How to hire a project management lead

How to hire a project management lead, step by step

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

What does a project management lead do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a project management lead, 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 project management lead's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, project management leads 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 management leads and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Project Management Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Management Lead		$25-65
   Manager, Program Management	A program management manager is a professional who guides project managers and oversees and coordinates an organization's projects, products, and other strategic initiatives. The day-to-day responsibilities of a program manager include planning the overall program, managing the program's budget and the main program documents, and defining the program governance... Show more	$39-74
   Consultant/Project Manager	Consultants/project managers act as planners, leaders, and advisors in business enterprises. These professionals facilitate meetings and establish positive relationships with vendors, management, and clients... Show more	$35-65

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Customer Service
   • Portfolio
   • Risk Management
   • Plumbing
   • Organizational Change Management
   • Infrastructure
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Process Improvement
   • HR
   • Management Activities
   • Management Strategy
   • Patients
   • Management System

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage system architecture design, software development and QA testing process.
   • Direct and oversee multiple PMs and/or team leads on complex projects.
   • Manage and maintain all financial responsibilities including receivables, payroll, taxation, budgeting, internal audit and compliance and bookkeeping.
   • Plan, develop, and lead cross-functional project teams to develop and implement infrastructure solutions and product offerings using PMI methodology.
   • Manage several mechanical retrofit projects for Verizon.
   • Manage ITIL process implementation review of change and configuration management.

   More project management lead duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your project management lead job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A project management lead salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a project management lead in Idaho may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level project management lead usually earns less than a senior-level project management lead. Additionally, a project management lead with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average project management lead salary

   $85,117yearly

   $40.92 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project management lead salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 17, 2026

   Average project management lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$104,789	$50
   2	New Jersey	$104,650	$50
   3	Delaware	$104,624	$50
   4	California	$102,750	$49
   5	Pennsylvania	$93,747	$45
   6	Texas	$91,883	$44
   7	Virginia	$90,776	$44
   8	Arizona	$90,469	$43
   9	Massachusetts	$89,766	$43
   10	North Carolina	$86,489	$42
   11	Michigan	$82,926	$40
   12	Ohio	$78,823	$38
   13	Illinois	$77,497	$37
   14	Georgia	$77,442	$37
   15	Washington	$76,419	$37
   16	District of Columbia	$76,167	$37
   17	Connecticut	$75,506	$36
   18	Rhode Island	$75,111	$36
   19	Maine	$72,694	$35
   20	Florida	$68,328	$33

   Average project management lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$155,571	$74.79	472
   2	Apple	$143,020	$68.76	53
   3	Nike	$142,226	$68.38	3
   4	eBay	$141,529	$68.04	11
   5	Cerner	$136,532	$65.64
   6	The Walt Disney Company	$135,890	$65.33	30
   7	Integral Ad Science	$129,967	$62.48
   8	Google	$129,806	$62.41	501
   9	Rivian	$129,091	$62.06	10
   10	Citi	$128,600	$61.83	20
   11	Harley-Davidson	$126,259	$60.70	1
   12	BNY Mellon	$124,406	$59.81	48
   13	Gillette	$124,115	$59.67
   14	Tesla	$123,980	$59.61	6
   15	AIG	$123,971	$59.60	15
   16	Intuitive Surgical	$123,705	$59.47	8
   17	Morgan Stanley	$123,379	$59.32	69
   18	Microsoft	$123,104	$59.18	107
   19	Amazon	$122,140	$58.72	289
   20	Under Armour	$121,969	$58.64	47

4. Writing a project management lead job description

   A good project management lead 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 project management lead job description:

   Project management lead job description example

   With us, you'll do meaningful work from Day 1. Our collaborative culture is built on three core behaviors: We Play to Win, We Get Better Every Day & We Succeed Together. And we mean it - we want you to grow and make a difference at one of the world's leading digital banking and payments companies. We value what makes you unique so that you have an opportunity to shine.

   Come build your future, while being the reason millions of people find a brighter financial future with Discover.

   Job Description

   The Spend Product Strategy team enables a brighter financial future for Checking and Money Market customers by providing the most rewarding products and features. This role is responsible for identifying and addressing customer and business opportunities best addressed through the development of new features.

   Responsibilities

   · Responsible for supporting the discovery, design, implementation, and management of new features.

   · Perform competitive, financial, and customer analysis to identify trends and opportunities

   · Partners with the team to identify ways to innovate product offerings.

   · Manages projects and initiatives. Leads work streams to support project launches.

   · Ensure projects are delivering on business strategies and meeting customer needs.

   · Provides technology teams with feature requirements and business context to support development

   Minimum Qualifications

   At a minimum, here's what we need from you:

   · Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business, or related field

   · 4+ years of experience in Marketing, Financial Services Marketing, Product Management

   · In lieu of a degree, 8+ years of experience in Marketing, Financial Services Marketing, Product Management

   Preferred Qualifications

   If we had our say, we'd also look for:

   · 6+ years of experience in Marketing, Financial Services Marketing, Product Management, Agile Development

   What are you waiting for? Apply today!

   The same way we treat our employees is how we treat all applicants - with respect. Discover Financial Services is an equal opportunity employer (EEO is the law). We thrive on diversity & inclusion. You will be treated fairly throughout our recruiting process and without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status in consideration for a career at Discover.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right project management lead 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 management leads they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit project management leads 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 management lead job on Zippia to find and recruit project management lead candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with project management lead candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a project management lead applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 management lead

   Once you have selected a candidate for the project management lead 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 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 project management lead first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 project management lead?