How to hire a national director

How to hire a national director, step by step

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

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

What does a national director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the national director you need to hire. Certain national director 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 national director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, national 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 national director salaries for various roles:

   Type of National Director	Description	Hourly rate
   National Director	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$32-97
   Director Of Sales & Business Development	A director of sales business development is responsible for monitoring the business and project plans, ensuring that the sales targets are met, according to project requirements and specifications. Directors of sales business development perform data analysis to track business performance and identify opportunities to grow revenues and profits... Show more	$18-84
   National Accounts Sales Manager	A national accounts sales manager is responsible for maintaining healthy business relationships with clients by managing and monitoring the performance of their accounts. National accounts sales managers establish reasonable sales targets and develop techniques that would maximize sales staff productivity and efficiency... Show more	$30-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Customer Service
   • Healthcare
   • Oversight
   • Veterans
   • Patients
   • Strategic Direction
   • Revenue Growth
   • Twitter
   • Business Development
   • CRM
   • Sales Strategies
   • Real Estate
   • Leadership Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead and coordinate RFP process for large national accounts.
   • Garner B2C and B2B leads via trade and consumer shows; identify prospects for sales cultivation.
   • Lead primary and secondary research teams on industry strategy and advise executive leadership council.
   • Establish and manage the mid-Atlantic regional office of a privately own legal education company that provide educational services to law students.
   • Spearhead business-to-business sales and marketing development and execution with chief oversight of corporate revenue growth within a northeast region.
   • Structure and develop IDN /Corporate accounts programs.

   More national director duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average national director salary

   $117,787yearly

   $56.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level national director salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average national director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Oregon	$155,112	$75
   2	Virginia	$150,527	$72
   3	District of Columbia	$150,524	$72
   4	Indiana	$150,506	$72
   5	Massachusetts	$147,333	$71
   6	California	$147,042	$71
   7	Michigan	$146,026	$70
   8	Alaska	$141,614	$68
   9	Connecticut	$140,062	$67
   10	Washington	$135,150	$65
   11	New Jersey	$134,997	$65
   12	Illinois	$134,476	$65
   13	New York	$132,980	$64
   14	Pennsylvania	$129,392	$62
   15	Ohio	$128,013	$62
   16	Utah	$126,581	$61
   17	Colorado	$124,759	$60
   18	Maryland	$123,569	$59
   19	Arizona	$120,783	$58
   20	Texas	$119,986	$58

   Average national director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith	$177,029	$85.11
   2	USA Diving	$166,258	$79.93
   3	Planned Parenthood	$162,543	$78.15	11
   4	ICW Group	$158,566	$76.23
   5	Amgen	$155,679	$74.85	6
   6	Ernst & Young	$155,255	$74.64	140
   7	Busch's Fresh Food Market	$147,862	$71.09
   8	Watermark Retirement Communities	$147,777	$71.05	5
   9	Albertsons	$144,823	$69.63	27
   10	YAI	$142,584	$68.55
   11	NAACP	$142,347	$68.44	1
   12	Southwest Key Programs	$141,679	$68.11
   13	American Red Cross	$139,902	$67.26	26
   14	House of Blues	$138,494	$66.58
   15	Boys & Girls Clubs of America	$138,438	$66.56
   16	Fifth Third Bank	$134,375	$64.60	42
   17	ALDI USA	$128,957	$62.00
   18	RSM US	$128,540	$61.80	82
   19	Live Nation Entertainment	$124,145	$59.69	52
   20	BDO USA	$122,375	$58.83	26

4. Writing a national director job description

   A good national director 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 national director job description:

   National director job description example

   We are looking for a National Director of Multilingual Learner Success to join Ellevation's Marketing team. The National Director of Multilingual Learner Success will play a critical role in engaging and inspiring our community of EL educators through events, existing content channels like our podcast and blog, and more. They will build and strengthen key relationships that will lead to increased revenue and deeper market penetration. The National Director's work will be highly visible and crucial to growing Ellevation's brand awareness.
   
   The National Director will present at conferences, attend events with thought leaders, and support our sales and marketing teams with large deal opportunities. In time, our partners and prospects will come to know the National Director as the “face of Ellevation”, someone who is passionate about multilingualism and speaks eloquently about our products and the impact we have on students and educators. The National Director can relate to and empathize with English Learners and the teachers who serve them, because they are a former English Learner themselves and/or they are an educator with extensive experience serving ELs. The National Director will use their superior presentation skills and passion for making an impact to travel around the country in support of Ellevation's mission and products.
   
