How to hire a contract project engineer

How to hire a contract project engineer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a contract project engineer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A contract project engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, contract project engineers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents contract project engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Contract Project Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Contract Project 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.	$26-50
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62
   Integration Engineer	An integration engineer specializes in developing programs and projects to improve business systems for optimal processes. Their responsibilities revolve around meeting with clients to determine their needs, coordinating with analysts to identify the company's strengths and weaknesses, implementing various solutions for business processes, and performing corrective measures as needed... Show more	$35-63

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Construction Projects
   • Construction Management
   • HVAC
   • Shop Drawings
   • QC
   • Engineering Support
   • R
   • Contract Administration
   • Project Close-Out
   • Project Scope
   • RFI
   • Project Budget
   • Cost Estimates
   • Bid Packages

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.
   • Design and installation of plumbing and fixtures for rest room modifications.
   • Design and installation of plumbing and sprinkler modifications for manufacturing operations.
   • Authore and present technical manuals, troubleshoot guides, technical reports and presentations to provide instructional training to technicians and supervisors.
   • Develop and document design history file for FDA medical device submissions.
   • Develop and authore documentation and test procedures to comply with FDA software verification and validation requirements.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your contract project engineer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A contract project engineer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, contract project engineers' average salary in arkansas is 31% less than in new mexico.
   • Seniority. Entry-level contract project engineers 47% less than senior-level contract project engineers.
   • Certifications. A contract project engineer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a contract project engineer's salary.

   Average contract project engineer salary

   $77,050yearly

   $37.04 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level contract project engineer salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing a contract project engineer job description

   A job description for a contract project engineer 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 contract project engineer job description:

   Contract project engineer job description example

   Project Engineer - Regulatory Compliance - TEMP/ CONTRACT / PART TIME
   Reports to: Director - Global Regulatory Compliance (GRC) or
   
   Group Leader - Global Regulatory Compliance
   
   **This is a 3-6 month part time temp contract role**
   
   About Us:
   Victaulic is a global leader in mechanical pipe joining innovations and is the world's leading producer of mechanical pipe joining solutions. The company has 13 manufacturing facilities and 28 branches worldwide with 4,400 employees who speak 43 languages across the globe. With over 2000 global patents, Victaulic solutions are at work in more than 140 countries across diverse business lines including oil and gas, chemical, mining, power generation, water and wastewater treatment, military and marine, as well as commercial building and fire protection. Since the 1950's Victaulic has been providing ground-breaking fire protection products and system solutions for challenges faced by engineers, contractors, property managers and fire marshals. Victaulic is a leading fire protection manufacturer of innovative fire products and fire fighting systems including fire sprinklers, fire extinguishing and fire suppression systems, pipe couplings and fittings, and flow control valves. These products are used in commercial, infrastructure and industrial applications to protect people and property.
   
   Scope:
   
   This role is specific to achieving and maintaining regional certifications and Listings for Victaulic's products and facilities (to include both existing and new products). The position serves as the primary contact with specific regulatory agencies involving all aspects of the approval process, (from initial application to receipt of the official certification and Listing). The individuals in this role will function on a technical level to resolve problems in support of timely project completion.
   
   Critical Job Segments:
   
   1. Secure and maintain new product listings/approvals and facility certifications in support of Victaulic Sales initiatives. Establish and monitor product approval projects as required.
   
   2. Serve as technical representative and primary contact with national agencies (UL, FM DVGW, CCCF and others), and local authorities.
   
   3. With guidance from the Director of GRC, develop and maintain financial metrics including cost of compliance, annual budget planning and cost-saving initiatives.
   
   4. Serve as a corporate resource for Technology Managers, Project Engineers and Product / Project Managers regarding agency testing procedures, applicable standards and product marking requirements.
   
   5. Participate directly in approval agency audits as needed, to ensure consistent and efficient flow of information. Oversee factory production audits and assist in addressing technical questions and audit follow-up actions.
   
   6. Serve as Victaulic technical representative on standards committees and provide input on the development of global / regional codes and standards.
   
   7. Perform additional related projects as assigned by the Director of GRC.
   
   8. Specific policies and procedures have been established by the Engineering Department to provide for the security and accessibility of electronic data and confidential information. It is the responsibility of the employee, in the daily course of doing business, to follow said policies as they relate to document management (see EOG-26). The extent to which departmental research and development information is stored electronically has vastly increased and will continue to do so. The new Federal rules pertaining to electronic discovery stipulate that substantive email communications constituted "records" under the Federal Records Act. It is therefore the responsibility of each departmental employee to understand their role in communicating via e-mails and that all e-mails must be written/responded to in a professional manner.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   1. Bachelors Degree or equivalent technical experience.
   
   2. Ability to interpret technical drawings and specifications.
   
   3. Excellent communication skills and professional appearance.
   
   4. Appropriate language skills based on geographic region of responsibility.
   
   5. Victaulic product experience beneficial.
   
   6. Organizational skills and ability to set priorities.
   
   7. Self-motivation and desire to excel.
   #TOP123

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right contract project engineer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your contract project engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit contract project engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit contract project engineers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 contract project engineer

   Once you've selected the best contract project engineer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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