How to hire an irrigation manager

How to hire an irrigation manager, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the irrigation manager you need to hire. Certain irrigation manager 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?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an irrigation 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 irrigation manager that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of irrigation managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Irrigation Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Irrigation Manager		$11-21
   Golf Course Superintendent	Golf course superintendents are skilled professionals who are responsible for providing care and maintenance to the golf courses they are working for. These superintendents must supervise a team of staff members to coordinate work schedules for landscaping and maintaining the golf course grounds... Show more	$10-32
   Grounds Maintenance Supervisor	The grounds maintenance supervisor is in charge of the maintenance and landscape crew. These are people who mow lawns, trim overgrown shrubs, irrigate planting beds, and perform a host of other outdoor maintenance tasks... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Landscape Maintenance
   • Harvest
   • Water Management
   • ET
   • Mowing
   • Snow Removal
   • Equipment Operation
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Irrigation Lines
   • Sprinklers
   • Customer Relations
   • Irrigation Maintenance
   • RAN
   • Irrigation Repair

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage nursery and landscape surrounding campus center, leading maintenance and management projects.
   • Maintain all lawn areas which include seeding, fertilizing, mulching, mowing and application of lawn chemicals.
   • Manage nursery and landscape surrounding campus center, leading maintenance and management projects.
   • Determine irrigation cycles depending on weather and hours to be ran.Removing, pruning for light, or stumping trees.
   • Prune trees, shrubs and hedges using trimmers and pruners deadhead annuals and flowering perennials to encourage further flowering and growth.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, irrigation managers' average salary in alabama is 52% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level irrigation managers earn 49% less than senior-level irrigation managers.
   • Certifications. An irrigation 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 irrigation manager's salary.

   Average irrigation manager salary

   $15.85hourly

   $32,965 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level irrigation manager salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

4. Writing an irrigation manager job description

   An irrigation 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 irrigation manager job description:

   Irrigation manager job description example

   Looking for an opportunity where success comes naturally? Then you may have found your crew. We're looking for an Irrigation Manager to join our team.
   Here's what you'd do:
   
   The Irrigation Manager (IM) schedules and directs personnel and resources towards providing quality, cost-effective irrigation services to clients. IMs also support the Account Manager(s) in estimating, design and client meetings as needed. IMs will also sell irrigation services to clients, with or without base maintenance contracts, on their own. The Irrigation Manager will oversee a commercial landscape portfolio and multiple service teams. The Irrigation Manager will be responsible for training and developing these individuals and providing day-to-day operational scheduling and guidance.
   
   You'd be responsible for:
   
   + Understanding client needs via regular communication with the Account Manager(s)
   
   + Managing all irrigation services, including the coordination of all materials, people, equipment and subcontractors required to produce quality work
   
   + Inspecting properties prior to scheduled service in order to properly prepare specific action plan for service
   
   + After installation and services, monitoring all aspects of the irrigation system and identify any problems
   
   + As necessary, performing hands-on work with crews to meet work and scheduling demands
   
   + Working with the Branch Manager to identify staffing needs, hire new crew, and prepare daily crew schedules
   
   + Ensuring proper paperwork is completed for all employee changes and new hires
   
   + Communicating with, counsel, train, discipline, review, and develop growth plan for employees
   
   + Hands-on training and support of crew members, including proper operation of equipment, pruning techniques, safety, and quality standards
   
   + Focusing on safety and monitor safety records
   
   + Maintaining and managing all required administrative systems, including but not limited to time sheets, job databases, and service schedules
   
   + Ordering materials as needed and monitor costs and deliveries
   
   + Requesting purchase orders and use in accordance with company guidelines
   
   + Assisting the Branch Manager in the performance of irrigation sales tasks as required
   
   You might be a good fit if you have:
   
   + Minimum of a 2 year degree in a business related field or equivalent experience
   
   + Minimum of 3 years of prior customer service, management, and leadership experience within an organization, the landscaping industry or local marketplace, including at least 1 year supervisory experience
   
   + Certifications and licenses needed to perform work in local market
   
   Here's what to know about working here:
   
   At BrightView, we're a tight-knit crew who are as passionate about caring for our clients as we are about each other. Though we're the nation's leading landscape company, we maintain a small company feel and supportive environment that makes our team members feel at home.
   
   If you're looking to join a crew of talented go-getters who tackle big vision projects other companies could only dream of, you might just have found your match. With our range of services, including landscape design, development, maintenance and enhancements, there's no limit to what we can do, and what you can achieve.
   
   In addition to industry-leading development opportunities, you'll also have benefits and perks like:
   
   + Competitive salary
   
   + Paid time off
   
   + Medical, dental, and vision insurance
   
   Think you've found your crew?
   
   BrightView is an Equal Employment Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right irrigation manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your irrigation manager job on Zippia to find and recruit irrigation manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit irrigation managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 irrigation manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect irrigation manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is 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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