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How to hire a senior director of engineering

Senior director of engineering hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring senior directors of engineering in the United States:

  • There are a total of 32,204 senior directors of engineering in the US, and there are currently 75,555 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a senior director of engineering is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per senior director of engineering on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for senior directors of engineering, with 21 job openings.

How to hire a senior director of engineering, step by step

To hire a senior director of engineering, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a senior director of engineering:

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

What does a senior director of engineering do?

A senior director of engineering is responsible for the collaborative success of the engineering and technical projects of the organization. Senior directors of engineering coordinate with different project teams to identify and develop cost-reduction processes, as well as strategizing on procedures to maximize the team's effort and productivity within the approved deadline. They also implement quality assurance policies to ensure the efficiency and accuracy of the project's adherence to client specifications and business requirements. A senior director of engineering reports to the senior management, conducting data analysis and identifying business opportunities to maintain the company's financial growth and stability.

Learn more about the specifics of what a senior director of engineering does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the senior director of engineering you need to hire. Certain senior director of engineering roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect senior director of engineering 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 senior directors of engineering and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Senior Director Of EngineeringDescriptionHourly rate
    Senior Director Of EngineeringArchitectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.$57-125
    Research And Development ManagerA research and development manager is responsible for supervising project development procedures to support business operations and identify business opportunities that would pave the way for more revenue resources and profits. Research and development managers monitor the production plans from the conceptualization to the final outputs, inspecting inconsistencies and flaws in every phase and revising strategies as needed to achieve the required specifications and requirements... Show more$37-83
    Design ManagerA design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience... Show more$33-72
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Cloud
    • Architecture
    • Continuous Improvement
    • Software Development
    • Infrastructure
    • Java
    • Cloud Computing
    • SR
    • Project Management
    • AWS
    • DevOps
    • Python
    • Emerging Technologies
    • C++
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Define the architecture of the next generation telecommunication products and lead the new technology introduction.
    • Define, develop and implement a manage cloud services architecture approach that is based on modular processes and continual integration/deployment interactions.
    • Spearhead industry-first embed Java VM, embed DCOM products.
    • Lead on multiple cross-functional quality initiatives for improve QA process improvements.
    • Change the organization from waterfall to scrum and agile development methodologies.
    • Remain an individual contributor and IP generator in parallel with management responsibilities.
    More senior director of engineering duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the senior director of engineering job description is a good way to get more applicants. A senior director of engineering salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for a senior director of engineering in Illinois may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level senior director of engineering. Additionally, a senior director of engineering with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average senior director of engineering salary

    $177,949yearly

    $85.55 hourly rate

    Entry-level senior director of engineering salary
    $120,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 24, 2025

    Average senior director of engineering salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$223,273$107
    2Washington$210,272$101
    3Arizona$186,654$90
    4Utah$181,740$87
    5Massachusetts$156,985$75
    6Texas$154,023$74
    7Colorado$152,723$73
    8District of Columbia$149,443$72
    9Indiana$144,409$69
    10Minnesota$143,640$69
    11Virginia$138,494$67
    12Florida$138,267$66
    13Georgia$137,425$66
    14Pennsylvania$136,374$66
    15Connecticut$136,246$66
    16New York$134,871$65
    17Maryland$134,110$64
    18Illinois$131,851$63
    19Missouri$129,708$62
    20North Carolina$125,211$60

    Average senior director of engineering salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Apple$253,454$121.85204
    2Google$246,145$118.34114
    3eBay$242,526$116.6014
    4PayPal$241,266$115.9917
    5NVIDIA$240,820$115.7824
    6Adobe$236,214$113.5683
    7Fanatics$235,903$113.4121
    8Western Digital$232,551$111.80156
    9Sephora$231,878$111.483
    10Juniper Networks$231,739$111.41
    11LinkedIn$224,432$107.9041
    12PlayStation$223,717$107.563
    13Kabam$223,713$107.55
    14Credit Karma$223,574$107.491
    15Playphone$221,099$106.30
    168x8$220,791$106.15
    17Cisco$219,953$105.75157
    18Edwards Lifesciences$219,741$105.6410
    19Eli Lilly and Company$216,863$104.2687
    20Macy's$216,119$103.907
  4. Writing a senior director of engineering job description

    A senior director of engineering 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 senior director of engineering job description:

    Senior director of engineering job description example

    • Excellent communication skills
    • A bias for action
    • Focused on people and process first and foremost
    • A strong belief in key engineering principles
    • Need to know what you believe in when making a tough decision
    • Need to articulate principles behind decision making

    About 2U Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU)

    2U is comprised of 3 lines of business: Graduate Degree Programs, Short Course, and Boot Camps. Going beyond traditional learning management systems, we use tech, people, and data to help top universities and enterprise organizations transform in the digital era—and eliminate the back row in higher ed. We support lifelong learning which means thinking beyond a single degree. It means finding ways for students to gain the skills they need to change careers, evolve their expertise, and meet the challenges of the changing world head-on. We help our partners fill those needs—developing new digital education technologies and offerings capable of supporting students at different points in their lives. Whether they need a simple refresher, to learn something new, or to change their career trajectories completely, our partners are there to help them succeed. Together with our partners, 2U has positively transformed the lives of more than 275,000 students and lifelong learners.

    2U Diversity and Inclusion Statement

    At 2U, we are committed to creating and sustaining a culture that embodies diverse walks of life, ideas, genders, ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, abilities and other unique qualities of our employees. We strive to offer a workplace where every employee feels empowered by the ways in which we are different, as well as the ways in which we are the same.

    Benefits & Culture

    Working at 2U means working with individuals that are passionate and mission driven. We collaborate on tough problems to deliver the best outcomes for our partners, students, and each other. You will find team members working together in our open office spaces, gathered in the kitchen grabbing a snack, or taking a break in our game rooms.

    2U offers a comprehensive benefits package:

    • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
    • Life insurance, disability and 401(k)
    • Unlimited snacks and drinks
    • Generous paid leave policies including unlimited PTO
    • Additional time off benefits include: volunteer days, parental leave, and a company-wide winter break

    In Colorado, the anticipated base salary for this role is $175,000.00 with potential bonus and equity eligibility. Note: The final compensation for this position may consider factors including the geographic location where the work is performed (candidate's assigned office) and prior work experience of the candidate.

    To learn more, visit 2U.com. #NoBackRow

    Note: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

    2U is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against applicants or employees and ensures equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship, military or veterans' status, or any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. 2U's equal opportunity policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, job benefits and pay.

  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior director of engineering 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 director of engineering job on Zippia to find and recruit senior director of engineering candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with senior director of engineering 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 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 senior director of engineering

    Once you've selected the best senior director of engineering 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.

    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 director of engineering. 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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How much does it cost to hire a senior director of engineering?

Hiring a senior director of engineering comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting senior directors of engineering involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of senior director of engineering recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

The median annual salary for senior directors of engineering is $177,949 in the US. However, the cost of senior director of engineering hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a senior director of engineering for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $57 and $125 an hour.

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