   Within 1 month, you will:Onboard and learn about Ellevation, and the work we do to improve outcomes for EL students Become familiar with our product offerings, community, and customer landscape Understand the Marketing Team's approach and how we work within the greater Revenue TeamBecome familiar with how conferences and events support Ellevation's brand awareness and growth Understand how Ellevation's community content (podcast, blog, video, etc.) serves to support our thought leadership efforts.
   
   Within 3 months, you will:Work with our revenue team to build connections and strategies around amplifying Ellevation's brand and products Master the ability to articulate Ellevation's value proposition and impact of our products Begin traveling to conferences and events with our co-founders and members of our revenue team to familiarize yourself with the landscape Liaise with our partners at Curriculum Associates to learn their approach to evangelism Engage in our Community by contributing to podcast interviews, video series, blog posts, and more Collaborate with our Events Manager to put together a long-term plan for attending conferences and events
   
   Within 6 months, you will:Own the strategy for engagements at conferences and events Report on successes and challenges of each engagement Collaborate with the Community team to establish a regular cadence of collaboration on our content channels Build, nurture, and leverage relationships with district partners and thought leaders to increase revenue and market penetration opportunities With the support of our Events Manager, partner with associations to design unique event experiences including speaking, workshop, and sponsorship engagements Deliver engaging and compelling presentations highlighting Ellevation's mission and solution Contribute to driving attendance of in-person and virtual events, focusing on ongoing stakeholder engagement Evaluate event success based on data and feedback Remain deeply aware of our company mission, product goals, and buyer journey, and translate that knowledge into compelling event experiences that inspire prospects and clients to action Contribute to our annual Impact conference
   
   About YouBilingual/biliterate with excellent communication skills 8+ years of experience in EL education Demonstrated ability to engage audiences of high-level administrators and key decision-makers from school districts Bachelor's degree required, Masters degree preferred Comfortable with heavy travel - ~80% driving and flying
   About Us:
   At Ellevation, we develop world-class software to help educators serve the fastest growing population of K-12 students: English Learners (ELs). Ellevation helps school districts transform their Multilingual Learner programs and ensure all students can achieve their highest aspirations. Our product suite includes a best-in-class data and instructional planning platform, resources to build teacher capacity, and student-facing programs to teach academic language.
   
   We are a fast-growing, mission-driven technology company partnering with over 1,200 school districts and more than 3 million current and former English Learners. Over the next five years, we plan to double the number of ELs we serve and drive measurable outcomes for students. Ellevation merged with Curriculum Associates in 2021 to accelerate impact for Multilingual Learners. Our company continues to operate independently and is well-capitalized to support our ambitious social and financial objectives.
   
   Why Ellevation?
   In addition to our great benefits and competitive salaries, here are some things that make us unique:
   + Mission-driven organization were team members are empowered to make a significant impact
   + Opportunities to join DEIB-focused groups and support building a culture of belonging
   + Professional development and growth opportunities
   + Company and team offsites in various cities across the United States
   + Collaborative workspace in the heart of Boston - a stone's throw from many central T stops (Downtown Crossing, Government Center, and Aquarium). Free snacks, beverages, and local organic fruit provided
   + Remote and in-person engagement opportunities, including happy hours, themed events, and competitions + Remote and in-person wellness programming to support team's mental and physical wellbeing
   
   Learn more about our team in our Culture Deck.
   
   Here at Ellevation, we champion diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging. We strive to build a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values a range of ideas and opinions.
   
   We believe in building a culture where productivity can flourish, one that is empathetic, respectful, and inclusive. We are proud to have been recognized in prior years as “Best Tech Workplace for Diversity” by the Timmy Awards for investing in training around inclusive behaviors, microaggressions, unconscious bias, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and feedback across the company. We are encouraged by our progress, but there's more work to be done.
   
   Additional Information: Ellevation operates under Curriculum Associates, LLC, an Equal Opportunity Employer. Curriculum Associates, LLC will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by law. Curriculum Associates, LLC will grant employment, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by law. Such action shall include, but not be limited to, the following: employment, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
   
   Our company uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
   
   Information that you provide when applying for employment with Curriculum Associates, LLC may be subject to the California Consumer Privacy Act. Click here for more information about our data-collection practices and your rights related to that data.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find national directors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit national directors, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 national director

   Once you've decided on a perfect national director 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been 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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