How to hire a program control manager

How to hire a program control manager, step by step

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

What does a program control manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the program control manager you need to hire. Certain program control 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 program control manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, program control 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of program control managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Program Control Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Program Control Manager		$37-72
   Project Administrator	A project administrator is a professional who assists the project manager in the preparation, reporting, and analysis of projects. Project administrators are given tasks with administrative responsibilities such as managing the budget for supply orders, coordinating meetings with contractors, and doing site visits... Show more	$15-39
   Communications Project Manager	A communications project manager is in charge of overseeing the development of internal and external communication materials. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing research and analysis to identify client or company needs, developing effective communication strategies, coordinating different teams to ensure the quality and accuracy of projects, setting objectives and goals, and managing schedules and budgets... Show more	$28-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Oversight
   • Earned Value Management
   • Program Control
   • Management System
   • Variance Analysis
   • Risk Assessments
   • DOD
   • Program Planning
   • Financial Analysis
   • Value Management
   • Financial Management
   • Cost Control
   • Control Systems

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the EAC due diligence effort with Northrop Grumman during the acquisition.
   • Lead PMO teams through entire project life cycles using industry best practices.
   • Manage implementation of referrals, coordinate assignment of new physicians and create support network for transitioning patients during clinic closure.
   • Maintain internal SharePoint site to track RFQs and the status of QGSI proposals.
   • Create meeting minutes for multiple types of meeting; distribute to senior officials and post to SharePoint site.
   • Implement new EAC system and initiate monthly financial status reviews to enhance program's overall visibility and profit margin.

   More program control manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, program control managers' average salary in nebraska is 36% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level program control managers earn 49% less than senior-level program control managers.
   • Certifications. A program control 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 a program control manager's salary.

   Average program control manager salary

   $107,944yearly

   $51.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level program control manager salary

   $77,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average program control manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$142,726	$69
   2	Washington	$134,127	$64
   3	Nevada	$127,068	$61
   4	District of Columbia	$124,181	$60
   5	Georgia	$121,589	$58
   6	Massachusetts	$118,213	$57
   7	Virginia	$117,357	$56
   8	Missouri	$117,002	$56
   9	Delaware	$115,086	$55
   10	New York	$114,568	$55
   11	Oregon	$111,481	$54
   12	Arizona	$111,206	$53
   13	Illinois	$108,711	$52
   14	Florida	$108,020	$52
   15	North Carolina	$107,131	$52
   16	Minnesota	$105,086	$51
   17	Louisiana	$104,983	$50
   18	Texas	$104,715	$50
   19	West Virginia	$102,632	$49
   20	Utah	$99,987	$48

   Average program control manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$143,173	$68.83	143
   2	BNP Paribas	$131,080	$63.02
   3	Citi	$130,741	$62.86	9
   4	J.P. Morgan	$127,466	$61.28
   5	Battelle	$124,850	$60.02	5
   6	Promega	$121,673	$58.50
   7	Burns & McDonnell	$119,706	$57.55	195
   8	AECOM	$119,360	$57.38	160
   9	HDR	$119,310	$57.36	63
   10	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$118,612	$57.02	179
   11	BAE Systems	$117,556	$56.52	169
   12	Rheem Manufacturing	$117,230	$56.36	5
   13	Accenture	$116,841	$56.17	1
   14	Intel	$115,720	$55.63	6
   15	Bank of the West	$114,881	$55.23
   16	ANSER	$112,708	$54.19
   17	Aerojet Rocketdyne	$112,368	$54.02
   18	Amazon	$111,867	$53.78	286
   19	Northrop Grumman	$110,443	$53.10	157
   20	Teledyne Technologies Incorporated	$109,557	$52.67	5

4. Writing a program control manager job description

   A program control manager 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 program control manager job description:

   Program control manager job description example

   At Anser Advisory, we strive and succeed by creating smart, dynamic and professionally skilled teams to deliver extraordinary projects for our clients. You will work on interesting projects which will expand your expertise and hone your technical skills through the ability to access the most advanced technology on the market. Your successful impact will help us obtain our goal of being the nationwide go-to professional services provider. Anser provides our clients with advisory, compliance, program and project construction management services at the highest level of dedication.
   
   Our relationships are on our credibility to deliver on our commitments, with unbeatable service levels to our clients which has resulted in our rapid growth, nationwide.
   
   The Program Controls Manager position is a client-facing role that requires exceptional information technology, project management and controls, business analysis, client management, and communication skills. The role of the Controls Manager also requires effective leadership skills and the ability to develop innovative solutions benefitting Anser and its clients based on continuing research of latest industry trends. Internally the Program Controls Manager is responsible for supporting business development efforts related to controls and system implementation services.
   
   The Program Controls Manager will be responsible for leading client controls and system implementation services including:
   · Defining the project's objectives and oversee quality control throughout its life cycle
   · Conducting needs assessments
   · Preparing resulting controls recommendations
   · Develop system requirement definitions
   · Developing system implementation plans
   · Managing the system selection and implementations according to the defined scope, budget, and schedule
   · Establish with the client's staff and other stakeholders reporting formats
   · Develop project budget schedule
   · Provide controls for managing the project scope, budget, and schedule
   · Establish, analyze, and report on the project key performance metrics
   · Establish and maintain appropriate internal control safeguards to ensure consistent reporting of accurate information
   · Must understand construction means and methods
   
   This position requires the flexibility to lead and support several client assignments simultaneously and can require significant travel.
   
   Skills & Experience:
   
   Experience in project controls related to construction
   Experience managing software development projects using the software development lifecycle
   Experience configuring, implementing and supporting web-based, collaborative information systems
   Experience eliciting requirements from users and writing functional requirements documents
   Knowledge of project management software currently in the marketplace
   Understanding of project management concepts and best practices including document management, budget-cost control, schedule management, and automated workflows
   Understanding of information systems concepts such as integrating data from multiple systems, SQL report-writing, business intelligence and business process logic
   Ability to research software products and make appropriate recommendations based on client needs
   Experience writing user manuals, designing training programs and leading training workshops
   Experience with effectively managing resources
   Excellent presentation and client management skills
   Experience selling services to clients
   
   Education:
   
   A minimum of 10 years of experience related to program and project-level controls on major construction programs
   BS/BA Degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management or another construction related subject; or a BS/BA Degree in Finance, Accounting, and MBA Degree
   Specialized skills and proficiency with Project Management Information Systems and other controls software (e.g. e-Builder, Oracle/Primavera Unifier, Oracle/Primavera P6, Prolog, ProjectMates, PMWeb)
   
   We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, because it makes our firm stronger. Each of us contributes to our inclusive environment in the way we act, our level of commitment, encouragement to others to share their ideas, and our everyday, outstanding teamwork to support our clients. We also support professional for our staff and celebrate their accomplishments.
   
   Simply put, our firm is better...because of the people we work with.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

   Once you've selected the best program control 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 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new program control manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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