How to hire a process/product engineer

How to hire a process/product engineer, step by step

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

What does a process/product engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The process/product engineer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect process/product engineer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of process/product engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Process/Product Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Process/Product Engineer	Industrial engineers find ways to eliminate wastefulness in production processes. They devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.	$30-53
   Manufacturing Engineering Internship	A manufacturing engineering intern is responsible for assisting the manufacturing engineers on the plant's daily operations, analyzing the manufacturing process and procedures, and recommending strategic solutions to maximize productivity and minimize costs. Manufacturing engineering interns shadow the production staff, inspect the tools and equipment of the manufacturing, analyze the quality control documentation, and perform related administrative tasks to familiarize themselves with the plant structure... Show more	$19-32
   Planning Engineer	A planning engineer is in charge of developing plans and systems to organize and schedule project procedures, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities revolve around learning and understanding the extent of all operations, setting schedules and objectives, liaising with external parties such as vendors or distributors, and maintaining an active communication line with other departments... Show more	$29-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Product Quality
   • R
   • Process Engineering
   • Technical Support
   • Sigma
   • Engineering Support
   • Product Line
   • Data Analysis
   • Process Control
   • Process Documentation
   • CAPA
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Practice Procedures
   • DOE

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead development and implementation of ISO 9001/9002 and lean manufacturing assembly for new and existing products.
   • Lead and assist maintenance in resolving equipment malfunctions, troubleshoot process problems, and organize and implement preventative maintenance procedures.
   • Fulfill role of ISO 9000 -2000 internal auditor supporting the quality system.
   • Ensure that all FMEA documentation and work instructions are up to date.
   • Own MEMS pressure sensor products, working on yield improvement and FMEA.
   • Develop a method to get AutoCad isometric drawings relevant to relief valve transferred electronically to the relief valve sizing package.

   More process/product engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your process/product engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A process/product engineer 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 process/product engineer in North Dakota may be lower than in California, and an entry-level process/product engineer usually earns less than a senior-level process/product engineer. Additionally, a process/product engineer 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 process/product engineer salary

   $84,709yearly

   $40.73 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level process/product engineer salary

   $63,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average process/product engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$106,022	$51
   2	Massachusetts	$98,884	$48
   3	Michigan	$91,879	$44
   4	Texas	$90,707	$44
   5	Georgia	$90,109	$43
   6	Oregon	$87,585	$42
   7	Missouri	$77,389	$37
   8	Illinois	$75,168	$36
   9	Wisconsin	$68,335	$33
   10	Indiana	$67,126	$32

   Average process/product engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Texas Instruments	$113,776	$54.70	66
   2	Lam Research	$110,435	$53.09	17
   3	HP	$100,572	$48.35	4
   4	MathWorks	$99,745	$47.95
   5	Air Products	$99,540	$47.86
   6	Johnson & Johnson	$92,357	$44.40	77
   7	Pavestone	$88,792	$42.69
   8	Boeing	$86,815	$41.74	199
   9	Vishay	$86,435	$41.56	8
   10	Kimberly-Clark	$83,242	$40.02	24
   11	Johnson Matthey Plc	$83,174	$39.99	3
   12	IDEMIA	$82,050	$39.45	6
   13	American Axle & Manufacturing	$81,570	$39.22	10
   14	Fiberstore	$81,419	$39.14
   15	Heidtman Steel	$80,282	$38.60
   16	Toshiba America Business Solutions	$78,972	$37.97	2
   17	Kelly Services	$76,978	$37.01	33
   18	The Timken Company	$74,597	$35.86	11
   19	Raytheon Technologies	$73,924	$35.54	134
   20	Tenneco	$72,612	$34.91	10

4. Writing a process/product engineer job description

   A good process/product engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a process/product engineer job description:

   Process/product engineer job description example

   CANDIDATE MUST BE A US CITIZEN, OR HAVE A GREEN CARD, TO COMPLY WITH ITAR (INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC & ARMS REGULATIONS) Provides engineering and consulting support to maintain and develop products or processes and manages technical information flow for the same. Primary accountability is to support both marketing and manufacturing in assigned product or process line. This includes active contact with the customer regarding product requirements and translation of these requirements into product definition. Takes into account effective use of materials and resources and recommends changes to product specifications as necessary. Works closely with outside contractors and suppliers as needed. The engineer may provide technical service support to the sales organization to solve customer needs and product or processes problems for the purpose of marinating and increasing sales. Works within an engineering group that provides technical support and development throughout the business organization. The engineer is expected to take advice from and give advice to the senior technical and production managers, as well as function as technical expert for associates within operations. The engineer will serve as the technical team leader for the specified product or process line.
   Required Qualifications
   
   Bachelor's degree in Engineering is required. Bachelor's degree in Ceramic or Materials Engineering is preferred. Minimum of three (3) years of Engineering experience . Requires the understanding and utilization of engineering principles and theories and their applications. Limited technical support and problem solving to customers, marketing, production planning, customer service and the production floor.
   
   Additional Description
   
   Must demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate with employees at all levels. Must demonstrate the ability to solve problems absent clear guidelines or protocols in a dynamic environment.
   
   Company Summary
   
   Saint-Gobain Industrial Ceramics is a worldwide manufacturer of high temperature specialized refractory materials. Our products are manufactured for the Ceramics, Metallurgy, Foundry, Chemical, Petrochemical, Power Generation, Waste Processing and Glass Making Industries. We specialize in products ranging from refractory bricks, tiles and blocks to mortar, cements, ramming and gunnable monolithics and trowelling mixes to low mass kiln furniture systems.
   
   Legal Statement
   
   Saint-Gobain provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Saint-Gobain is an equal opportunity employer of individuals with disabilities and supports the hiring of veterans. This position is subject to export controls under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Qualified applicants for the position must meet the ITAR definition of "U.S. Person" at 22 C.F.R. 120.15 as a: U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or otherwise a protected individual (including for example refugees and asylees).

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find process/product engineers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any process/product engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level process/product engineers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting process/product engineers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 process/product engineer

   Once you've selected the best process/product 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 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 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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