How to hire a principal strategist

How to hire a principal strategist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step principal strategist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a principal strategist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A principal strategist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, principal strategists 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.

   This list presents principal strategist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Principal Strategist	Description	Hourly rate
   Principal Strategist	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.	$46-96
   Development Manager	A development manager is responsible for assisting existing clients or potential clients of the services they need. A development manager serves as the initial point of contact for the clients to answer their inquiries and concerns before proceeding with a contract... Show more	$36-76
   Brand Manager	A brand manager is a professional responsible for adapting a brand strategy that targets the potential market for a company's product while maintaining its integrity. Brand managers assist in developing products while managing budgets for the advertising and promotion of their new products... Show more	$34-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Cloud
   • Architecture
   • Product Development
   • Project Management
   • HTML
   • ROI
   • Business Operations
   • FTE
   • Business Development
   • Lifecycle Management
   • Product Strategy
   • Strategy Development
   • Business Strategy
   • Business Model

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a team of three analysts to successfully execute on clients' Facebook marketing goals.
   • Train and mentore full-stack engineering teams in responsive HTML and CSS code.
   • Provide coding expertise using XML, HTML, Coldfusion, Java, and Javascript.
   • Develop and present topics at healthcare conferences and educational seminars as it relates to printing solutions.
   • Maintain detailed records and documentation in customer relationship management (CRM) system.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your principal strategist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A principal strategist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, principal strategists' average salary in hawaii is 57% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level principal strategists 52% less than senior-level principal strategists.
   • Certifications. A principal strategist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a principal strategist's salary.

   Average principal strategist salary

   $140,463yearly

   $67.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level principal strategist salary

   $97,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

4. Writing a principal strategist job description

   A principal strategist 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 principal strategist job description:

   Principal strategist job description example

   The preferred working location for this role is the Medtronic facility located in Mounds View, MN; however, the individual may also work
   remotely within the US or onsite at another US-based Medtronic facility.
   
   CAREERS THAT CHANGE LIVES
   
   INTRODUCTION
   The Innovation Lab (IL) is an internal experience, design, and strategy consulting team. We use methods of empathy building and needs definition along with creative ideation and prototyping/testing practices to deliver best in class value for Medtronic business partners globally.
   
   IL Strategists are curious, creative and empathteic individuals who guide Medtronic teams to create customer-centric business strategies by fusing human-centered design (HCD) and strategy frameworks. We reconcile customer desirability with business viability in service of better strategic choices.
   
   POSITION DESCRIPTION
   As a Principal Strategist on the Innovation Lab team, you will work alongside experienced designers, researchers, and facilitators on projects that span Operating Units within Medtronic to provide best in class service and deliverables to our internal stakeholders. This role also champions the Innovation Lab's mission to activate a HCD discipline within medical device design. You will work at the intersection of HCD, healthcare, and strategy by leading strategy development projects for cross-functional teams and leaders.
   
   Candidates are expected to present their work via portfolio, case studies, or other examples.
   
   A DAY IN THE LIFE
   Scoping strategy and HCD SOWs (statement of work) that include problem/opportunity framing, activities, timelines, and deliverables for internal stakeholders. Generate internal stakeholder and/or customer research materials such as recruitment processes, screeners, interview stimuli, discussion guides, etc; Conduct interviews Synthesize data and generate research reports; Emphasis on actionable insights and the impact from research outcomes on operating unit strategy and/or strategy development process. Design and lead in-person and/or virtual strategy workshops for cross-functional teams and leaders by applying and adapting business strategy frameworks like 'Playing to Win'. Cleary defining and communicating vision, strategy, customer needs, technological roadmaps, and dependencies for cross-functional and leadership teams. Create and present final strategy deliverables in a compelling way that meet and exceed SOWs.
   Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned.
   Formulates and reviews corporate short and long-range plans, goals, and objectives for specific product or product line. Conducts competitive product analysis and market research of product consumer behavior and professional audience. Determines the profitability and viability of new products or product enhancements. Develops production and marketing strategies and tactics to ensure effective product placement relative to market opportunity, working closely with product development for a specific product, brand, or product area over its entire life cycle. Works with other functions to finalize product specifications. Provides advertising with core brand equity. Serves as technical adviser, demonstrating products and troubleshooting product issues.
   
   Must Have: Minimum Requirements
   Bachelors degree in business and a minimum of 7 years of strategy development or related experience, or advanced degree in business with a minimum of 5 years strategy development or related experience
   Nice to Have MBA or previous consulting experience Human Centered Design experience Healthcare and/or Medical Device experience Desire to improve healthcare delivery, experience, and outcomes for patients, caregivers, and clincians Compelling verbal and/or visual communicator Strong critical thinking and pattern recognition skills Curious, empathetic, and loves to learn Is self-motivated and proactive, always thinking ahead for the team Is dissatisfied with mediocrity and wants to be one-of-the-best in their field Enjoys the benefit of working with a diverse and highly skilled team Skilled facilitator who loves guiding groups through intellectually risky and uncomfortable scenarios by creating a safe space for collaboration and breakthroughs. Ability to work within a self-directed culture and navigate ambiguity Proficient in Microsoft Suite (PPT, Word, Excel)
   About Medtronic
   
   Together, we can change healthcare worldwide. At Medtronic, we push the limits of what technology, therapies and services can do to help alleviate pain, restore health and extend life. We challenge ourselves and each other to make tomorrow better than yesterday. It is what makes this an exciting and rewarding place to be.
   
   We want to accelerate and advance our ability to create meaningful innovations - but we will only succeed with the right people on our team. Let's work together to address universal healthcare needs and improve patients' lives. Help us shape the future.
   
   Physical Job Requirements
   
   The physical demands described within the Responsibilities section of this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. For Office Roles: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to be independently mobile. The employee is also required to interact with a computer, and communicate with peers and co-workers. Contact your manager or local HR to understand the Work Conditions and Physical requirements that may be specific to each role. (ADA-United States of America)

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right principal strategist 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 principal strategist job on Zippia to find and recruit principal strategist 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

   To successfully recruit principal strategists, 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 principal strategist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the principal strategist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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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