How to hire a research scientist lead

How to hire a research scientist lead, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The research scientist lead 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

   A research scientist lead's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, research scientist leads 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 scientist lead salaries for various roles:

   Type of Research Scientist Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Research Scientist Lead	Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They often use clinical trials and other investigative methods to reach their findings.	$32-74
   Doctoral Fellow	A doctoral fellow is a physician that has completed studies and receives a fellowship to cover his/her or her expenses while completing his/her or her medical dissertation. A doctor fellow undergoes this fellowship to get additional training for their chosen sub-specialty... Show more	$18-34
   Fellow	A fellow's responsibility will depend on the organization or industry where one belongs. However, most of the time, a fellow's duty will revolve around conducting research and analysis, presiding discussions and attending dialogues, handle lectures while complying with the guidelines or tasks set by supervisors, and assist in various projects and activities... Show more	$22-44

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Research Projects
   • R
   • Artificial Intelligence
   • Data Analysis
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Business Development
   • Clinical Studies
   • FDA
   • Technical Reports
   • Clinical Trials
   • HPLC
   • UV
   • Analytical Chemistry
   • CRO

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage pediatric dose development project, technology transfer project and alternate API supplier qualification project on budget and on schedule
   • Develop, validate and implement robust methods for pharmacokinetic, immunogenicity (ADA) and immunodepletion ELISAs, and cell based-bioassays.
   • Develop, validate and implement robust methods for pharmacokinetic, immunogenicity (ADA) and immunodepletion ELISAs, and cell based-bioassays.

   More research scientist lead duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, research scientist leads' average salary in missouri is 61% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level research scientist leads earn 56% less than senior-level research scientist leads.
   • Certifications. A research scientist lead 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 scientist lead's salary.

   Average research scientist lead salary

   $102,713yearly

   $49.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level research scientist lead salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average research scientist lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$152,220	$73
   2	New York	$99,337	$48
   3	Washington	$95,062	$46
   4	Massachusetts	$91,969	$44
   5	Michigan	$87,283	$42
   6	Maryland	$87,082	$42
   7	Tennessee	$84,315	$41
   8	Wisconsin	$80,400	$39
   9	Illinois	$78,119	$38
   10	Texas	$71,694	$34
   11	Florida	$68,033	$33
   12	Georgia	$64,855	$31
   13	Alabama	$62,937	$30

   Average research scientist lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$187,200	$90.00	222
   2	Chevron	$147,568	$70.95
   3	Lucid Motors	$131,730	$63.33	1
   4	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$129,502	$62.26	167
   5	HP	$125,328	$60.25	4
   6	Boston Dynamics	$120,313	$57.84	4
   7	Salesforce	$117,073	$56.29	19
   8	United	$116,512	$56.02	1
   9	Visa	$110,313	$53.04	22
   10	Novartis	$109,731	$52.76	4
   11	FM Global	$106,566	$51.23	4
   12	Kalsec	$102,099	$49.09	3
   13	Active Motif	$101,415	$48.76
   14	Science Systems and Applications	$98,656	$47.43
   15	Protective Life	$98,112	$47.17
   16	Kimberly-Clark	$97,741	$46.99	10
   17	Fred Hutch	$94,985	$45.67	38
   18	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital	$94,423	$45.40	91
   19	BAE Systems	$93,339	$44.87	13
   20	ICF	$92,610	$44.52	27

4. Writing a research scientist lead job description

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

   Research scientist lead job description example

   Sony AI is seeking highly motivated, self-driven individuals with expertise in machine learning research. We're looking for smart, enthusiastic people who want to join our team of world renowned researchers as we push the boundaries applying AI in support of human creativity.
   
   In this role, the successful candidate will lead our groundbreaking project from the perspectives of machine learning technology.
   Roles and Responsibilities:
   
   Lead research programs applying machine learning to our flagship project Supervise a team of research scientists and engineers Formulate real world problems into machine learning problems Investigate new algorithms and approaches to solve AI problems Write code to support research, usually in python Write reports and give presentations for internal audiences Write papers for, and give presentations at academic conferences
   
   Skills & Experience:
   
   Background in machine learning (PhD in related area) and relevant work experience with a proven track record of developing working systems, academic publications, patents, and/or open source software Experience with the state of the art machine learning methods including graph neural networks, reinforcement learning and generative adversarial networks Extensive experience post degree Experience to lead a team of more than 5 research scientists or engineers Knowledge of large scale analogue circuit development is a big plus Experience to solve interdisciplinary problems Management experience is a plusA track record of implementing software in Python with major machine learning frameworks Excellent oral and written English. German and/or Japanese language skills are a plus.
   
   Other experience:
   
   The ability to deliver on tight deadlines and adapt to evolving or changing requirements Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, and willingness in learning Japanese
   
   Preferred Major:
   
   Computer Science or similar
   
   Bring your uniqueness to Sony
   
   We recognize that each and every one of us is original and different. Diversity and inclusion are in our DNA, they drive innovation. We empower our people to achieve one goal: to fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit research scientist leads, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 research scientist lead

   Once you've selected the best research scientist lead 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 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.

   To prepare for the new research scientist lead 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.)

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