How to hire a senior project administrator

How to hire a senior project administrator, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior project administrator job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a senior project administrator for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

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   Hiring the perfect senior project administrator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of senior project administrators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Project Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Project Administrator		$25-54
   Director, Special Projects	The primary responsibility of a director of special projects is to ensure the successful conclusion of construction-related projects. Special project directors lead, organize, and perform corporate projects outside their duties... Show more	$43-88
   Project Manager	Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation... Show more	$30-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Purchase Orders
   • SharePoint
   • Financial Reports
   • SQL
   • Access Database
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Project Administrators
   • Project Budget
   • PMO
   • Administrative Functions
   • DOD
   • Payroll
   • Meeting Minutes

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Implement a repeatable process methodology base on the PMI PMBOK defining a systematic approach to delivering solutions and achieving customer objectives.
   • Review and process submittals and RFI's.
   • Prepare proposals in response to government or industry RFP's.
   • Prepare contracts, maintain critical files, track RFI's, pre qualify contractors.
   • Maintain IMS documentation and schedule repository by means of Sharepoint.
   • Create various graphic materials using software packages including but not limit to PowerPoint presentations and Visio diagrams.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, senior project administrators' average salary in nebraska is 45% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior project administrators earn 53% less than senior-level senior project administrators.
   • Certifications. A senior project administrator 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 senior project administrator's salary.

   Average senior project administrator salary

   $79,389yearly

   $38.17 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior project administrator salary

   $54,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

4. Writing a senior project administrator job description

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

   Senior project administrator job description example

   Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is seeking a Project Coordinator for the Science & Regulatory Advocacy (SRA) team to support both department operations and member engagement efforts.
   
   The individual will report to the SRA Chief-of-Staff and provide direct administrative, budgetary, and document management support to the PhRMA SRA department. Additionally, they will assist SRA department staff with, maintaining files and databases, tracking financial commitments, and performing other administrative duties to support the departments advocacy work.
   Responsibilities/Qualifications The Project Coordinator will: Provide project management support for priority science and regulatory advocacy activities, including U.S. and international regulatory advocacy; Manage, maintain, and organize SRA department content and work group listings in PhRMA databases, including the PhRMAConnect member website; Provide support for the SRA department's budget; tracking financial commitments and reconciling to a financial forecast. Assisting in the development of the annual departmental budget, monitor spending, track budget vs. actuals, and prepare charts, reports and other accounting requests. Coordinate departmental budget meetings. Support the review and management of departmental contracts and process related invoices through use of the PhRMA financial management systems; Assist in administrative support, as needed, to the SRA department staff, including preparing and submitting documents, performing research, and supporting materials production for communications and presentations to internal and external stakeholders. Schedule conference calls, meetings, and events for SRA department staff, including management of conference registrations, venue support and document production. Manage SRA department subscriptions, memberships, and cross-cutting publication requirements, including development of an inventory and catalogue system for access. Key Success Factors PhRMA seeks a support-oriented professional who is both collaborative and proactive. This role will interact with, and need to quickly and confidently establish trust with, PhRMA employees, member company staff, and other third parties. Key success factors for this role include excellent interpersonal and communication skills, exceptional time management, project management, organization skills and impeccable attention to detail. The successful candidate should be highly responsible, adaptable, level-headed and able to manage effectively under pressure. Professional Experience/Requirements High school diploma; Minimum of 4+ years professional work experience and general bookkeeping or other accounting management; Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written; Strong interpersonal skills and diplomacy; Demonstrated commitment to customer service and quality; Excellent organizational skills, ability to multi-task and balance priorities; Ability to work under pressure; Ability to work independently on projects from conception to completion, exercise sound judgment and discretion when dealing with confidential matters; Strong command of Microsoft suite of software and Adobe Acrobat, including, but not limited to: Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point; Perform other duties as assigned. Preferred Experience Associates or bachelor's degree; Experience with financial tracking and reporting, invoice management, contract management, etc.; Research experience (online search engines, etc.); Trade association or policy/advocacy organization experience preferred; PhRMA requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before entering a PhRMA office, unless an exemption applies. Proof of vaccination or eligibility for a religious or medical exemption on the first day of work is mandatory. About Us Who We Are
   The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading innovative biopharmaceutical research companies, which are devoted to discovering and developing medicines that enable patients to live longer, healthier and more productive lives. Since 2000, PhRMA member companies have invested more than $1.1 trillion in the search for new treatments and cures, including $102.3 billion in 2021 alone.
   Connect with PhRMA
   For information on how innovative medicines save lives, please visit:
   www.PhRMA.org
   www.Innovation.org
   www.MAT.org
   www.Facebook.com/PhRMA
   www.Twitter.com/PhRMA What We Offer In addition to a highly competitive salary, generous 401(k) employer contribution and a platform of extensive benefits, PhRMA is committed to the development and overall wellbeing of our team members. We offer traditional (medical, dental, vision, flexible spending, life, AD&D, LTD, STD, LTC) and enhanced benefits such as parental leave, health advocate service, back-up childcare, commuting and financial & estate planning benefits. Certified as a CEO Cancer Gold Standard employer by the CEO Roundtable and having been named one of Washington's Healthiest Employers, PhRMA provides a fitness subsidy, on-site fitness facility and fitness classes, an annual health fair and extensive employee wellness seminars, events and challenges. We are committed to the growth and development of our team members and offer many learning opportunities such as tuition reimbursement at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, industry on-site and off-site training, PhRMAcademy lunch and learn sessions, presentation skills, performance management and other management/professional develop programs. Corporate social responsibility is also important to us at PhRMA. Our team members participate in organization-wide community service activities and charitable athletic events. We are committed to supporting our family of professionals at PhRMA and strive to create programs that help our team members manage the challenges of balancing a fast-paced career with their own personal goals. Equal Opportunity Employer PhRMA provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, or veteran status in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws governing non- discrimination in employment. We can recommend jobs specifically for you! Click here to get started.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior project administrators 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 project administrator job on Zippia to find and recruit senior project administrator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior project administrators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 project administrator

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior project administrator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   To prepare for the new senior project administrator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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