How to hire a sales program manager

How to hire a sales program manager, step by step

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

What does a sales program manager do?

Post a sales program manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   Type of Sales Program Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Sales Program Manager	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$32-74
   Business Development Sales Manager	A business development sales manager is in charge of securing sales by reaching out to clients through calls, correspondence, or appointments. Their responsibilities often revolve around performing research and analysis to identify new leads and sales opportunities, offering different products and services, and creating proposals and price quotes for potential clients... Show more	$32-86
   Product Manager/Sales	A sales product manager is responsible for monitoring the sales performance of a specific product and ensuring that the marketing strategies adhere to market standards and client requirements. Sales product managers work closely with the marketing and public relations team to enhance the product's brand image on various market platforms to reach the target audience... Show more	$36-75

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Program Management
   • Project Management
   • CRM
   • Sales Process
   • HR
   • Logistics
   • Product Knowledge
   • Sales Training
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Business Development
   • Sales Tools
   • Sales Performance
   • Enterprise Sales

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage year-long project with outside consultant to identify a new ERP system.
   • Manage CRM systems supporting the opportunity tracking, forecasting and decision support processes utilize by the global sales and marketing teams.
   • Champion investment in third-party events with guarantee multiple one-to-one meetings that deliver ROI, to increase pipeline of highly qualify leads.
   • Manage program budgets, research, technical/system requirements, logistics, life-cycle, training and technology transfer/reliability solutions, recommending acquisitions.
   • Create brochures, PowerPoint presentations, and animate sales material.
   • Update SCORM specifications of existing eLearning courses for publication to new LMS.

   More sales program manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the sales program manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A sales program manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a sales program manager in Kansas may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level sales program manager. Additionally, a sales program manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average sales program manager salary

   $103,116yearly

   $49.58 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sales program manager salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average sales program manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$120,642	$58
   2	California	$119,675	$58
   3	Massachusetts	$112,408	$54
   4	New York	$109,990	$53
   5	Michigan	$109,866	$53
   6	North Dakota	$109,388	$53
   7	District of Columbia	$109,381	$53
   8	Nevada	$108,861	$52
   9	Indiana	$106,566	$51
   10	New Jersey	$104,863	$50
   11	Virginia	$103,114	$50
   12	North Carolina	$102,123	$49
   13	Illinois	$100,711	$48
   14	Minnesota	$100,161	$48
   15	Maryland	$99,576	$48
   16	New Hampshire	$96,314	$46
   17	Ohio	$91,662	$44
   18	Utah	$91,256	$44
   19	Georgia	$90,546	$44
   20	Wyoming	$88,579	$43

   Average sales program manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$144,735	$69.58	256
   2	Bain & Company	$140,210	$67.41	3
   3	Google	$139,248	$66.95	216
   4	Apple	$137,378	$66.05	210
   5	VMware	$136,907	$65.82
   6	Vista Equity Partners	$129,196	$62.11	4
   7	Accenture	$128,907	$61.97	354
   8	Western Alliance Bank	$126,922	$61.02	9
   9	Microsoft	$126,233	$60.69	142
   10	NetApp	$124,991	$60.09	10
   11	MANN+HUMMEL INC.	$124,605	$59.91
   12	Intel	$124,512	$59.86	14
   13	ServiceNow	$124,447	$59.83	70
   14	Elringklinger Ag	$123,958	$59.60	1
   15	Philips	$123,475	$59.36	38
   16	Adobe	$122,772	$59.02	77
   17	HP	$122,246	$58.77	12
   18	Cisco	$122,044	$58.67	48
   19	Smithfield Foods	$120,840	$58.10	18
   20	Amazon	$120,813	$58.08	741

4. Writing a sales program manager job description

   A job description for a sales program manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a sales program manager job description:

   Sales program manager job description example

   ARC Technologies LLC, a Hexcel company, is the leading manufacturer of Radio Frequency (RF) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) absorbing materials for defense and wireless applications worldwide and part of Hexcel, a global leader in advanced composites technology. We are recruiting for a Technical Sales expert who will be based at our Amesbury, MA location.
   Hexcel is currently seeking a Sales/Program Manager for our Amesbury, MA, USA location.
   
   The selected individual will be responsible for but not limited to the following obligations:
   Expand market share with existing customers as well as generate new business opportunities Increase sales and develop new customer base Quote, negotiate, and close Long Term Agreements and Master Purchase OrdersProgram management: Establish project schedules and closely manage milestones for key programs, monitor production status, track and resolve conflicts and issues, organize meetings with internal cross-functional teams and/or external customers, and coordinate and relay all pertinent information between parties in a timely manner Product management: Establish profit targets, costing, price schedules and rates to align with the business strategy and customers' needs Account management: Oversee orders throughout the sales process, quotation, order placement, scheduling, shipments, and coordinating with the customer service team Develop, maintain, and nurture customer relationships and ensure overall customer satisfaction through proactive engagement and prompt customer responsiveness Work closely with R&T to develop innovative new products and solutions for technically challenging customer applications Serve as the primary point of contact with customers, liaisons between internal customers and external customers Willing to travel upwards of 35%
   
   Qualifications:
   Bachelor's Degree required; STEM degrees preferred Strong communication skills and the ability to develop and maintain relationships Must have a hands-on, team player attitude with a self-driven work ethic, and the drive to create and achieve sales forecasts Strong time management skills and the ability to work under pressure The capability to communicate technical needs from customers to internal engineering staff Strong organizational skills and impeccable attention to detail with strong negotiation and problem solving skills The ability to identify, define, document and manage customer expectations and be responsible for all customer communication from quotation to product shipment Proficiency in the use of personal computers and the Microsoft Office SuiteExperience with DOD customers and DOD acquisition is a plus All candidates must have the ability to obtain a DOD Security Clearance
   
   This position is restricted to U.S. citizens due to U.S. federal government contracts that require the employment of only persons who are U.S. citizens. Hexcel (NYSE: HXL) is a global leader in advanced composites technology, a leading producer of carbon fiber, and the world leader in honeycomb manufacturing for the commercial aerospace industry.
   
   Hexcel is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, status as protected veteran, or any other protected class.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

   Once you have selected a candidate for the sales program manager 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 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.

   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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a sales program manager?