diff --git a/frontend/src/screens/Jobs.jsx b/frontend/src/screens/Jobs.jsx
index 94dfd18..03dae78 100644
--- a/frontend/src/screens/Jobs.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/screens/Jobs.jsx
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@ function JobForm({ departmentOptions, busy, onClose, onSubmit }) {
       requirements: splitLines(v.requirements),
       optional_skills: splitLines(v.optional_skills),
       description: v.description.trim() || null,
-      hiring_manager_id: v.hiring_manager_id || undefined,
+      hiring_manager_id: v.hiring_manager_id || null,
       current_recruiter_ids: (v.current_recruiter_ids || []).filter(Boolean),
       requisition_id: v.requisition_id || undefined,
     }, imageFile)
@@ -881,19 +881,19 @@ function JobForm({ departmentOptions, busy, onClose, onSubmit }) {
           </div>
 
           <div className="form-field">
-            <label>Hiring manager</label>
+            <label>Hiring manager <span className="text-muted text-sm">optional</span></label>
             <SearchSelect
               options={managersQuery.data ?? []}
               value={form.values.hiring_manager_id}
               onChange={(id) => form.setField('hiring_manager_id', id)}
-              placeholder="Search hiring managers…"
+              placeholder="Leave unassigned, or search…"
               disabled={busy}
               loading={managersQuery.isPending}
               allowEmpty
               emptyLabel="Unassigned"
             />
             {managersQuery.isError && (
-              <p className="text-muted text-sm">Could not load hiring managers.</p>
+              <p className="text-muted text-sm">Could not load hiring managers. You can still create the job without one.</p>
             )}
           </div>
           <div className="form-field">
@@ -1186,12 +1186,12 @@ function EditJobForm({ job: j, departmentOptions, busy, onClose, onSubmit }) {
             <FieldError>{form.errors.title}</FieldError>
           </div>
           <div className="form-field">
-            <label>Hiring manager</label>
+            <label>Hiring manager <span className="text-muted text-sm">optional</span></label>
             <SearchSelect
               options={managersQuery.data ?? []}
               value={form.values.hiring_manager_id}
               onChange={(id) => form.setField('hiring_manager_id', id)}
-              placeholder="Search hiring managers…"
+              placeholder="Leave unassigned, or search…"
               disabled={busy}
               loading={managersQuery.isPending}
               allowEmpty
@@ -1284,7 +1284,7 @@ function JobOwnership({ job, canEdit }) {
         <div style={SECTION_LABEL}>Ownership</div>
         <div className="form-grid" style={{ marginBottom: 12 }}>
           <div className="form-field">
-            <label>Hiring manager</label>
+            <label>Hiring manager <span className="text-muted text-sm">optional</span></label>
             {canEdit ? (
               <SearchSelect
                 options={managersQuery.data ?? []}
@@ -1294,7 +1294,7 @@ function JobOwnership({ job, canEdit }) {
                   if (String(next || '') === String(job.hiringManagerId || '')) return
                   patch.mutate({ hiring_manager_id: next })
                 }}
-                placeholder="Search hiring managers…"
+                placeholder="Leave unassigned, or search…"
                 disabled={patch.isPending}
                 loading={managersQuery.isPending}
                 allowEmpty