What is a hiring manager's title on LinkedIn?

Usually one level above the open role — e.g. Engineering Manager for a Software Engineer opening, or Head of Marketing for a Content Marketer role.

How do I confirm I found the right person?

Check that they manage the relevant team, posted about hiring recently, and have been at the company long enough to own hiring decisions.

Is Apollo good for finding a hiring manager's email?

Apollo works for B2B sales prospecting but is expensive for job seekers. Tools tied to a specific job posting URL are usually faster and cheaper for individual applications.

How to Find a Hiring Manager on LinkedIn (With Name Examples)

The hiring manager is the person who actually needs the role filled — not the recruiter who screens resumes. On LinkedIn you can find them by reading the job posting for reporting-line clues, searching the company's people by department, and matching job title to the manager one level above. Once you have a name, getting their email is a separate step.

This guide covers how to find a hiring manager on LinkedIn — including real title examples by function. For the email lookup itself, see how to find a hiring manager's email. For what to say after you find them, see how to message a hiring manager on LinkedIn.

Hiring manager name examples by role

The hiring manager's title depends on the role you are applying for. Look for someone one level above the open position:

Engineering and product

Applying for Software Engineer → Engineering Manager, Senior Engineering Manager, Director of Engineering
Applying for Product Manager → Director of Product, VP Product, Head of Product
Applying for Data Analyst → Head of Data, Analytics Manager, Director of Business Intelligence

Marketing and growth

Applying for Content Marketer → Head of Marketing, Marketing Director, VP Marketing
Applying for Growth Manager → Head of Growth, Director of Growth, CMO (at smaller companies)

Operations, finance, and other functions

Applying for Operations Manager → VP Operations, COO, Head of Operations
Applying for Financial Analyst → Finance Director, VP Finance, CFO (at startups under 50 people)
Applying for Customer Success Manager → Head of Customer Success, VP Customer Experience

Small companies (under 50 employees)

At startups and small businesses, the hiring manager is often the founder or CEO — especially for the first few hires in a function. Search the company's LinkedIn page and check who posted the job.

Step 1: Mine the job posting for clues

Before searching LinkedIn, extract these from the job description:

Department: “Join our Platform Engineering team” → search engineering leaders
Reporting line: “Reports to the VP of Sales” → that VP is your hiring manager
Team size signals: “Be the third engineer on the team” → look for an Engineering Manager, not the CTO
Who posted it: on LinkedIn Jobs, the poster is sometimes the hiring manager (not always — often it is a recruiter)

Step 2: LinkedIn people search

Go to LinkedIn search, select People, and set Current company to the employer
Add a title keyword from the examples above — e.g. Engineering Manager + company name
Filter by 1st or 2nd connections if you have mutual contacts — a warm intro beats a cold search
Open 3–5 profiles and compare: who mentions managing this team? Who posted about hiring recently?

Step 3: Confirm with profile signals

A profile is likely the right hiring manager if:

Their Experience section shows they manage a team in the relevant department
They posted about team growth, a new hire, or the open role
Their tenure is 1+ years — they are established enough to own hiring decisions
The job's seniority matches: a Senior PM role is unlikely to report to a junior manager

Red flags: the profile is a recruiter (Talent Acquisition in their title), an intern, or someone who left the company months ago.

Step 4: Get their email (do not stop at LinkedIn)

Finding the hiring manager on LinkedIn gives you a name — not an inbox. Three ways to get the email:

Contact info on their profile — rare but worth checking
Guess the company email format — then verify before sending
Paste the job URL into DearHiringManager.io — returns name, verified email, and LinkedIn in ~60 seconds

Reddit job-search communities often recommend manual LinkedIn search first, then an email finder for the last mile. Tools like Apollo work for sales teams doing bulk lookups, but they are expensive for individual job seekers and are not tied to a specific job posting. DearHiringManager.io is built for the job-seeker workflow: job URL in, hiring manager contact out.

LinkedIn message vs. email — which first?

If you found the hiring manager on LinkedIn but cannot get their email:

Connection request + note — works without Premium if you share a mutual connection or group. See our messaging guide.
Email — higher response rate, no character limit, lands in their primary inbox. See how to email a hiring manager with your resume.

Best approach: find them on LinkedIn for research, then email them directly. Apply through the portal too — see how to bypass ATS for why both channels matter.

Frequently asked questions

What if the job posting does not say who you report to?

Default to the manager one level above the role. For an individual contributor, that is usually a Manager or Director in the same department. At companies under 100 people, check whether a VP or Head-of function is more likely.

Can the recruiter tell me the hiring manager's name?

Sometimes — ask politely after you apply. Recruiters do not always share it, but many will if you are already in the pipeline. You can also find the recruiter on LinkedIn via our recruiter email guide.

Is it weird to email someone I found on LinkedIn?

No. You are using publicly available professional information. Keep the message short, role-specific, and easy to ignore. One email, no follow-up spam.

Related guides

Try it free — 1 lookup per 48 hours

Found the hiring manager on LinkedIn? Try DearHiringManager.io free — paste the job URL and get their verified email in about 60 seconds.