How to hire a provost

How to hire a provost, step by step

Here's a step-by-step provost hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a provost, 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 provost's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, provosts 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.

   Here's a comparison of provost salaries for various roles:

   Type of Provost	Description	Hourly rate
   Provost	Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Their job duties vary depending on the area of the college they manage, such as admissions, student life, or the office of the registrar.	$26-87
   Dean	A dean is responsible for overseeing the educational operations of the assigned department, enforcing school policies, and monitoring the students' progress by coordinating with the teachers and setting up procedures to improve teaching methods. Deans administer educational training and programs for the students, as well as extra-curricular activities to develop the students' social behavior, maximize their potentials, and increase their self-confidence... Show more	$23-72
   Admissions Officer	An admissions officer is responsible for recruiting new students from various venues and channels. You will connect with students and answer their questions about the college or university, and conduct interviews to better understand the students' objectives and background... Show more	$9-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Colleges
   • Oversight
   • Academic Affairs
   • Scholarship
   • Strategic Plan
   • Enrollment Management
   • Academic Programs
   • Emergency Calls
   • Academic Policies
   • Student Services
   • Motor Vehicle
   • Law Enforcement Operations
   • Social Justice
   • Physical Security

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Produce, manage and evaluate all budgetary and programmatic aspects of a comprehensive career service program for students and alumni.
   • Provide oversight and conduct over 100 criminal investigations resulting in recovery of $75K in assets.
   • Check and record supplies as needed and distribute it throughout the PMO.
   • Prepare course syllabus and all instructor-prepare course handouts on for each face-to-face class section.
   • Provide and review with students the course syllabus, course outcomes, attendance and grading policies.
   • Create personal college readiness profiles for students to track grades and GPA, extracurricular activity, career interest and community involvement.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, provosts' average salary in hawaii is 60% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level provosts earn 69% less than senior-level provosts.
   • Certifications. A provost 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 provost's salary.

   Average provost salary

   $102,118yearly

   $49.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level provost salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

4. Writing a provost job description

   A provost 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 provost job description:

   Provost job description example

   The Provost is the chief academic officer of the university, overseeing eight schools as well as multiple cross-school programs. The Provost is responsible for setting and guiding institutional and budgetary priorities that advance the university's academic mission. Together with deans and senior administrators, the Provost directs and supports the partnerships and collaborations between schools on four Massachusetts campuses and an international center in Talloires, France. This team of academic leaders ensures that the university's educational and research programs are of the highest quality by working closely with faculty, staff, alumni, and students to fulfill the university's goals and aspirations.
   What You'll Do
   
   The Vice Provost for Education has oversight for the academic program development and governance and the academic units and programs under the Provost's Office. This position works closely with the school deans on academic planning and strategy and works to advance the Provost's academic priorities, including expanding support for student affairs and student services.
   
   The Vice Provost for Education:
   
   * Develops and implements a cohesive strategy for educational programs while building consensus across stakeholders. Sets strategy for educational training and delivery.
   * Coordinates the allocation, appropriation, and management of the University's academic resources.
   * Maintains responsibility for academic planning and cross-school management.
   * Manages a variety of academic and functional areas including institutional research, student affairs, student services and global operations.
   * Oversees accreditation and assessment processes.
   * Assesses programs and initiatives, conducts analysis and uses metrics as appropriate.
   * Establishes best practices across schools. Ensures that new educational initiatives move through internal evaluation processes and approvals, including socializing ideas to key stakeholders, in a fair and timely manner.
   * Represents the Provost and University to and liaises with external stakeholders, other educational institutions, and other partners regarding academic program development and delivery.
   
   What We're Looking For
   
   Basic Requirements:
   
   * Knowledge and skills as typically acquired through completion of advanced degree
   * Experience in a strategic leadership role in higher education or related setting
   * Expertise in academic and organizational management
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   * Doctoral degree
   * Eight or more years' experience designing and steering academic programs at a college or university
   * Demonstrated experience overseeing and launching successful large-scale strategic projects, including setting,
   
   and implementing strategy and facilitating stakeholder engagement and collaboration
   * Involved or participated in/contributed to Federal committees and initiatives, NIH, NSF and other professional
   
   organizations
   
   An employee in this position must complete all appropriate background checks at the time of hire, promotion, or transfer.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer - minority/females/veterans/disability/sexual orientation/gender identity
   
   Responsibilities
   
   The Vice Provost for Education has oversight for the academic program development and governance and the academic units and programs under the Provost's Office. This position works closely with the school deans on academic planning and strategy and works to advance the Provost's academic priorities, including expanding support for student affairs and student services.
   
   The Vice Provost for Education:
   
   * Develops and implements a cohesive strategy for educational programs while building consensus across stakeholders. Sets strategy for educational training and delivery.
   * Coordinates the allocation, appropriation, and management of the University's academic resources.
   * Maintains responsibility for academic planning and cross-school management.
   * Manages a variety of academic and functional areas including institutional research, student affairs, student services and global operations.
   * Oversees accreditation and assessment processes.
   * Assesses programs and initiatives, conducts analysis and uses metrics as appropriate.
   * Establishes best practices across schools. Ensures that new educational initiatives move through internal evaluation processes and approvals, including socializing ideas to key stakeholders, in a fair and timely manner.
   * Represents the Provost and University to and liaises with external stakeholders, other educational institutions, and other partners regarding academic program development and delivery.
   
   Qualifications
   
   Basic Requirements:
   
   * Knowledge and skills as typically acquired through completion of advanced degree
   * Experience in a strategic leadership role in higher education or related setting
   * Expertise in academic and organizational management
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   * Doctoral degree
   * Eight or more years' experience designing and steering academic programs at a college or university
   * Demonstrated experience overseeing and launching successful large-scale strategic projects, including setting,
   
   and implementing strategy and facilitating stakeholder engagement and collaboration
   * Involved or participated in/contributed to Federal committees and initiatives, NIH, NSF and other professional
   
   organizations
   
   An employee in this position must complete all appropriate background checks at the time of hire, promotion, or transfer.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer - minority/females/veterans/disability/sexual orientation/gender identity

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right provost 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 provosts they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit provosts 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 provost job on Zippia to find and recruit provost candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with provost 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 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 provost

   Once you've selected the best provost 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 good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new provost. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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