How to hire a senior program administrator

How to hire a senior program administrator, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   Type of Senior Program Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Program Administrator		$21-52
   Product Management Internship	Product management interns typically work with program managers and other management teams. They usually perform various tasks for an organization, which includes conducting research and analyzing data to develop workable business and product strategies, assisting account management teams in documenting user responses to products, and developing strategies to improve productivity and profitability... Show more	$12-22
   Call Center Manager	Call center managers specialize in overseeing call center operations and agents' performances, ensuring that customers are satisfied. Aside from this, they are mostly involved in hiring and training new agents, shaping them into productive workforce members... Show more	$11-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • SR
   • SharePoint
   • Financial Reports
   • Technical Assistance
   • Microsoft Project
   • R
   • Management Support
   • Administrative Functions
   • Earned Value Management
   • Meeting Minutes
   • Human Resources
   • Event Planning
   • Cost Estimates
   • Logistics

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage U.S. military, DoD, civilian, and foreign military production contracts.
   • Lead the introduction and upgrade of wireless infrastructure at remote locations to ensure adherence with internal and international wireless standards.
   • Lead the effort to revitalize the collaborative document share portal by moving to a user-friendly SharePoint base site.
   • Analyze, prepare, and submit proposals for U.S. Government, DoD, NASA, and foreign military customers.
   • Represent the logistics business division for all quality relate issues including process development for all ISO and Non-ISO certify warehouse locations.
   • Document entire A/R position responsibilities, processes and procedures.

   More senior program administrator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $69,722yearly

   $33.52 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior program administrator salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average senior program administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$90,066	$43
   2	District of Columbia	$80,843	$39
   3	New York	$79,653	$38
   4	New Jersey	$76,639	$37
   5	Michigan	$76,048	$37
   6	Massachusetts	$71,656	$34
   7	Pennsylvania	$71,077	$34
   8	Oregon	$70,389	$34
   9	Connecticut	$67,805	$33
   10	Maryland	$65,249	$31
   11	North Carolina	$62,722	$30
   12	Colorado	$58,161	$28
   13	Minnesota	$52,208	$25
   14	Florida	$51,424	$25

   Average senior program administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	CenterPoint Energy	$91,860	$44.16
   2	Rutgers University	$85,158	$40.94	49
   3	TriMet	$84,409	$40.58
   4	Cubic	$84,379	$40.57	3
   5	Eversource Energy	$83,718	$40.25	15
   6	University of Massachusetts Medical School	$81,773	$39.31	7
   7	Save the Children US	$81,308	$39.09
   8	Kaiser Permanente	$77,219	$37.12	46
   9	Grandbridge Real Estate Capital	$77,117	$37.08	65
   10	World Wildlife Fund	$76,180	$36.63
   11	Boston Medical Center	$74,653	$35.89	2
   12	Gilat Satellite Networks	$74,377	$35.76
   13	Ventura County Community Foundation	$70,943	$34.11
   14	University of Michigan	$69,342	$33.34	14
   15	UnitedHealth Group	$66,194	$31.82	42
   16	Fordham University	$65,773	$31.62	1
   17	Rochester Institute of Technology	$65,631	$31.55	1
   18	University of Rochester	$64,001	$30.77	39
   19	Acacia Network	$55,796	$26.82	8
   20	Orange County High School	$55,581	$26.72	1

4. Writing a senior program administrator job description

   A job description for a senior program administrator 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 senior program administrator job description:

   Senior program administrator job description example

   Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is seeking a Senior Program Administrator for the School of Management and Labor Relations ( SMLR ). The
   Center for Innovation in Worker Organization ( CIWO ) is a "think and do tank" whose mission is the promotion of strong workers' organizations. As part of SMLR we seek to shift the balance of power towards greater economic and social equality. CIWO is looking for a Senior Program Administrator (Director, Build the Bench).
   
   Among the key duties of this position are the following:
   Supports current programs under the Build the Bench portfolio. Facilitates and coordinates sessions for current participants. Collaborates in the design, curriculum development, and co-facilitation of new communities of learners under Build the Bench ( BTB ) programs. Identifies and recruits participants for the new cohorts. Conducts trainings, workshops, and strategy sessions with national and local unions and social justice groups. Using popular education tools, develops and strengthens program training materials and resources. Works with the leadership team and the new CIWO advisory committee to develop programs and outreach strategies.
   
   Minimum Education and Experience
   
   A bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience. A minimum of 5+ years of relevant experience preferably with grassroots organizing, membership recruitment, and leadership development with community organizations and/or labor unions.
   
   Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
   
   Commitment to CIWO's values. Understanding of the labor movement, coalition building, and social movements; a commitment to the principles of social, racial, and economic justice. Strong facilitation and training coordination skills with a demonstrated understanding of adult learning pedagogy/practices. Demonstrated experience in program and curriculum development. Ability to be a self-starter and to work independently toward agreed-upon goals and benchmarks. Strong ability to motivate people and delegate responsibility. Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills. Ability to develop and maintain relationships with a wide range of organizations and people, hold others accountable, and receive feedback. Experience in fundraising and grant writing Excellent and authentic communication skills, both oral and written. Strong leadership skills with a proven record and commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully. Ability to multitask, manage multiple project, and grant deliverables. Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, social media apps. Willingness to learn and use new software, apps and platforms.
   
   Overview
   
   Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a leading national research university and the State of New Jersey's preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. As one of the largest employers in the State of New Jersey, Rutgers University is committed not only to the students and the State that we serve, but also to the faculty and staff who work on our campuses. Ranked in 2022 by Forbes as a top 100 best large employer in America, Rutgers' commitment to its employees includes maintaining and fostering a safe, diverse, and respectful workplace environment, creating employment opportunities for our nation's military veterans, and ensuring accessibility and accommodation for individuals with disabilities.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior program administrator 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 program administrator job on Zippia to find and recruit senior program administrator 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 program administrators, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 program administrator

   Once you've found the senior program administrator 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 program administrator. 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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