How to hire a research computing specialist

How to hire a research computing specialist, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your research computing specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a research computing specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A research computing specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, research computing 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.

   Here's a comparison of research computing specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Research Computing Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Research Computing 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.	$21-50
   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 Department Internship	A marketing department internship is a marketing degree program requirement in most colleges. This is the work experience period where interns get to apply the knowledge they acquire in the real world... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Cloud
   • Linux
   • GIT
   • C
   • C++
   • Data Analysis
   • Java
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Perl
   • R
   • CUDA
   • Prototype
   • Experimental Data

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a departmental network, support PC's, and provide technology assistance and advice for instructors.
   • Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
   • Study cloud computing architecture for summer research.
   • Programme using Perl and Matlab.
   • Learned use of Linux as a development environment.
   • Implement a Perl pipeline which streamline the compression of these sets of genome files.

   More research computing specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your research computing specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A research computing specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, research computing specialists' average salary in hawaii is 58% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level research computing specialists earn 58% less than senior-level research computing specialists.
   • Certifications. A research computing specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a research computing specialist's salary.

   Average research computing specialist salary

   $67,967yearly

   $32.68 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level research computing specialist salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

   Average research computing specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$101,487	$49
   2	Washington	$99,896	$48
   3	California	$86,811	$42
   4	Illinois	$85,995	$41
   5	Massachusetts	$83,910	$40
   6	Maryland	$83,631	$40
   7	Virginia	$83,174	$40
   8	Minnesota	$79,860	$38
   9	Texas	$79,595	$38
   10	Tennessee	$77,231	$37
   11	Oregon	$74,231	$36
   12	Pennsylvania	$73,053	$35
   13	Idaho	$72,134	$35
   14	Michigan	$70,240	$34
   15	Wisconsin	$67,649	$33
   16	Missouri	$58,964	$28
   17	Arizona	$55,937	$27
   18	Florida	$50,474	$24
   19	Hawaii	$45,942	$22

   Average research computing specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Genentech	$126,647	$60.89	17
   2	NVIDIA	$125,564	$60.37	41
   3	Microsoft	$116,431	$55.98	244
   4	Booz Allen Hamilton	$107,812	$51.83	18
   5	Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc	$103,472	$49.75	12
   6	IBM	$102,166	$49.12	73
   7	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	$100,742	$48.43	38
   8	University of California	$98,937	$47.57	78
   9	Zebra Technologies	$96,693	$46.49
   10	Columbia University in the City of New York	$95,654	$45.99	57
   11	University of California-Berkeley	$90,176	$43.35
   12	Kitware	$86,587	$41.63	13
   13	Boston Children's Hospital	$86,408	$41.54
   14	Mount Sinai Health System	$84,712	$40.73	77
   15	National Renewable Energy Laboratory	$83,941	$40.36	3
   16	Alliance for Sustainable Energy	$83,638	$40.21
   17	HRL Laboratories	$83,482	$40.14	4
   18	The University of Chicago	$81,525	$39.19	142
   19	Florida International University	$80,654	$38.78
   20	Brandeis University	$78,988	$37.98	2

4. Writing a research computing specialist job description

   A research computing specialist 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a research computing specialist job description:

   Research computing specialist job description example

   Team Description:
   Our Computer Vision team is a leader in the creation of cutting-edge algorithms and software for automated image and video analysis. Our solutions embrace deep learning and add measurable value to government agencies, commercial organizations, and academic institutions worldwide. We understand the difficulties in extracting, interpreting, and utilizing information across images, video, metadata, and text, and we recognize the need for robust, affordable solutions. We seek to advance the fields of computer vision and deep learning through research and development and through collaborative projects that build on our open source software platforms, such as Kitware Image and Video Exploitation and Retrieval (KWIVER) toolkit.
   
   Researchers at Kitware enjoy support and encouragement for participation in national and international conferences (such as CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, WACV, and AAAI); and encouragement to seek funding to grow and develop their own research areas, if they desire. The Kitware Vision Group has collaborated with more than 20 universities in the past five years and maintains active involvement in major vision conferences.
   
   About the projects:
   Kitware's employees have unique opportunities to interact and collaborate directly with customers, visit interesting customer sites, and participate in live field tests and demonstrations. You will have the opportunity to contribute your skills to projects of national and societal importance. Research and Developer Engineers at Kitware also enjoy benefits commonly associated with a position in academia, such as support and encouragement for the publication of novel work. We partner with premier government R&D agencies such as DARPA, IARPA, and AFRL including prime contracts, SBIRs and STTRs
   
   In This Position You Will:Develop robust solutions in the areas of object based detection, feature detection, motion pattern learning and anomaly detection Enjoy support and encouragement for participation in national and international conferences (such as CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, WACV, and 3DV) Be encouraged to seek funding to grow and develop your own research areas, if you desire
   Required Qualifications: PhD in Computer Science or related field Strong publication record in top-tier research publications and conferences Highly innovative and demonstrated track record for solving difficult technical challenges using imagery Experience collaborating successfully with others and thriving in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment Candidates should include a detailed list of publications as part of their resume/CV
   Preferred Qualifications:Experience with deep learning methods is desirable, but not required Experience with geospatial coordinates systems and transformation is desirable, but not required
   Company Description
   Kitware collaborates with customers to solve the world's most complex scientific challenges through customized software solutions. Kitware delivers innovation by focusing on advanced technical computing, state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, and full-spectrum software solutions. Since its founding in 1998, Kitware has developed a reputation for deep customer understanding and technical expertise, honest interactions, and open innovation. We are proud to be a 100% employee-owned company. For additional information, please visit kitware.com. You can also follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
   
   Additional information
   Our team members enjoy a small company environment, flexibility in work assignments, and high levels of independence and responsibility. Besides a great work environment, our comprehensive benefits package includes a generous compensation plan, tuition reimbursement program, flexible working hours, six weeks paid time off, 401(k), health insurance, life insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, bonus plan, and free coffee, drinks and snacks.
   
   Kitware actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, protected veteran status, uniformed service member status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law.
   
   To be in compliance with the requirements for federal government contractors, all Kitware new hires must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to their start date. Kitware will consider exceptions for religious and medical reasons, where appropriate. “Fully vaccinated” means you must have both doses of a 2-dose vaccine and two weeks have elapsed since the second dose, or have received 1 dose of a 1-dose vaccine and two weeks have elapsed since the dose. Proof of your vaccination status in the form of a copy of a CDC vaccine card, or notice of approval of a religious or medical exemption by Kitware human resources, must be submitted prior to your start date.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with research computing specialist 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 research computing specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect research computing specialist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new research computing specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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