How to hire a chief design engineer

How to hire a chief design engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step chief design engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a chief design engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new chief design engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your chief design engineer 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 chief design engineer 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?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a chief design engineer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a chief design engineer that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of chief design engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Chief Design Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Chief Design Engineer	Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.	$28-65
   Product Engineer	A product engineer specializes in designing and developing commercial materials and services. They are primarily responsible for conducting thorough research and analysis of the latest trends and marketing conditions to come up with new ideas and products for the public... Show more	$32-56
   Tool Engineer	A tooling engineer is responsible for creating and adjusting tools or parts for cars, heavy equipment, and other products that need customized or personalized components. Your duties and responsibilities will include creating design blueprints, using computer-aided (CAD) software to develop two- and three-dimensional prints, and validating and evaluating products... Show more	$36-64

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Product Design
   • Autocad
   • Mechanical Design
   • Design Engineering
   • ISO
   • Design Process
   • Solidworks
   • Cad-Cam
   • FEA
   • CNC
   • Product Line
   • Rs-485
   • HVAC
   • Analog

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Engineer, manage and implement configuration and installation of complex Ethernet network backbones.
   • Implement PLC connection for weighing systems and other serial port need to connect to other computerize control systems.
   • Deal with multiple agencies including UL, ETL/Intertek, NEC, TUV, and country specific testing agencies.
   • Work with a team of engineers to prepare architectural, mechanical, structural calculations, qualifying HVAC and steel designs.
   • Establish and monitor contractual obligations with OEM suppliers.
   • Implement engineering & management solutions and company policies necessary for attaining FAA production certification.

   More chief design engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the chief design engineer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A chief design engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a chief design engineer in South Dakota may be lower than in Nevada, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level chief design engineer. Additionally, a chief design engineer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average chief design engineer salary

   $91,363yearly

   $43.92 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level chief design engineer salary

   $60,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 8, 2025

   Average chief design engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$113,866	$55
   2	California	$107,599	$52
   3	California	$107,225	$52
   4	District of Columbia	$103,174	$50
   5	California	$102,797	$49
   6	New York	$101,273	$49
   7	New York	$99,665	$48
   8	Ohio	$95,116	$46
   9	Georgia	$85,329	$41
   10	Wyoming	$84,735	$41
   11	Kansas	$81,642	$39
   12	Florida	$78,907	$38
   13	Indiana	$77,398	$37
   14	Wisconsin	$72,285	$35

   Average chief design engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$132,239	$63.58	33
   2	Tdk	$101,015	$48.56	1
   3	Regal Beloit	$93,411	$44.91	3
   4	BAE Systems	$92,185	$44.32	311
   5	Safran	$90,592	$43.55	27
   6	Astronics	$89,980	$43.26	4
   7	TS Tech Americas	$86,882	$41.77
   8	M.C. Dean	$79,507	$38.22	77

4. Writing a chief design engineer job description

   A chief design engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a chief design engineer job description:

   Chief design engineer job description example

   COVID\-19 continues to significantly impact our employees, families and communities\. With employee health and safety as our top priority, and as a federal contractor, Lockheed Martin is taking action to address the increased risk and uncertainty COVID\-19 variants pose in the workplace and ensuring we meet our commitments to national security\.
   
   To uphold safety for all employees, we will continue to request vaccination status for all Lockheed Martin employees including new hires\. All current and newly hired employees are required to follow onsite safety measures based upon the COVID\-19 Community Level at the specific work location\.
   
   **Description:** Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control is seeking a Chief Engineer to lead the SOF Platform Sustainment team which is part of the SOF GLSS \(Global Logistic Support Service\) Program based in Lexington, KY\. This program, critical to the success of US service men and women deployed throughout the world has a Mission to rapidly and properly equip the SOF community and its war fighters with the best possible mission systems and equipment\.
   
   The role will lead a multi\-disciplined team with the technical execution on all SOF Platform Sustainment \(Ground, Aviation, and Maritime\) task orders modifying existing vehicles/equipment and integrating modified components into various platforms based on customer specifications\.
   
   The position will require a highly motivated individual with demonstrated exemplary communication and technical skills to lead a diverse team of engineers\. The candidate should possess extensive knowledge of systems engineering principles/processes/lifecycle and the ability to adapt the same rigor for rapid development of design required by SOF GLSS\.
   The chosen candidate is expected to perform the following duties for the SOF GLSS contract:
   
   \- Analyze customer requirements to determine total scope, basis of estimate, an Integrated Master Schedule \(IMS\), resource requirements, and formulate the overall engineering solution\.
   
   \- Manage and ensure tasks are prioritized and on schedule
   
   \- Work with Functional Managers to address all staffing needs \(direct and contractor\) associated with technical execution
   
   \- Coordinate engineering proposal development including Basis of Estimate \(BOE\) and Schedule
   
   \- Cost Account Manager \(CAM\) supplying monthly team inputs in support of project cost and schedule performance\.
   
   \- Provide oversight of the team and subcontractors to ensure technical review completion/closeout actions and on\-time work product deliveries\.
   
   \- Evaluate and approve engineering releases and changes\.
   
   \- Oversee development of design reports and reviews and lead the team during design review briefs\.
   
   \- Daily internal and external customer communication\.
   
   **Basic Qualifications:**
   
   \- Previous experience with design and/or integration of ground vehicles, UAS, maritime vessels, or other DoD equipment\.
   
   \- Experience with Earned Value Management, staffing planning, and overall budget management\.
   
   \- A strong technical background with familiarity of both mechanical and electrical integration methods\.
   
   \- Excellent written and verbal communicator\.
   
   **Desired Skills:**
   
   • Experience working in a DoD design environment with exposure to DoD customers
   
   • Experience with 3D parametric modeling and drafting in CAD \(CATIA , SolidWorks, CREO, or similar software\)\.
   
   • Experience with an engineering change process and/or configuration control process
   
   • Experience with production, manufacturing, and installation support
   
   • Familiarity with design of military ground vehicles similar to HMMWV, GMV1\.1, M\-ATV, JLTV, etc\.
   
   **BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:**
   
   job\.Qualifications
   
   **Lockheed Martin is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer\. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status\.**
   
   Join us at Lockheed Martin, where your mission is ours\. Our customers tackle the hardest missions\. Those that demand extraordinary amounts of courage, resilience and precision\. They're dangerous\. Critical\. Sometimes they even provide an opportunity to change the world and save lives\. Those are the missions we care about\.
   
   As a leading technology innovation company, Lockheed Martin's vast team works with partners around the world to bring proven performance to our customers' toughest challenges\. Lockheed Martin has employees based in many states throughout the U\.S\., and Internationally, with business locations in many nations and territories\.
   
   **EXPERIENCE LEVEL:**
   
   Experienced Professional

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5. Post your job

   To find the right chief design engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with chief design engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit chief design engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your chief design engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit chief design engineer 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 chief design engineers, 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 chief design engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect chief design engineer 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new chief design engineer. 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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