How to hire a senior development consultant

How to hire a senior development consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior development consultant hiring guide:

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

What does a senior development consultant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The senior development consultant 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 senior development consultant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior development consultants 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 senior development consultant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Senior Development Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Development Consultant	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$37-63
   Consultant/Team Lead	Consultant team leads analyze background documentation, project documents, financial reports, etc., to prepare an initial report about the projects they are working on. They gather data through interviews, research, and surveys to design proposals meant to create an inclusive environment for everyone... Show more	$34-62
   Contract Developer	Contract Developers develop secure web applications for data collections, quality measurement efforts, and reporting purposes for large-scale performance, wireframes and UI specifications for interactive and static reporting and analysis features, and developing UI to interact with reporting engines. They are involved with system design and technical documentation and responsible for dot net development... Show more	$32-59

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Data Warehouse
   • JavaScript
   • SR
   • Data Analysis
   • Scrum
   • Jira
   • Object Oriented Programming
   • Client Facing
   • Project Management
   • C++
   • C #
   • API
   • Web Services

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead various EDI relate projects for banks, logistic partners, customers.
   • Manage internal, external systems/application of healthcare software within assign areas from inception to successful implementation in private medical practices.
   • Implement identity management web services API in SOA environment.
   • Maintain consistent CSS usage and styles.
   • Work on multiple source data format including XML format.
   • Create reports using simple to complex queries and store procedures in PL/SQL.

   More senior development consultant duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, senior development consultants' average salary in south dakota is 34% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior development consultants 41% less than senior-level senior development consultants.
   • Certifications. A senior development consultant 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 senior development consultant's salary.

   Average senior development consultant salary

   $101,842yearly

   $48.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior development consultant salary

   $78,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average senior development consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$132,695	$64
   2	Washington	$118,274	$57
   3	New York	$113,107	$54
   4	District of Columbia	$109,895	$53
   5	Massachusetts	$107,215	$52
   6	Pennsylvania	$105,769	$51
   7	Virginia	$103,742	$50
   8	New Jersey	$103,598	$50
   9	Maryland	$101,503	$49
   10	Ohio	$99,304	$48
   11	Texas	$98,735	$47
   12	Minnesota	$97,808	$47
   13	Utah	$97,471	$47
   14	Georgia	$95,090	$46
   15	Oklahoma	$94,895	$46
   16	Illinois	$94,254	$45
   17	Connecticut	$94,152	$45
   18	Michigan	$93,626	$45
   19	North Carolina	$92,010	$44
   20	Florida	$91,786	$44

   Average senior development consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Commonwealth Financial Network	$125,768	$60.47	1
   2	VMware	$123,550	$59.40
   3	Blackboard	$120,555	$57.96
   4	Autodesk	$119,425	$57.42	17
   5	Eclaro	$118,592	$57.02	1
   6	Thoughtworks	$118,210	$56.83
   7	North States Ind	$118,043	$56.75
   8	Commerce Bank	$117,966	$56.71	1
   9	Grandbridge Real Estate Capital	$117,539	$56.51	148
   10	Staples	$116,622	$56.07	9
   11	Unitedheath Group	$116,570	$56.04
   12	SAP	$114,875	$55.23	60
   13	Avanade	$114,649	$55.12	1
   14	Kaiser Permanente	$113,360	$54.50	21
   15	BB&T	$112,911	$54.28
   16	Western & Southern Financial Group	$111,865	$53.78	7
   17	OneNeck IT Solutions	$111,604	$53.66
   18	Randstad North America, Inc.	$111,360	$53.54	25
   19	Razorfish	$111,184	$53.45
   20	Paragon Solutions	$109,489	$52.64

4. Writing a senior development consultant job description

   A senior development consultant 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. Below, you can find an example of a senior development consultant job description:

   Senior development consultant job description example

   At SpartanNash, we deliver the ingredients for a better life through customer-focused innovation. We do this for our supply chain customers and U.S. military commissaries, retail store guests and, most importantly, our Associates. In fact, we see a day when each will say, “I can't live without them.”
   
