How to hire a marketing program manager

How to hire a marketing program manager, step by step

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

What does a marketing program manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the marketing program manager you need to hire. Certain marketing 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

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

   Type of Marketing Program Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Marketing Program Manager	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$30-55
   Manager, Field Marketing	A field marketing manager oversees a company's field marketing operations, aiming to improve brand awareness and reach sales goals. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around devising marketing strategies, participating in organizing campaigns and trade shows, setting objectives for the team, and monitoring the progress of marketing programs, ensuring they are functioning effectively and efficiently... Show more	$32-61
   Business Development And Marketing Manager	The business development and marketing manager is in charge of overseeing a company's marketing programs and projects. They primarily manage and coordinate teams, set goals and guidelines, organize budgets and timelines, conceptualize plans, and develop strategies to optimize operations... Show more	$24-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Marketing
   • Project Management
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • B2B Marketing
   • Integrated Marketing
   • Salesforce
   • Program Management
   • Channel Marketing
   • Email Marketing
   • Web Content
   • Lead Management
   • KPIs
   • SEO
   • PowerPoint

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Achieve designation as a center of excellence with manage care organizations, Medicare and Medicaid.
   • Manage RFP solicitation and response process.
   • Manage multiple initiatives using digital media, SEM, social media, inbound marketing and content distribution channels.
   • Manage MarCom programs with $250K annual budget for Philips HeartStart automate external defibrillator (a) business unit.
   • Manage major CRM implementation project for global aerospace company.
   • Lead marketing operations include integrating and administering Salesforce, HubSpot, InsideSales.com, and RainKing processes and mechanics.

   More marketing program manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average marketing program manager salary

   $86,807yearly

   $41.73 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level marketing program manager salary

   $64,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average marketing program manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$122,556	$59
   2	Washington	$109,740	$53
   3	District of Columbia	$97,892	$47
   4	Oregon	$95,083	$46
   5	New York	$92,185	$44
   6	Massachusetts	$89,105	$43
   7	Montana	$88,993	$43
   8	North Carolina	$88,101	$42
   9	West Virginia	$85,976	$41
   10	Michigan	$84,525	$41
   11	New Hampshire	$84,352	$41
   12	Virginia	$84,351	$41
   13	Wisconsin	$83,988	$40
   14	Kentucky	$83,426	$40
   15	Rhode Island	$82,772	$40
   16	New Jersey	$82,348	$40
   17	Illinois	$82,322	$40
   18	Connecticut	$81,458	$39
   19	South Carolina	$81,310	$39
   20	Arizona	$80,983	$39

   Average marketing program manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$130,565	$62.77	803
   2	Google	$123,333	$59.29	239
   3	Apple	$123,319	$59.29	75
   4	NVIDIA	$116,924	$56.21	26
   5	Microsoft	$116,798	$56.15	121
   6	PayPal	$116,609	$56.06	11
   7	Xilinx	$116,073	$55.80
   8	Dell	$115,985	$55.76	2
   9	Applied Materials	$115,785	$55.67	22
   10	eBay	$113,735	$54.68	24
   11	New Relic	$113,285	$54.46	30
   12	Texas Instruments	$113,245	$54.44	12
   13	Genentech	$113,107	$54.38	5
   14	Backblaze	$112,575	$54.12
   15	Citi	$111,611	$53.66	21
   16	Cisco	$111,048	$53.39	110
   17	Zulily	$109,282	$52.54
   18	Palo Alto Networks	$108,422	$52.13	27
   19	Rockwell Automation	$108,394	$52.11	23
   20	Juniper Networks	$108,366	$52.10

4. Writing a marketing program manager job description

   A good marketing program manager 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 marketing program manager job description:

   Marketing program manager job description example

   Kforce has a client seeking a Marketing Program Manager II in Mountain View, CA.Duties Include:
   
   * Marketing Program Manager II takes initiative; Owns project requirements and drives a cross-functional team to deliver a solution
   
   * Quickly earns trust across sponsors and key stakeholders: leads and drives change; Mobilizes and motivates cross-functional teams; Sets direction and approach; Resolves conflict; delivers tough messages with grace; Executes with limited information and ambiguity at times
   
   * As a Marketing Program Manager II, you will quickly develop understanding of the organizational structure in order to identify decision makers and escalation paths for program issues
   
   * Synthesizes information from multiple sources and distills it in crisp, clear language appropriate for a variety of audiences, including technology and business executives
   
   * Prepares and owns all deliverables for executive touchpoints for key meetings, including the agenda, data and analysis, pre-read, and post meeting follow up
   
   * 5 years of program management experience in a SaaS based technology company, with direct experience leading complex, multi-phase programs involving cross-functional contributing teams
   
   * Track record of successfully managing complex projects including building and optimizing playbooks; Exhibits and embraces agility to navigate challenges within a rapidly changing environment
   
   * Strategic thinker who understands the big picture and can also identify and prioritize short-term execution needs, to accelerate progress and scale programs or processes within an organization
   
   * Problem solving skills, showcasing the ability to think end-to-end, anticipates and manages risks before they become blockers
   
   * Strong communication (written/verbal), presentation, and team facilitation; Effective negotiator and collaborator, regardless of organizational structure or hierarchy; Ability to communicate at all levels with clarity and precision
   
   * Proven success in partnering, influencing, and collaborating internally and externally; Proactively seeks input from cross functional team members to understand their program needs and roles and to build partnerships
   
   Kforce is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.*Compensation Type:*Hours*Minimum Compensation:*70.00*Maximum Compensation:*90.85

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right marketing program 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 marketing program managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit marketing program 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 marketing program manager job on Zippia to find and recruit marketing program manager 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

   Your first interview with marketing program manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 marketing program manager

   Once you've found the marketing 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new marketing program manager. 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 marketing program manager?