How to hire an engineering operations manager

How to hire an engineering operations manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step engineering operations manager hiring guide:

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

What does an engineering operations manager do?

Post an engineering operations manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an engineering operations manager, 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

   An engineering operations manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, engineering operations managers 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.

   Here's a comparison of engineering operations manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Engineering Operations Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Engineering Operations Manager	Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.	$45-76
   Operations Vice President	The responsibilities of an operations vice president will revolve around overseeing business operations and ensuring workforce and workflow efficiency through evaluations and providing strategic plans that would drive the company to meet its vision and mission. An operations vice president, in adherence to the company policies and regulations, also has the power to hire and train employees, even to execute disciplinary actions such as termination or suspension when necessary... Show more	$50-119
   Operations Superintendent	Operations Superintendent plans and oversees the daily operations of an organization. They have the authority to set objectives and guidelines, establish budgets and schedules, delegate tasks among staff, and develop strategies to optimize operations and meet project requirements... Show more	$34-72

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Engineering Operations
   • QA
   • Linux
   • HVAC
   • Plumbing
   • Employee Development
   • Plant Operations
   • Direct Reports
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Inventory Control
   • Java
   • OSHA
   • R

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead a cross-functional team as directed by Sr.
   • Analyze team metrics to ensure SLA's achieve and identify problem areas that need improvement.
   • Lead quality department to improve internal audits, ISO, no majors or minors are identified.
   • Manage facilities build and improvement projects relating to safety and fire compliance issues for licensing and OSHA.
   • Manage development, implementation and operation of network management, provisioning and design applications.
   • Manage scheduling and implementation of technology for applications migrations to cloud, ensuring consistency adherence to university practices.

   More engineering operations manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your engineering operations manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An engineering operations manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an engineering operations manager in North Carolina may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineering operations manager usually earns less than a senior-level engineering operations manager. Additionally, an engineering operations manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average engineering operations manager salary

   $122,682yearly

   $58.98 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level engineering operations manager salary

   $94,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average engineering operations manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$138,306	$66
   2	New York	$134,051	$64
   3	Washington	$130,858	$63
   4	Massachusetts	$130,570	$63
   5	Missouri	$130,513	$63
   6	Oregon	$127,284	$61
   7	Texas	$123,324	$59
   8	Pennsylvania	$120,278	$58
   9	Arizona	$117,250	$56
   10	Illinois	$114,753	$55
   11	Florida	$114,632	$55
   12	Georgia	$113,712	$55
   13	Utah	$113,004	$54
   14	Colorado	$109,311	$53
   15	Rhode Island	$108,490	$52
   16	Minnesota	$108,006	$52
   17	District of Columbia	$105,623	$51
   18	Ohio	$101,428	$49
   19	North Carolina	$100,639	$48

   Average engineering operations manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Walt Disney Company	$157,410	$75.68	32
   2	Lyft	$156,909	$75.44	1
   3	Apple	$150,458	$72.34	207
   4	Duolingo	$150,332	$72.28	13
   5	Google	$149,535	$71.89	156
   6	Grubhub	$149,222	$71.74	3
   7	Southern California Edison	$148,092	$71.20	9
   8	Pacifi	$143,805	$69.14	6
   9	Citrix	$137,811	$66.26
   10	Amazon	$137,275	$66.00	797
   11	Riot Games	$137,220	$65.97	1
   12	MAC Cosmetics	$137,011	$65.87
   13	VMware	$135,584	$65.18
   14	Intel	$135,420	$65.11	14
   15	Oshkosh	$134,625	$64.72	49
   16	Lumileds	$133,847	$64.35
   17	SeatGeek	$132,694	$63.80	3
   18	Generac Holdings	$131,466	$63.20	16
   19	Swagelok Company	$131,431	$63.19	3
   20	Central Ohio Transit Authority	$129,512	$62.27	2

4. Writing an engineering operations manager job description

   An engineering operations manager 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. Below, you can find an example of an engineering operations manager job description:

   Engineering operations manager job description example

   Color is a health technology company that makes population-scale healthcare programs accessible, convenient, and cost-effective for everyone. We have raised $100 million in Series E funding, bringing our valuation to $4.6 billion and our total raised amount to $378 million. We work with governments, public health institutions, employers, and national health initiatives around the world to provide the tools for preventive health and infectious disease management, including testing, vaccinations, and other services.
   
   Apply to join Color and do the most meaningful work of your career. If you are not sure that you're 100% qualified but are up for the challenge - we want you to apply!
   
   What We Offer:💰 Competitive salary ✨ Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. Including employer HSA contributions.📈 401k match 📝 Monthly lunch, phone, and wifi stipend for remote employees🏝 Generous vacation policy, paid holidays and company-wide recharge days💌 Monthly stipend to spend on your well being🍼 Equal paid parental leave for birthing and non-birthing parents 🧬 Four complimentary clinical-grade genetic testing kits for you and your family
   
   How You'll Contribute:Develop, coach, and mentor engineers on the team, while also organizing and delivering regular feedback Seek opportunities to increase reliability and optimize maintainability of the systems and services you manage.Manage internal team processes to help the team operate smoothly and interface effectively with the rest of ColorDevelop and influence product roadmaps by collaborating with product, design and engineering Develop and evolve the long term vision for the team and identify future opportunities and staffing needs for the team Partner with Recruiting and senior leaders to implement and execute hiring strategy Inspire and motivate the team by understanding the company's mission and goals and connecting how team's work aligns with and impacts these things
   
   Our Ideal Candidate Will Have:You have 5+ years of industry experience as a software engineer (or equivalent role)2+ years of industry experience managing software engineers.You manage multiple teams or a team of teams You are passionate for helping engineers grow their careers You have a track record of high performing, cohesive teams You've launched features, products and/or systems successfully into the wild and iterated to incorporate user feedback. You effectively communicate technical information to both technical and non-technical collaborators You're familiar with modern web stacks including Python, Django, AWS, SQL, REST APIs, React, HTML5, CSS3, and ES6+Nice to Have:Experience working with LIMS or EHR applications Experience with fulfillment and ordering systems
   
   Possible Projects To Contribute To:Updating LIMS and migrating to new technologies Fulfillment - Close visibility gaps in sample journey and build new ordering system Resulting sign out platform overhaul
   
   Color is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with anti-discrimination law, it is the purpose of this policy to effectuate these principles and mandates. Color prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Color conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants with disabilities in our recruitment process.
   Mandatory Vaccination Policy Disclosure
   COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: Color requires anyone working onsite or visiting Color's offices to confirm they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless a medical or religious accommodation is timely requested and approved. Please reach out if you have questions or concerns about this policy and how it may apply to your candidacy for a role with Color.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right engineering operations manager 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 engineering operations managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit engineering operations managers 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 engineering operations manager job on Zippia to find and recruit engineering operations manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with engineering operations manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 engineering operations manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the engineering operations manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new engineering operations manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an engineering operations manager?