   Our SpartanNash family of Associates is 17,500 strong, ranging from bakery managers to order selectors; from IT developers to vice presidents of finance; from HR Business Partners to export specialists. Each of them plays an integral role in SpartanNash's People First culture, Operational Excellence and Insights that Drive Solutions. Ready to contribute to the success of our food solutions company? Apply now!
   
   This role is responsible to develop and implement a full range of learning and development activities and initiatives that reflects the strategic plan of the Company and is responsible for related communications, programs and systems to include performance management, talent management, learning management and other organizational development tools. Here's what you'll do: Responsible to execute and lead Talent Development programs and initiatives that include training, performance management, career/succession planning, etc. and responsible for related systems such as the performance/talent management system, learning management system, succession planning system, etc. Oversee the various programs to include timelines, communications, training, etc. as appropriate. Participate on organizational project teams, assessing training needs and/or providing training support for each initiative. Lead training and performance improvement projects through all life cycle phases (analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation); develop and maintain strong business relationships with external vendors and consultants to plan and coordinate talent development programs; manage the business relationships contracts and quality of the programs, resources and results. Design, develop, coordinate, implement, facilitate and evaluate seminars, workshops or training programs for professional and management/leadership curricula. Provide effective training or development of programs (i.e., instructor led training, e-learning courseware, workshops, distance learning strategies) on a variety of subject matters. May oversee development of curricula or programs by other learning consultants in support of an assigned area. Provide consulting to internal and/or external customers in the areas of performance improvement/management, performance solutions, talent development, leadership development and related HR best practices and employment law in order to help managers improve their group's performance and proactively address performance-related questions, challenges and opportunities. Partner with various HR areas and cross-functional business partners to respond to questions accordingly in other areas of expertise. Deliver innovative training and development solutions that are repeatable, sustainable and cost effective; utilize forward thinking content development tools to develop training solutions. Identify improvements with talent development programs, training and communications and develop tools and resources to support talent development and on-going performance improvement. Assist management in developing a multi-year Training and Development plan based on the needs of the organization. Prepare and/or review reports, survey results, etc. to analyze and identify training opportunities; provide management and business partners with informative needs assessments to ensure alignment with the Company's mission and training objectives. Maintain current knowledge of industry trends and best Talent Development practices; make recommendations to improve current programs and processes. Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed.
   
   Here's what you'll need: Bachelor's Degree (Required) in Human Resources, Organization Development, Psychology, Instructional Design or related field required. Five years progressive experience to include multiple areas of talent development (i.e., training, instructional design, performance, organization development, etc.). CPLP (Certified Professional in Learning & Performance), CPT (Certified Performance Technologist) or PHR (Professional in Human Resources) preferred. Must have experience in instructional design (workshops and e-learning) and facilitator experience; certifications in training programs strongly preferred. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Excellent facilitation and presentation skills in large and small group settings. Ability to interface with all levels within the organization and able to develop and maintain highly effective relationships, externally and internally. Must have strong organizational, prioritization, project management, time management and attention to detail skills; ability to meet deadlines and handle multiple projects simultaneously. Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Ability to travel between 5 and 50% to company locations as needed (to include local and/or overnight travel). Experience in training, performance management and succession planning. Demonstrated competency in instructional design instructor led training, self-paced, e-learning formats, and media use for training solutions (online training and e-learning authoring software). Knowledge of performance engineering and performance improvement troubleshooting; working knowledge of performance management/succession planning software and systems. Knowledge of Human Resources and employment law is helpful. Knowledge of retail grocery industry is helpful.
   
   SpartanNash is a certified Veteran-Friendly Employer. We value the perspectives, backgrounds, skills, work ethic and leadership that those who are military connected bring to the workforce.
   
   As part of our People First culture, SpartanNash is proud to offer a robust and competitive Total Rewards benefits package.
   
   SpartanNash is an Equal Opportunity Employer that celebrates diversity and believes employing a diverse workforce is key to our success. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals.
   We are not able to sponsor work visas for this position.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior development consultant 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 senior development consultant job on Zippia to find and attract quality senior development consultant candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit senior development consultants, 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.

   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.

   If your interviews with senior development consultant applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 senior development consultant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the senior development consultant 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior development consultant. 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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