How to hire an operations project manager

How to hire an operations project manager, step by step

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

What does an operations project manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the operations project manager you need to hire. Certain operations project 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 operations project 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 operations project manager that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of operations project managers.

   Type of Operations Project Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Operations Project Manager	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$31-58
   General Manager Of Operations	General managers of operations are employed to oversee the overall operations of businesses. Their responsibilities include the improvement of the efficiency of the operations and overall management... Show more	$23-79
   Group Manager	Group Managers are employees who oversee a specific department, team, or any group in the company. They are usually tenured employees or industry experts... Show more	$37-85

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Business Operations
   • Risk Management
   • Process Improvement
   • Business Process
   • Provide Management
   • Operations Project
   • Customer Service
   • Shared Services
   • Project Completion
   • Project Scope
   • Oversight
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Logistics

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage resource allocation to help maximize ROI and focus on the division's strategy.
   • Manage operational programs that include the introduction and preparation for the manufacture of new products, design enhancements and OEM deviations.
   • Manage elaborate software implementation projects relate to national convenience store/gas station point of sale (POS) technology.
   • Manage payroll distribution process ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and confidentiality to protect client's privacy and prevent liability of exposure.
   • Reduce emergency department length of stay: participants reduce time to admit patients by 90 minutes.
   • Assist with providing best practices for the PMO base on previous positions that include PMO set up and interaction.

   More operations project manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, operations project managers' average salary in hawaii is 49% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level operations project managers earn 46% less than senior-level operations project managers.
   • Certifications. An operations project 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 operations project manager's salary.

   Average operations project manager salary

   $90,352yearly

   $43.44 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level operations project manager salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average operations project manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$109,225	$53
   2	Alabama	$102,804	$49
   3	New York	$99,772	$48
   4	District of Columbia	$99,390	$48
   5	Texas	$93,825	$45
   6	Massachusetts	$92,870	$45
   7	North Carolina	$92,293	$44
   8	Louisiana	$92,063	$44
   9	Washington	$90,615	$44
   10	Colorado	$88,713	$43
   11	Arizona	$86,386	$42
   12	Illinois	$83,703	$40
   13	Oregon	$83,509	$40
   14	Maryland	$83,105	$40
   15	Indiana	$82,886	$40
   16	Georgia	$82,131	$39
   17	Pennsylvania	$81,748	$39
   18	Iowa	$76,059	$37
   19	Ohio	$74,935	$36
   20	Florida	$74,683	$36

   Average operations project manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$128,520	$61.79	672
   2	Google	$125,734	$60.45	436
   3	Apple	$122,219	$58.76	93
   4	Intuitive Surgical	$119,192	$57.30	7
   5	Applied Materials	$117,501	$56.49	50
   6	Microsoft	$115,894	$55.72	191
   7	Juniper Networks	$114,328	$54.97
   8	Genentech	$113,080	$54.37	18
   9	Cradlepoint	$112,670	$54.17
   10	ICU Medical	$112,211	$53.95	3
   11	Gap Inc.	$111,369	$53.54	1
   12	AstraZeneca	$110,329	$53.04	2
   13	TechnipFMC	$108,352	$52.09	1
   14	Palantir	$108,311	$52.07	11
   15	ServiceNow	$106,802	$51.35	38
   16	Entegris	$106,584	$51.24	10
   17	Exact Sciences	$106,554	$51.23	3
   18	Novartis	$106,320	$51.12	18
   19	Amgen	$106,125	$51.02	32
   20	Stryker	$105,258	$50.60	54

4. Writing an operations project manager job description

   A job description for an operations project manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an operations project manager job description:

   Operations project manager job description example

   The Project Manager (PM) is responsible for managing, directing and overseeing the operations and administration of internal projects.The role of the PM is to provide visible leadership, accountability and authority to project stakeholders and team members.The PM works independently and exhibits a high degree of initiative in resolving problems encountered and developing recommended solutions.
   What you'll do at Insight
   Devotes 90% of time to leading and managing projects.10% of time to team and personal development. Hold project team status meetings and monthly update meetings to report on program/project status, issues/risks, and progress to plan. Work with internal leadership to help drive best practices, standards, and methodology. Ensures the change management process is utilized in order to ensure customer satisfaction. Analyze and resolve escalated project issues that have the potential to jeopardize the ability to meet agreed upon deliverables. Lead projects relative to milestone completion while managing to resource and financial budgets. Develops and implements complete project schedules to ensure required dates are met. Monitors and maintain client and internal project executive satisfaction by engaging in weekly or monthly status meetings. Other duties as assigned. What you'll need to join Insight
   Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from four-year college or university, plus three to five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. PMP certification is required within 6 months of placement in PM role. Active PMI membership is desirable. Must be able to generate and manage detailed project plans. Must be able to manage project resources working on multiple projects seamlessly. Must be an excellent communicator - both written and oral. Must have excellent customer relationship management skills and ability to interface seamlessly with all levels within the organization. Must be able to run project update meetings with project teammates (functional and technical). Must possess leadership qualities and skills that motivate project team members to drive the project to a successful conclusion. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business/professional journals, technical procedures, or regulations. Ability to write reports and/or business correspondence. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, customers, other teammates. Must be proficient in Microsoft tools including, but not limited to, Microsoft Office, MS Teams, MS Project, MS Project Server, SharePoint Portal. Physical Demands
   
   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a teammate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, hear, and operate a computer, telephone and keyboard. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work. Regular, predictable attendance is required; including quarter-driven hours as business demands dictate. Work Environment
   
   The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a teammate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   Moderate noise (i.e. business office with computers, phone, and printers, light traffic). Ability to work in a confined area. Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period of time. Insight is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Nearest Major Market: Phoenix
   Job Segment: Project Manager, Manager, CRM, Relationship Manager, Technology, Operations, Management, Customer Service

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find operations project managers 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 operations project manager job on Zippia to find and recruit operations project 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 operations project 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.

   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 operations project manager

   Once you've selected the best operations project manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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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How much does it cost to hire an operations project manager?