How to hire a lead research specialist

How to hire a lead research specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead research specialist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a lead research specialist, 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 lead research specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, lead research specialists 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 lead research specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Lead Research Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Research Specialist	Market research analysts study market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. They help companies understand what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price.	$16-36
   Marketing Internship	Marketing interns are usually marketing students or fresh graduates who are interested in getting actual work experiences before taking on a full-time job. They usually have an interest or academic background related to marketing... Show more	$11-18
   Marketing Coordinator	A marketing coordinator supports the marketing department on deciding strategies and business efforts to develop the brand image and boost customer satisfaction. Marketing coordinators' duties include assisting in advertising campaigns, scheduling promotional events, monitoring sales status, researching current market trends, maintaining a record of existing and potential clients, and contributing ideas to improve the brand's profitability... Show more	$16-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Laboratory Tests
   • Experimental Procedures
   • Laboratory Techniques
   • Laboratory Processes
   • Complex Research
   • Hazardous Substances
   • Scientific Techniques
   • Research Developments
   • Western Blotting
   • Data Analysis
   • IRB
   • Cell Culture Techniques
   • Molecular Biology Techniques
   • Elisa

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead social path-to-purchase study, incorporating social media analytics into insight community to identify spectrum of social engagement among customers.
   • Used traditional PCR methods for genotyping.
   • Utilize enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to identify and measure HIV-1 infection.
   • Understand and present macro and micro economics and financial concepts and advances impacting small and mid-size manufacturing businesses in California.
   • Create procedures utilizing SAS macro facility language.
   • Perform multivariate analysis, survey research, and categorical analysis using SAS programs.

   More lead research specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lead research specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A lead research specialist 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 a lead research specialist in Missouri may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level lead research specialist usually earns less than a senior-level lead research specialist. Additionally, a lead research specialist 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 lead research specialist salary

   $51,452yearly

   $24.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead research specialist salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average lead research specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$80,024	$38
   2	New York	$78,883	$38
   3	Maryland	$68,393	$33
   4	Michigan	$59,351	$29
   5	North Carolina	$50,236	$24
   6	Georgia	$48,825	$23
   7	Georgia	$48,797	$23
   8	Arizona	$48,748	$23
   9	Iowa	$41,539	$20

   Average lead research specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Department of Homeland Security	$82,360	$39.60	2
   2	Wells Fargo	$71,728	$34.48	9
   3	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$69,862	$33.59	45
   4	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	$69,433	$33.38	2
   5	University of Michigan	$69,102	$33.22	58
   6	Emory Healthcare	$68,169	$32.77	170
   7	The University System of Maryland Foundation	$60,633	$29.15
   8	Emory University	$49,239	$23.67	102

4. Writing a lead research specialist job description

   A job description for a lead research specialist 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 lead research specialist job description:

   Lead research specialist job description example

   **About this role:**
   
   Wells Fargo is seeking a Senior Lead Design Research & Strategy Specialist...
   
   **In this role, you will:**
   
   + Research, develop and execute customer experience solutions for online applications and websites
   
   + Assess business, user and technical requirements
   
   + Design, develop, test and refine prototypes
   
   + Develop and execute customer experience solutions for online applications and websites
   
   + Lead the strategy and resolution of highly complex and unique challenges requiring in-depth evaluation across multiple areas of Design Research & Strategy or the enterprise, delivering solutions that are long-term, large-scale and require vision, creativity, innovation, advanced analytical and inductive thinking, and coordination of highly complex activities and guidance to others
   
   + Provide vision, direction and expertise to Design Research & Strategy senior leadership on implementing innovative and significant business solutions that are large-scale cross-functional or enterprise-wide strategies
   
   + Strategically engage with all levels of professionals and managers across the enterprise and serve as an expert advisor to Design Research & Strategy leadership
   
   **Required Qualifications:**
   
   + 7+ years of Website or Application Design experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education
   
   **Desired Qualifications:**
   
   + **Natural collaborator** skillful in working with multi- disciplinary teams and embedding clients in process; ideas breed ideas- sharing early thinking, iterating frequently and building on other's contributions.
   
   + **User focused curiosity** with rigor and storytelling to articulate a customer and business problem before working creatively and technically to articulate a service that solves it.
   
   + **Co-designer and lean process empath** ; leveraging input from cross functional teams to illustrate pragmatic and elegant solutions that are desirable, viable, feasible and allowable.
   
   + **Change agent.**
   
   + **Endlessly inquisitive** and able to use a combination of logic and empathy while working generatively. We create things to move clarify thinking, align understanding and move towards a solution that works.
   
   **Job Expectations:**
   
   + This position has a hybrid remote working schedule in the office
   
   **Working Location:**
   
   + Charlotte, NC
   
   + Phoenix, AZ
   
   + West Des Moines, IA
   
   @RWF22
   
   **We Value Diversity**
   
   At Wells Fargo, we believe in diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace; accordingly, we welcome applications for employment from all qualified candidates, regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, individuals with disabilities, pregnancy, marital status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.
   
   Employees support our focus on building strong customer relationships balanced with a strong risk mitigating and compliance-driven culture which firmly establishes those disciplines as critical to the success of our customers and company. They are accountable for execution of all applicable risk programs (Credit, Market, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory Compliance), which includes effectively following and adhering to applicable Wells Fargo policies and procedures, appropriately fulfilling risk and compliance obligations, timely and effective escalation and remediation of issues, and making sound risk decisions. There is emphasis on proactive monitoring, governance, risk identification and escalation, as well as making sound risk decisions commensurate with the business unit's risk appetite and all risk and compliance program requirements.
   
   Candidates applying to job openings posted in US: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
   
   Candidates applying to job openings posted in Canada: Applications for employment are encouraged from all qualified candidates, including women, persons with disabilities, aboriginal peoples and visible minorities. Accommodation for applicants with disabilities is available upon request in connection with the recruitment process.
   
   **Company:** WELLS FARGO BANK
   
   **Req Number:** R-175832-3
   
   **Updated:** Wed Aug 31 09:06:29 UTC 2022
   
   **Location:** West Des Moines,Iowa

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right lead research specialist 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.

   To find lead research specialist candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit lead research specialists, 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.

   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 lead research specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the lead research specialist 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 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new lead research specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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