How to hire a project manager/senior project engineer

How to hire a project manager/senior project engineer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a project manager/senior 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 project manager/senior project engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, project managers/senior project engineer 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 project manager/senior project engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Project Manager/Senior Project Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Manager/Senior Project 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.	$41-85
   Engineering Manager	An engineering manager is responsible for managing the overall concept of engineering and construction projects, ensuring that the plan meets the budget goals and the client's specifications. Engineering managers approve designs, plan strategic procedures to follow the project's timetable, analyze current market trends, hire the best and efficient contractors, and coordinate with the clients for any changes and adjustments as needed... Show more	$47-93
   Information Technology Project Manager	An information technology project manager is responsible for supervising the technology department, ensuring that all tasks are being done by following technological strategies and solutions. Information technology project managers' duties include monitoring the technology team's daily operation, handling team members' concerns, managing customers' inquiries and complaints, helping team members' in achieving their professional growth, creating reports, sharing updates during team and board meetings, and maintaining effectivity of operational procedures... Show more	$36-71

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Project Scope
   • Autocad
   • Business Development
   • SR Project
   • Cost Estimates
   • Capital Projects
   • R
   • Design Engineering
   • Risk Management
   • Microsoft Project
   • Process Improvement
   • Construction Management
   • CAD

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and manage many products for wireless and RF test and measurement industry.
   • Manage programs under DOD contracts for reclamation and reuse of ammonium perchlorate and HMX from propellants and warheads.
   • Develop & implement a quality system database and metrics to manage and reduce customer claims through corrective/preventive actions to ISO standards.
   • Contract and manage services of architectural/engineering design firms, geotechnical and material testing firms, environmental consultants, and transportation consultants.
   • Manage Linux/Apache server configuration for company version control and bug tracking, creating PHP/MySQL database on server for product specification library.
   • Review the design of PLC, SCADA communications and alarms for satellite wells.

   More project manager/senior project engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, project managers/senior project engineer' average salary in north dakota is 42% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level project managers/senior project engineer 51% less than senior-level project managers/senior project engineer.
   • Certifications. A project manager/senior 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 project manager/senior project engineer's salary.

   Average project manager/senior project engineer salary

   $125,350yearly

   $60.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project manager/senior project engineer salary

   $87,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average project manager/senior project engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$164,066	$79
   2	Massachusetts	$150,813	$73
   3	Texas	$133,977	$64
   4	New York	$131,963	$63
   5	Maryland	$130,902	$63
   6	Illinois	$129,744	$62
   7	New Jersey	$128,375	$62
   8	Washington	$128,200	$62
   9	Arizona	$127,632	$61
   10	Colorado	$126,044	$61
   11	Idaho	$123,083	$59
   12	Kansas	$122,585	$59
   13	Georgia	$122,208	$59
   14	Pennsylvania	$120,597	$58
   15	Michigan	$120,441	$58
   16	Louisiana	$120,363	$58
   17	District of Columbia	$119,598	$58
   18	Maine	$118,809	$57
   19	North Carolina	$118,155	$57
   20	Florida	$117,860	$57

   Average project manager/senior project engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mayo Clinic	$175,141	$84.20
   2	Gillette	$156,381	$75.18
   3	Emergent BioSolutions	$149,455	$71.85
   4	AbbVie	$143,430	$68.96	26
   5	Extreme Networks	$139,063	$66.86	1
   6	Crestron Electronics	$138,578	$66.62	3
   7	SADA	$138,391	$66.53
   8	Lamb Weston	$137,801	$66.25	2
   9	Allergan plc	$137,123	$65.92
   10	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	$137,007	$65.87	6
   11	Walgreens	$136,275	$65.52
   12	Faithful+Gould	$135,788	$65.28
   13	Amgen	$135,644	$65.21	11
   14	General Electric	$134,934	$64.87	65
   15	Zoetis	$134,676	$64.75	7
   16	DCP Midstream	$133,861	$64.36
   17	AECOM	$132,980	$63.93	330
   18	RS&H	$131,677	$63.31	23
   19	DSM Services USA Inc	$130,417	$62.70	7
   20	Infosys Public Service	$130,223	$62.61	9

4. Writing a project manager/senior project engineer job description

   A job description for a project manager/senior 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 project manager/senior project engineer job description:

   Project manager/senior project engineer job description example

   We're seeking a Senior Project Manager to drive forward our Transit Maintenance Facility and Green Fleet market sectors for national markets.This strategic role will work to provide subject matter expert leadership and develop new client relationships while expanding established business. We are excited for you to take on the challenge of bringing leadership to the next level by connecting our capabilities across all regions within our People & Places market.
   
   This position will be expected to pair business development efforts with technical knowledge, senior project management responsibilities and team leadership. You will lead project teams in the execution of project contracts while satisfying regulatory requirements, company commitments and client expectations.
   
   We will rely on you to provide sound guidance and strategic advice to both your team and clients as you fulfill these roles. Our clients face myriad issues and will lean on you for expert advice and guidance. Along with Jacobs support you'll also have the opportunity to originate industry-leading publications and present at relevant national and global conferences.
   
   Working together, we'll help you grow and pursue what fulfills you so that we can make impacts on the future - big and small, global and local.
   #BIA
   
   Established relationships in Municipal and or Transit maintenance facility markets to support growth-related initiatives Significant experience with fleet, bus, electric vehicle and rail maintenance facility projects At least 10 years' experience in the industry, with at least a minimum of 5 years in Project Management of related projects Professional degree in Architecture or Engineering Current professional registration
   
   Ideally, You'll Also Have:
   Be able to leverage existing relationships to bring new business to Jacobs. Successful track record of being innovative and bringing a differentiated solution to a client Knowledge of LEED Certification / Green Building concepts Knowledge of BIM, proficiency in review of BIM models

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right project manager/senior 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 project manager/senior project engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit project manager/senior project engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting project managers/senior project engineer 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.

   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 project manager/senior project engineer

   Once you've selected the best project manager/senior 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 also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them 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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