How to hire a project development director

How to hire a project development director, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your project development director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a project development director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

   The following list breaks down different types of project development directors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Project Development Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Development Director		$33-82
   Program Manager	A program manager is responsible for monitoring the project's progress, improving and developing new strategies, and coordinate various projects across the organization to ensure the success of the business objective. Program managers also manage the program's expenses, ensuring that the projects adhere to the budget goals without compromising the quality and accuracy of the result... Show more	$31-67
   Call Center Manager	Call center managers specialize in overseeing call center operations and agents' performances, ensuring that customers are satisfied. Aside from this, they are mostly involved in hiring and training new agents, shaping them into productive workforce members... Show more	$11-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Renewable Energy
   • Project Management
   • Real Estate
   • Architecture
   • Development Process
   • Development Projects
   • RFP
   • EPC
   • Client Relationships
   • Construction Management
   • R
   • Project Planning
   • Business Plan
   • Construction Projects

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage qualitative projects from study design through analysis for consumer package goods, business-to-business, healthcare and pharmaceutical research projects.
   • Authore and approve all request for proposal (RFP), engineering test reports and test plans used to provide services.
   • Provide oversight and direction on domestic and international projects impacting commercial markets, including conducting competitive assessments base on project results.
   • Train the Mid-Atlantic technicians on Oracle/Sun base servers, applications & daily troubleshooting.
   • Supervise team of analysts reporting operational and outcomes metrics for a Medicaid care management program.

   More project development director duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, project development directors' average salary in nebraska is 48% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level project development directors earn 60% less than senior-level project development directors.
   • Certifications. A project development director 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 project development director's salary.

   Average project development director salary

   $109,241yearly

   $52.52 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project development director salary

   $69,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average project development director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Hawaii	$141,205	$68
   2	California	$136,223	$65
   3	Nevada	$120,902	$58
   4	District of Columbia	$118,559	$57
   5	Rhode Island	$117,998	$57
   6	Washington	$116,600	$56
   7	Texas	$114,094	$55
   8	New York	$112,615	$54
   9	Massachusetts	$107,801	$52
   10	Virginia	$101,913	$49
   11	North Carolina	$100,975	$49
   12	Connecticut	$100,286	$48
   13	Oregon	$99,692	$48
   14	Wisconsin	$98,864	$48
   15	Colorado	$98,608	$47
   16	Florida	$98,304	$47
   17	Minnesota	$96,363	$46
   18	Maine	$88,361	$42
   19	Missouri	$87,111	$42
   20	Utah	$87,019	$42

   Average project development director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Brixmor Property Group	$218,073	$104.84
   2	Florida Power and Light	$136,950	$65.84	10
   3	Prologis	$135,221	$65.01	24
   4	Georgetown University	$130,673	$62.82	10
   5	Sound Transit	$113,879	$54.75	1
   6	Con Edison	$113,422	$54.53
   7	Kiewit	$112,009	$53.85	24
   8	Partners Advantage Insurance Services	$110,527	$53.14
   9	Morehouse School of Medicine	$109,794	$52.79	2
   10	Nexamp	$106,722	$51.31	2
   11	Con Edison Development	$106,679	$51.29
   12	Fulcrum BioEnergy	$106,670	$51.28
   13	CleanCapital	$106,093	$51.01
   14	Cushman & Wakefield	$105,947	$50.94	238
   15	Savage	$105,875	$50.90
   16	juwi Americas	$103,905	$49.95
   17	dck worldwide	$103,595	$49.81
   18	Black & Veatch	$98,083	$47.16	48
   19	Anthology	$97,685	$46.96
   20	Maryland Transportation Authority	$95,008	$45.68

4. Writing a project development director job description

   A project development director 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a project development director job description:

   Project development director job description example

   Application Instructions
   
   Please list all professional experience and explain any gaps in employment history. All of your application materials, which may include PDF files of work samples and/or links to audio, video, photography or graphics, must be uploaded to the field labeled Resume/Cover Letter/Work Samples to be considered for the position.
   
   Job Description
   
   The Washington Post is seeking a highly organized and forward-thinking newsroom leader to run a new Planning and Project Development team. This director and their team will serve as a newsroom linchpin: The team oversees establishing, populating and maintaining a calendar that will be the sole source of truth for all medium- to long-lead newsroom projects, including investigations, enterprise, launches, special projects and other initiatives, with input from leaders and editors across the newsroom. The director will oversee not just the creation and ongoing accuracy of this vital newsroom asset but will work with organization leadership to strategize the planning and development of some of The Post's most important and high-profile journalism.
   
   The person in this role will be responsible for developing a strong newsroom network that will connect all departments, helping us to optimize the execution of high-impact storytelling. In addition to managing a team of projects editors, this person will support and partner with leaders across the newsroom. They will also connect the newsroom to partners in subscriptions and brand marketing, public relations and client solutions to provide visibility across the organization and ensure we achieve maximum impact from the work. The ideal candidate will be experienced in editorial planning and will have a high expectation of operational excellence, personally and for their team. This person will be able to think critically and strategically about storytelling opportunities and how to best communicate across the organization. Excellent organizational skills and people management experience are required, as well as a minimum of eight years of newsroom experience. Project or initiative management is expected.
   
   This role reports to the head of audience strategy and growth and is based in our Washington newsroom.
   
   Candidates should upload a résumé and cover letter outlining the experience they would bring to the role to our jobs portal. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, but those received by 09/25/2022 will be prioritized. The cover letter should be addressed to Head of Audience Strategy and Growth Erika Allen and Chief Product Officer and Managing Editor Kat Downs Mulder.
   
   The Post strives to provide its readers with high-quality, trustworthy news and information while constantly innovating. That mission is best served by a diverse, multi-generational workforce with varied life experiences and perspectives. All cultures and backgrounds are welcomed.
   
   Ever wondered if what you are doing will Impact Tomorrow? At The Washington Post, every employee shapes the way we deliver the news. Find the career that's right for you
   #washpostlife

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right project development director 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 project development directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit project development directors 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 project development director job on Zippia to find and recruit project development director 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 project development directors, 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.

   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 project development director

   Once you've selected the best project development director 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new project development director. 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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