, skills and techniques necessary to care for residents with the following needs: therapeutic, neuro and dementia, dialysis, IV therapy, infectious disease and wound care, if applicable

    Attends all mandatory in-services by employee's anniversary date

    Acts appropriately under the direction of the Administrator and acts as an active member of the interdisciplinary team

    Demonstrates ability to adjust to changes in shift assignments to meet resident and family needs

    Ensures the residents receive skilled nursing and rehabilitation services, as needed

    Successful completion of facility orientation on the care of a resident on a specialized dementia unit, as appropriate

    Communicates and observes the Corporate Compliance Program effectively and complies with Code of Conduct when performing work functions

    Develops and periodically updates statements of philosophy and objectives that define the type of nursing care the facility proposes to provide. Ensures that these are understood and implemented by nursing personnel

    Supervises, evaluates, counsels, and disciplines inter-departmental personnel

    Assists in the recruitment, interviewing, and selection and termination of nursing personnel

    Ensures that a sufficient number of qualified supervisory and supportive nursing personnel are assigned for each unit/shift to meet the residents needs

    Participates in all screening processes prior to admission. Assesses items needed by the facility to meet resident needs

    Participates in coordination of resident services through departmental and appropriate staff committee meetings (i.e. Quarterly Quality Assurance and Assessment, Pharmacy Services, Therapy Services, Infection Control and Resident Care policy and procedure meeting)

    Plans staff development programs that will enhance staff knowledge of quality resident care

    Conducts periodic review to ensure all documentation is informative and descriptive of nursing care and of the resident's response to that care

    Participates in planning and budgeting for nursing services

    Conducts periodic review to ensure that the nursing requirements of each resident admitted to the facility are reviewed and that the physician is consulted in planning resident care

    Demonstrates knowledge of current Health Department Directives and ensures that directives are implemented by staff

    Conducts periodic review that the facility and personnel are in compliance with State Code Requirements

    EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

    Maintains a current, valid Nursing License as a registered professional nurse, in good standing in the state the facility resides in.

    Possesses a minimum one (1) year of experience in nursing service administration. Additional education or experience in such areas as rehabilitative or geriatric nursing is preferred

    Possesses strong knowledge of state, federal and local regulations as they pertain to long term care

  5. Post your job

    To find the right interim director 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 interim directors they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit interim directors 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 interim director job on Zippia to find and recruit interim director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting interim directors 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.

    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 interim director

    Once you have selected a candidate for the interim director 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.

    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.

    To prepare for the new interim director first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  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

How much does it cost to hire an interim director?

Hiring an interim director comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting interim directors involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of interim director recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

Interim directors earn a median yearly salary is $104,142 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find interim directors for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $31 and $77.

Find better interim directors in less time
Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring interim directors FAQs

Search for interim director jobs

Ready to start hiring?

Browse executive management jobs