How to hire a junior program manager

How to hire a junior program manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step junior program manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a junior program manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new junior program 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 junior program manager you need to hire. Certain junior program 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 a junior program 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 a junior program manager that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of junior program managers.

   Type of Junior Program Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Junior Program Manager		$21-44
   Project Administrator	A project administrator is a professional who assists the project manager in the preparation, reporting, and analysis of projects. Project administrators are given tasks with administrative responsibilities such as managing the budget for supply orders, coordinating meetings with contractors, and doing site visits... Show more	$15-39
   Project Director	A project director is a professional responsible for supervising workers from various departments given specific tasks to complete a given project. They create a budget to complete a job while monitoring the amount of money spent to ensure that overspending is avoided... Show more	$33-77

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Scope
   • JR
   • On-Time Delivery
   • OEM
   • Inventory Management
   • Engineering Changes
   • CIO
   • SharePoint

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage reporting portals that utilize SSRS and SharePoint.
   • Manage a master document repository base on SharePoint.
   • Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
   • Create several flyers and PowerPoint slides for various educational workshops.
   • Create PowerPoint presentations containing content of drug and alcohol abuse as well as bullying-prevention awareness.
   • Prepare a feasibility study for a transformer manufacturer on all business aspects, including marketing, finance and operations management.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, junior program managers' average salary in north dakota is 42% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level junior program managers earn 52% less than senior-level junior program managers.
   • Certifications. A junior program 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 a junior program manager's salary.

   Average junior program manager salary

   $64,230yearly

   $30.88 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level junior program manager salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

4. Writing a junior program manager job description

   A junior program 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 a junior program manager job description:

   Junior program manager job description example

   It's exciting to join Intel as a Junior High-Velocity Expert!
   The successful candidate will serve in the role of a High Velocity (HV) Expert for the High-Velocity Program Office (HVPO). As a junior HV Expert, the candidate is responsible for accelerating the pace of solving problems by utilizing breakthrough improvement methods and adapting them situationally. Moreover, the candidate will contribute to the team's efforts to set the HV strategy as it relates to knowledge sharing, building learning organizations, and HV expansion across Intel. We expect our HV Experts to be Fearless, Curious, Humble, Inclusive, and Compassionate, and to deliver high-quality work while striving for an Ideal State. What you'll be doing, but not limited to:Manages programs of large (maybe global) scope, impact, and complexity through all phases of the lifecycle that is focused on the development, implementation, or upgrade of internal customers' technology, products, or processes.This may provide secondary or indirect support for customer products.Manages interdependencies and integration among multiple projects, teams, and stakeholders.Has decision-making authority at the program level.Handles cross-organizational programs of broad scope and high complexity or of broad scope and moderate complexity, usually managing a core team that manages function-specific teams.Sets direction for programs directly related to corporate policies or important business operations to meet strategic goals of significance.Leads the core team and guides the performance of functional teams. Is the key interface with stakeholders and leadership internally and externally. Sets and refines project objectives.Assigns overall tasks to others managing general areas of responsibility in support of program goals.Exercises judgment and discretion to develop solutions, remove obstacles and redefine approaches. Recommends or sets business strategies or corporate policies, and deviates as appropriate.Oversees the identification of tasks and research, dependencies, cost and assigns resources, and communicates expectations to core team members. Creates/tracks/adjusts the program schedule.Assesses risks and identifies solutions to timely, efficient achievement of program goals.Ensures that quality standards and budget constraints are met. Ensures appropriate progress against schedule and takes remedial action as appropriate. Prioritizes utilization of resources with other functions. Influences business unit cross-organizational strategies are relevant to program goals.The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following:Willingness to lead groups through process mapping events using methodologies like Kaizen and Lean.Track record of proficiency in working in a high-performing team culture while leveraging skills like coaching, independence, tolerance of ambiguity, process orientation, stakeholder management, and program management.Effective problem-solving and group leadership skills.Background in documentation and sharing process documentation.Influence and negotiate with stakeholders.Results and process / systems-oriented, has proven critical thinking and showcases questioning of major decisions that lead to high-impact solutions.This position is in the NAND-DTM Group which is aligned to phase 2 of the sale of the NAND business to Solidigm, a wholly owned subsidiary of SK hynix. Employees in this business group will work on developing NAND technology and components. Phase 2 of the transaction is expected to close in March 2025 at which time employees aligned to this phase of the transaction will transition employment to Solidigm. Solidigm, a leading global supplier of NAND flash memory solutions, is headquartered in San Jose, California with offices worldwide.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   You must possess the below minimum qualifications to be initially considered for this position. Preferred qualifications are in addition to the minimum requirements and are considered a plus factor in identifying top candidates.Minimum Qualifications:Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Development/Change, Business, Operations, Engineering, or a similar field and 3+ years of experience.2+ years of work experience with Process Oriented Systems (Lean, Agile, High Velocity, RIHV, etc.).Knowledge of process improvement methodologies like High Velocity or Lean, as demonstrated via education or equivalent work experience.Preferred qualifications:Master's Degree in Organizational Development/Change, Business, Operations, Engineering, or a similar field and 2+ years of experience in the minimum qualifications.
   
   Job Type:
   Experienced Hire
   
   Shift:
   Shift 1 (United States of America)
   
   Primary Location:
   US, California, Folsom
   
   Additional Locations:
   US, Arizona, Phoenix, US, California, San Jose, US, Oregon, Hillsboro
   
   Intel strongly encourages employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Intel aligns to federal, state, and local laws and as a contractor to the U.S. Government is subject to government mandates that may be issued. Intel policies for COVID-19 including guidance about testing and vaccination are subject to change over time.
   
   Business group:
   Employees in Intel's NAND Product Group deliver solutions that are transforming computing across all segments from data centers to Ultrabooks. They invent, develop, bring to market and support customers with leading-edge NAND flash memory and system level solutions such as solid state drives (SSDs). SSDs are accelerating performance for gaming enthusiasts, reducing total cost of ownership for IT managers of data centers and improving security and reliability for businesses. This dynamic group is strategically positioned to become the leading Non-Volatile Memory solution supplier for the compute segment and is a key to expanding markets and continuing the growth for Intel.
   
   Posting Statement:
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.
   
   Position of Trust
   N/A
   
   Work Model for this Role
   This role will be eligible for our hybrid work model which allows employees to split their time between working on-site at their assigned Intel site and off-site. In certain circumstances the work model may change to accommodate business needs.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right junior program 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 junior program manager job on Zippia to find and recruit junior program 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 junior program 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.

   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 junior program manager

   Once you've found the junior program manager 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.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new junior program manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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