How to hire a senior development manager

How to hire a senior development manager, step by step

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

What does a senior development manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The senior development manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior development managers.

   Type of Senior Development Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Development Manager	Computer and information systems managers, often called information technology (IT) managers or IT project managers, plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization. They help determine the information technology goals of an organization and are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet those goals.	$50-90
   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
   Development Vice President	A development vice president is in charge of overseeing the operations in a company, ensuring a smooth workflow and efficient workforce. Their responsibilities revolve around creating strategies to develop optimal procedures and services, setting goals and sales targets, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of operations to spearhead improvements, coordinating with analysts and marketing experts to assess the market and consumer needs, and monitoring the progress of different projects... Show more	$49-112

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Software Development
   • Cloud
   • Architecture
   • Project Management
   • SR
   • JavaScript
   • Web Services
   • C++
   • HR
   • Customer Service
   • Object Oriented Programming
   • Development Process
   • Business Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Hire, train and manage varied staff of developers, technical writer, EDI analyst and computer operations staff.
   • Manage both new development and enhancement projects from initial scope through requirements, coding, QA testing, and implementation.
   • Develop and lead senior developers to build complex web interfaces using ABAP OO, JCo, Json, and XML.
   • Envision and manage the transitioned company to a centralize and structure SharePoint environment.
   • Develop and manage robust promotional calendar to incorporate key corporate priorities, maximize POS and profitability.
   • Manage programmers in the design, development, testing and debugging of sophisticate computer graphics applications.

   More senior development manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior development manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A senior development manager 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 senior development manager in South Dakota may be lower than in California, and an entry-level senior development manager usually earns less than a senior-level senior development manager. Additionally, a senior development manager 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 senior development manager salary

   $141,487yearly

   $68.02 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior development manager salary

   $106,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average senior development manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$181,859	$87
   2	Washington	$168,664	$81
   3	Oregon	$151,008	$73
   4	Utah	$147,383	$71
   5	New York	$139,026	$67
   6	Massachusetts	$138,885	$67
   7	New Jersey	$138,625	$67
   8	Pennsylvania	$134,973	$65
   9	Arizona	$134,096	$64
   10	North Carolina	$127,616	$61
   11	Iowa	$127,477	$61
   12	District of Columbia	$127,038	$61
   13	Texas	$126,642	$61
   14	Virginia	$125,591	$60
   15	Illinois	$125,253	$60
   16	Missouri	$123,942	$60
   17	Georgia	$123,721	$59
   18	Minnesota	$123,716	$59
   19	Ohio	$116,764	$56
   20	Colorado	$116,596	$56

   Average senior development manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld	$265,966	$127.87
   2	Google	$209,697	$100.82	235
   3	Apple	$208,986	$100.47	93
   4	Brookfield Properties	$206,153	$99.11	1
   5	Walmart	$198,268	$95.32	199
   6	Corcept Therapeutics	$196,166	$94.31	2
   7	NVIDIA	$189,652	$91.18	68
   8	Reata Pharmaceuticals	$189,574	$91.14
   9	Genentech	$187,509	$90.15	14
   10	The Walt Disney Company	$186,449	$89.64	65
   11	SAP	$186,371	$89.60	46
   12	Macy's	$185,723	$89.29	15
   13	Uber Technologies	$181,769	$87.39	2
   14	Applied Materials	$180,981	$87.01	5
   15	Intuit	$180,772	$86.91	46
   16	Audible	$178,572	$85.85	1
   17	Ford Motor	$176,408	$84.81	113
   18	Fortinet	$175,595	$84.42	1
   19	Citrix	$175,441	$84.35
   20	Nisum	$174,529	$83.91

4. Writing a senior development manager job description

   A good senior development manager 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 senior development manager job description:

   Senior development manager job description example

   The J.P. Morgan Global Innovation & Corporate Development team is responsible for leading all investments and M&A activities for the award-winning Payments business. The Global team is searching for a Payments Corporate Development Team Senior Manager to help grow and scale the work of the team. In this role you will generate new business opportunities, creative new investment and acquisition ideas, presenting to the firms senior leaders, be involved with payments initiatives of varying complexity and manage our existing relationships. You will be responsible for leading a growing team of world class professionals and will be expected to become a trusted advisor to senior leaders of the firm, clients, team members and stakeholders across the Payments ecosystem by identifying needs and recommending appropriate solutions.
   Responsibilities include:
   Lead the investment thesis and ideation for all J.P. Morgan Payments investments Produce the content and materials for presentation to senior leadership Initiate strategic dialogue with clients around Payments in-bound and out-bound investment opportunities including M&A Collaborate with team members and internal stakeholders on analysis, structuring and documentation of credit requests Become the trusted business partner and seen as a thought leader within the firm and go-to counsel for senior leaders
   
   Qualifications
   Minimum of 10+ years of related work experience in financial services, with specific payments and banking market experience Proven track record of executing investments end-to-end for a complex global financial institution, hedge fund or PE firm Knowledge and proven experience of working with public and private market companies including in the Payments space preferred Undergraduate degree required; post-graduate qualifications including CFA or MBA preferred Experience in underwriting and risk assessment for investments and due diligence that includes strategic minority investments, full scale acquisition and M&A Financial analysis capabilities and highly numerate candidate to shape and frame investment decisions Knowledge of Payments ecosystem and evolving market desirable Highly motivated, independent thinker within a team-oriented culture Exceptional verbal and written communication skills Superior analytical and quantitative skills Excellent client management skills Strong sales and marketing skills Familiar with Bloomberg, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Experience in product cross selling of treasury, derivative, syndications and other standard bank products Comfortable with presentations to large groups
   
   JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the oldest financial institutions, offers innovative financial solutions to millions of consumers, small businesses and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Our history spans over 200 years and today we are a leader in investment banking, consumer and small business banking, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management.
   
   We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.
   
   The health and safety of our colleagues, candidates, clients and communities has been a top priority in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. JPMorgan Chase was awarded the "WELL Health-Safety Rating" for all of our 6,200 locations globally based on our operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19 environment.
   
   As a part of our commitment to health and safety, we have implemented various COVID-related health and safety requirements for our workforce. Employees are expected to follow the Firm's current COVID-19 or other infectious disease health and safety requirements, including local requirements. Requirements include sharing information including your vaccine card in the firm's vaccine record tool, and may include mask wearing. Requirements may change in the future with the evolving public health landscape. JPMorgan Chase will consider accommodation requests as required by applicable law.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veterans

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior development managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior development manager job on Zippia to find and recruit senior development manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior development manager 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 senior development manager

   Once you've found the senior development manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior development 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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