How to hire a program consultant

How to hire a program consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step program consultant hiring guide:

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

What does a program consultant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a program consultant, 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a program consultant 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 program consultant that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of program consultants.

   Type of Program Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Program Consultant	Management analysts, often called management consultants, propose ways to improve the efficiency of an organization. They advise managers on how to make organizations more profitable through reduced costs and increased revenues.	$22-54
   Program Officer	A program officer is an essential part of a foundation or charitable organization. It is up to program officers to supervise program progress and proposals, seek grants, manage projects, and oversee budgets... Show more	$25-56
   Business Analyst-Consultant	A business analyst-consultant is responsible for overseeing the project management and ensuring that the operations meet the agreed-upon project deliverables. Business analyst-consultants closely coordinate with the clients for their specifications and requirements, monitoring the resources and processes for the project completion, and aligning those to the clients' budget goals... Show more	$31-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • Project Management
   • Data Collection
   • Data Analysis
   • Technical Assistance
   • Professional Development
   • C++
   • Public Health
   • Training Programs
   • HR
   • Medicare
   • SharePoint
   • Federal Guidelines
   • Program Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all stages of requisition activity through the use of VMS technology.
   • Project manage large teams of technology projects for PMO, including infrastructure and new application development.
   • Manage vendor on-boarding process from inception through conclusion using establish MSP and client global services processes and requirements.
   • Manage several SDLC phases for enterprise systems used by state government agencies to perform environmental and environmental management.
   • Conduct statistical analysis using SPSS and STATA to benchmark clinic performance.
   • Train users in the use of the CMS.

   More program consultant duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, program consultants' average salary in florida is 57% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level program consultants earn 60% less than senior-level program consultants.
   • Certifications. A program consultant 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 program consultant's salary.

   Average program consultant salary

   $73,021yearly

   $35.11 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level program consultant salary

   $46,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average program consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$108,749	$52
   2	New York	$102,404	$49
   3	California	$101,369	$49
   4	Connecticut	$93,747	$45
   5	Illinois	$92,787	$45
   6	Washington	$87,309	$42
   7	Texas	$85,261	$41
   8	Maryland	$84,059	$40
   9	Colorado	$76,834	$37
   10	Minnesota	$76,662	$37
   11	Arizona	$70,639	$34
   12	Michigan	$69,103	$33
   13	North Carolina	$68,306	$33
   14	Iowa	$65,349	$31
   15	Ohio	$64,241	$31
   16	Georgia	$61,733	$30
   17	Wyoming	$60,958	$29
   18	Louisiana	$60,785	$29
   19	Puerto Rico	$49,576	$24
   20	Florida	$47,972	$23

   Average program consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	DocuSign	$121,920	$58.62
   2	Dell	$117,208	$56.35	5
   3	City National Bank	$114,046	$54.83	13
   4	Bank of America	$109,894	$52.83	19
   5	General Motors	$108,557	$52.19	14
   6	Aetna	$107,034	$51.46
   7	CLEAResult	$106,619	$51.26	15
   8	Wells Fargo	$105,888	$50.91	58
   9	Hess	$99,227	$47.71
   10	Merrill Lynch	$97,179	$46.72
   11	HCSC	$96,054	$46.18	60
   12	MetLife	$92,743	$44.59	3
   13	Verizon Data Services Inc	$92,019	$44.24
   14	DFS Corporate Services LLC	$87,317	$41.98
   15	CVS Health	$84,422	$40.59	467
   16	Supermicro	$84,360	$40.56
   17	NCR	$83,744	$40.26
   18	Accenture	$83,624	$40.20	579
   19	Donor Network West	$81,824	$39.34	4
   20	The Walsh Group	$81,498	$39.18	7

4. Writing a program consultant job description

   A good program consultant 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 program consultant job description:

   Program consultant job description example

   Ready to help us transform healthcare? Bring your true colors to blue.
   
   The Program Consultant is responsible for documentation of processes and requirements. They will engage in the development and execution of user acceptance test plans and proactively identify and manage business risks.
   
   Technical Program Consultant:
   
   + Act as a trusted partner to all internal and external areas by providing technical consultation and mitigation strategies through program implementations and post go-live.
   
   + Employ critical thinking, data gathering, data analysis and problem-solving skills to evaluate each potential opportunity and make go forward recommendation.
   
   The Team
   
   + As an integral part of the Health Management Operations team the Program Consultant candidate will provide technical guidance and leadership to other members of the organization.
   
   Key Responsibilities:
   
   + Act as technical support using Jiva Care Management System in the following areas: Assessment design and maintenance, Sentinel Engine configuration support, Production deployments using JCMT
   
   + Act as technical support using Interquel evidence-based clinical decision system which include the following: Criteria customizations, Delivering monthly/annual releases, User provisioning
   
   + Provide defect tracking and management support using JIRA
   
   + Provide business analyst support using requirements gathering and documentation skill set.
   
   + Able to synthesize large amounts of information and tailor the message to staff and/or senior management
   
   + Employ Project Management techniques, tools, and methods proficiently and consistently
   
   + Utilize well-developed verbal, written and facilitation skills to develop, create and effectively present senior level presentations, including executive summaries
   
   + Able to motivate fellow employees by fostering team spirit, an attitude of cooperation, trust and a commitment to the team and Organization including training and mentoring peers
   
   + Must be flexible and able to quickly adapt to a dynamic environment
   
   Key Qualifications:
   
   + Broad knowledge of Agile and Waterfall methodologies.
   
   + Operations experience in a Medical Management Operations
   
   + Strong working knowledge of BCBS products & systems
   
   + Team player able to work in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines.
   
   + Strong organizational abilities to handle multiple priorities and meet strict deadlines
   
   Education and Experience:
   
   + Bachelor's degree required in Business or IT
   
   + MBA, MIS, MS or MPH preferred.
   
   Minimum Education Requirements:
   
   High school degree or equivalent required unless otherwise noted above
   
   LocationQuincyTime TypeFull time
   
   At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, we believe in wellness and that work/life balance is a key part of associate wellbeing. We provide a flexible hybrid work model in which roles are designated as resident (on site 4-5 days/week), mobile (on site 1-3 days/week), or eworker (on site 0-3 days/month).
   
   Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, has a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for building entry. Your offer of employment is dependent upon either being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or an accommodation based on a disability or sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance by submitting a request to Human Resources.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right program consultant 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 program consultants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit program consultants 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 program consultant job on Zippia to find and recruit program consultant 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 program consultants, 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 program consultant

   Once you've selected the best program consultant 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   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 a program consultant?