How to hire a senior policy associate

How to hire a senior policy associate, step by step

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

What does a senior policy associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The senior policy associate 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a senior policy associate to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a senior policy associate that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of senior policy associate salaries for various roles:

   Type of Senior Policy Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Policy Associate	Environmental scientists and specialists use their knowledge of the natural sciences to protect the environment and human health. They may clean up polluted areas, advise policymakers, or work with industry to reduce waste.	$25-62
   Climate Change Analyst	Climate change analysts or climatologists evaluate the scientific data they gathered and research about the climate. They study climate conditions over a period of time and use climate models for different purposes like studying the dynamics of the weather and the trends of the climate system to forecast the future climate... Show more	$24-56
   Policy Internship	A policy intern is responsible for supporting the government in researching and analyzing legislation policies, recommending revisions to match law guidelines and state regulations. Policy interns perform administrative tasks under the guidance of a direct supervisor, such as writing reports, drafting content for policy proposals, scheduling meetings, and facilitating public programs and activities... Show more	$16-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Medicare
   • Data Analysis
   • Phone Calls
   • Policy Research
   • Fact Sheets
   • Public Health
   • Policy Analysis
   • Technical Assistance
   • Policy Briefs
   • Mental Health
   • Public Policy Issues
   • Data Collection
   • Legislative Process

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all issues relate to high quality survey administration including training and approval/certification, performance oversight and data collection.
   • Plan, coordinate and prepare logistical support annexes and logistics policies.
   • Utilize logistics data to develop key recommendations on subordinate unit logistics profiles.
   • Conduct analysis of international climate change implications and participate in the selection of tools for government agencies to monitor climate change.
   • Evaluate electricity generation and consumptions rates to determine whether existing energy policy would meet demand while complying with UK's policies.
   • Develop and implement USAID infrastructure sector policy for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

   More senior policy associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the senior policy associate job description is a good way to get more applicants. A senior policy associate 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 senior policy associate in Illinois may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level senior policy associate. Additionally, a senior policy associate with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average senior policy associate salary

   $83,938yearly

   $40.35 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior policy associate salary

   $54,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average senior policy associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$128,396	$62
   2	District of Columbia	$112,206	$54
   3	Texas	$100,359	$48
   4	New York	$93,783	$45
   5	Maryland	$93,139	$45
   6	Virginia	$91,566	$44
   7	Massachusetts	$91,318	$44
   8	Arizona	$90,454	$43
   9	Missouri	$88,280	$42
   10	Washington	$86,645	$42
   11	North Carolina	$85,399	$41
   12	Minnesota	$83,209	$40
   13	Colorado	$81,522	$39
   14	Illinois	$79,835	$38
   15	Pennsylvania	$74,678	$36

   Average senior policy associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	APCO Worldwide	$128,076	$61.58
   2	The Aspen Institute	$121,558	$58.44
   3	Urban Institute	$121,009	$58.18
   4	Tishman	$112,480	$54.08
   5	Twitter	$112,295	$53.99
   6	New York Life Insurance	$102,375	$49.22
   7	Search for Common Ground	$101,330	$48.72
   8	Accenture	$100,893	$48.51
   9	Acumen Solutions	$98,533	$47.37
   10	Stifel Financial	$94,422	$45.40
   11	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$92,737	$44.59	2
   12	BlackRock	$89,823	$43.18
   13	National Conference of State Legislatures	$86,170	$41.43
   14	Cityblock Health	$86,128	$41.41
   15	Colorado State Express	$86,125	$41.41
   16	Robinhood	$85,468	$41.09
   17	Silicon Valley Leadership Group	$85,205	$40.96
   18	Atla	$83,392	$40.09
   19	Duke University Health System	$82,627	$39.72	1
   20	Children's Hospital of Philadelphia	$79,483	$38.21

4. Writing a senior policy associate job description

   A senior policy associate 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 senior policy associate job description:

   Senior policy associate job description example

   **Opportunity**
   
   Abt Associates seeks a Senior Associate with deep policy and management consulting experience relevant to Medicaid implementation. The successful candidate will have a leadership role on a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) funded project and will also support business development opportunities within Abt's Healthcare portfolio. This candidate would play a lead role in managing the team and leading client interaction on a day-to-day basis. The candidate will enjoy working in a team environment, participating in, and leading major projects, directing proposal efforts, and building and maintaining relationships with clients. They will maintain excellent relationships with federal agencies/sponsors as well as Abt partners and consultants and be regarded within target agencies and organizations as a subject matter expert. The candidate will have demonstrated capability of leading and directing large, complex projects, including: an understanding of the Medicaid policy landscape, strong project and financial management fundamentals, and ability to successfully lead large project teams.
   
   **Key Roles and Responsibilities**
   
   + Serve as project director for large HHS implementation projects.
   
   + Participate with other senior staff in CMS business development activities by obtaining additional work from existing clients or by identifying new opportunities.
   
   + Guide and lead the preparation and review of project reports and findings.
   
   + Provide guidance, oversight, and mentorship to team(s).
   
   + Support business development efforts related to health policy implementation work, particularly in the Medicaid domain.
   
   **Preferred Qualifications**
   
   + Experience in directing large implementation projects, preferably with CMS.
   
   + Position also requires significant experience in project and program development and client relationship management and proven track record of project leadership.
   
   + Experience working on projects related to Medicaid managed care
   
   **Minimum Qualifications**
   
   Master's Degree + Thirteen years of relevant experience, or PhD + Eight years of relevant experience
   
   This position offers an anticipated annual base salary range of approximately $105,120.07 to $168,192.11 and may vary by ten percent depending on candidate geographic location. Salary offers are made based on internal equity and market analysis.
   
   Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits. Local candidates strongly encouraged to apply.
   
   _Disclaimer: Abt Associates will never ask candidates for money in exchange for an offer of employment._
   
   Abt Associates is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Known for its rigorous approach to solving complex challenges, Abt Associates is regularly ranked as one of the top global research firms and one of the international development innovators. The company has multiple offices in the U.S. and program offices in more than 40 countries.
   
   At Abt Associates, we are committed to creating a lasting culture of equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that in order to achieve full participation, our practices must be free of prejudice, discrimination, and bias that result in inequitable outcomes. We are actively working to advance equity for everyone, and while we still have much work to do, we know that racial and cultural diversity are an asset to our business and the communities where we live and serve. Our ongoing commitment is focused on creating business practices that advance racial and social equity, investments in community impact programs for the benefit of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), and expand upon project work related to racial equity and social justice.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior policy associate for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior policy associate job on Zippia to find and recruit senior policy associate 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 senior policy associates, 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 senior policy associate

   Once you've selected the best senior policy associate 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior policy associate. 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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