How to hire social and community service managers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Direct activities of professional and technical staff members and volunteers. • Establish and maintain relationships with other agencies and organizations in community to meet community needs and to ensure that services are not duplicated. • Establish and oversee administrative procedures to meet objectives set by boards of directors or senior management. • Evaluate the work of staff and volunteers to ensure that programs are of appropriate quality and that resources are used effectively. • Participate in the determination of organizational policies regarding such issues as participant eligibility, program requirements, and program benefits. • Prepare and maintain records and reports, such as budgets, personnel records, or training manuals. • Provide direct service and support to individuals or clients, such as handling a referral for child advocacy issues, conducting a needs evaluation, or resolving complaints. • Recruit, interview, and hire or sign up volunteers and staff. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active learning, active listening, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension and speaking skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service, administration and management, English Language and psychology • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $38.65 an hour ($80,390 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for social and community service managers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to direct activities of professional and technical staff members and volunteers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to establish and maintain relationships with other agencies and organizations in community to meet community needs and to ensure that services are not duplicated. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to establish and oversee administrative procedures to meet objectives set by boards of directors or senior management. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to evaluate the work of staff and volunteers to ensure that programs are of appropriate quality and that resources are used effectively. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about something new you had to learn quickly for work. How did you learn it?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What social and community service managers do
- Direct activities of professional and technical staff members and volunteers.
- Establish and maintain relationships with other agencies and organizations in community to meet community needs and to ensure that services are not duplicated.
- Establish and oversee administrative procedures to meet objectives set by boards of directors or senior management.
- Evaluate the work of staff and volunteers to ensure that programs are of appropriate quality and that resources are used effectively.
- Participate in the determination of organizational policies regarding such issues as participant eligibility, program requirements, and program benefits.
- Prepare and maintain records and reports, such as budgets, personnel records, or training manuals.
- Provide direct service and support to individuals or clients, such as handling a referral for child advocacy issues, conducting a needs evaluation, or resolving complaints.
- Recruit, interview, and hire or sign up volunteers and staff.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for social and community service managers
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 4 to 6 years (O*NET)
- Experience usually needed to start: Less than 5 years (BLS)
- Job outlook: +7.2% over ten years, faster than average · about 18,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay social and community service managers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $106,700 |
| Washington | $103,000 |
| Alaska | $98,370 |
| Colorado | $97,440 |
| New York | $95,980 |
| Nevada | $65,570 |
| West Virginia | $62,060 |
| Arkansas | $56,100 |
See social and community service managers pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.