How to hire a senior lead operator

How to hire a senior lead operator, step by step

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

Post a senior lead operator job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a senior lead operator, 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

   Hiring the perfect senior lead operator 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior lead operators.

   Type of Senior Lead Operator	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Lead Operator		$19-54
   Business Development Internship	A business development intern is responsible for supporting the organization's goals and objectives in providing the best services to clients and ensuring a smooth flow of operations with maximum productivity and efficiency. Business development interns observe the operational processes of the department and perform duties under the supervision of a direct manager or tenured staff... Show more	$12-20
   Business Development Consultant	The role of business consultants is to provide an analysis of a company on its business practices and make recommendations for long-term goals. This role is also connected with various duties and responsibilities, including reviewing the company's financial statements, engaging in research on how to improve the company's offers, and developing new business models... Show more	$25-65

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Continuous Improvement
   • SR
   • Operational Procedures
   • Lean Six Sigma
   • SME
   • Process Improvement
   • Quality Checks
   • Financial Transactions
   • Audit Procedures
   • Foreclosure
   • SharePoint
   • ISO
   • Direct Reports
   • MSP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help the department achieve and maintain safety standards set by OSHA.
   • Manage the development and implementation of a PMO infrastructure including responsibility for recruiting, hiring, training and performance management.
   • Work with engineers and mechanics to troubleshoot equipment.
   • Team with training liaison to coordinate training across multiple sites without negatively impacting SLA.
   • Analyze and troubleshoot technical problems within machinery that are utilize in the production area.
   • Complete all opening activities to ensure all require documentation are ordered for evaluation with in SLA.

   More senior lead operator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, senior lead operators' average salary in south dakota is 50% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior lead operators earn 64% less than senior-level senior lead operators.
   • Certifications. A senior lead operator 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 senior lead operator's salary.

   Average senior lead operator salary

   $68,921yearly

   $33.14 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior lead operator salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 26, 2025

   Average senior lead operator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$101,551	$49
   2	Pennsylvania	$87,216	$42
   3	New York	$80,055	$38
   4	Massachusetts	$78,976	$38
   5	Texas	$78,261	$38
   6	Ohio	$76,653	$37
   7	Washington	$75,997	$37
   8	District of Columbia	$75,175	$36
   9	Maryland	$73,929	$36
   10	Arizona	$73,427	$35
   11	Virginia	$73,305	$35
   12	Delaware	$72,309	$35
   13	Connecticut	$69,051	$33
   14	Florida	$68,828	$33
   15	Michigan	$65,321	$31
   16	Illinois	$63,187	$30
   17	Georgia	$60,736	$29
   18	Minnesota	$55,213	$27
   19	North Carolina	$54,373	$26
   20	Wisconsin	$53,120	$26

   Average senior lead operator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$175,414	$84.33	38
   2	Apple	$168,037	$80.79	13
   3	NTUA	$135,876	$65.33	2
   4	Citi	$129,338	$62.18	27
   5	Cisco	$126,098	$60.62	9
   6	RH	$114,327	$54.96	2
   7	Majesco	$112,120	$53.90
   8	Akamai Technologies	$111,543	$53.63
   9	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$107,372	$51.62	152
   10	Salient CRGT	$106,988	$51.44
   11	MITRE	$103,902	$49.95	4
   12	The Aerospace Corporation	$100,856	$48.49
   13	Techtronic Industries TTI	$100,591	$48.36	8
   14	Morgan Stanley	$99,562	$47.87	1
   15	GlobalFoundries	$99,416	$47.80
   16	Brillio	$97,172	$46.72
   17	Splunk	$94,300	$45.34
   18	Synechron	$93,188	$44.80
   19	Edward Jones	$91,636	$44.06
   20	Wells Fargo	$90,891	$43.70	4

4. Writing a senior lead operator job description

   A senior lead operator 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 lead operator job description:

   Senior lead operator job description example

   We are looking for a creative and resourceful Senior Lead Experience Researcher (Mixed Methods-Qual & Quant) with strong design research skills to join our rapidly growing team of innovators, disruptors and problem solvers. This researcher will be dedicated to strategically impacting the Chase branch experience for both internal employees and customers. As a Senior Lead Experience Researcher (Mixed Methods-Qual & Quant) you will be responsible for scoping and crafting research strategy, conducting research, and delivering actionable insights for a variety of user experience research studies in both bank and artificial settings.
   The strong candidate will:
   Demonstrate a higher than usual degree of user empathy, and will be able to tell a compelling story about the motivations and intentions of our users, strategically guiding stakeholders. Have excellent project management and organizational skills and be able to work collaboratively and productively with diverse teams as well as independently.
   KEY RESPONSIBILITIES-Research
   Be able to quickly understand the needs of our internal clients-especially as they relate to who their users are and what questions they need answered. Take a question or a problem and translate it into a testable hypothesis-complete with a specific method and tasks that appropriately respond to research, project, and business objectives. Develop and conduct research initiatives and execute them on time and on budget. Motivate project teams with concise yet thorough reports and brilliantly prepared presentations under tight deadlines.
   KEY SKILLS
   Solid understanding of the principles of generative and evaluative research and a demonstrable knowledge of multiple research methodologies and approaches (e.g. cadence testing, usability, RITE studies, formative vs. summative studies, intercepts, heuristic reviews, benchmarking, card sorts, etc.), and know the strengths and weaknesses of each. Ability to lead both qualitative and quantitative research studies from beginning to end independently is a must. Scope and plan research studies using both qualitative and quantitative methods as appropriate, consulting with relevant stakeholders and team members while maintaining important internal and external relationships. Plan, design, administer, and report on research studies, and produce associated materials (e.g. screeners, discussion guides, toplines, etc.). Conduct rigorous inductive and deductive analysis and understand how to synthesize insights to an appropriate level. Translate insights from complex concepts into meaningful and actionable insights including the design of visual frameworks and diagrams to support data. Command a room and present findings to team members and stakeholders from multi-disciplinary backgrounds and varying organizational levels. Be completely comfortable in ambiguous situations and have the ability to pivot to changing requirements. Have a creative spirit of collaboration and innovation in exploring future ideas and solutions through new and different research methodologies.
   EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:
   5-7 years of practical user research experience. Related experience in another field such as interactive design, and/or market research is a plus. Bachelor's degree in human computer interaction, cognitive psychology, anthropology, design research, or related field considered an advantage. Equivalent experience accepted. In-depth knowledge of survey design, coding using R, SQL, STATA, SPSS or equivalent and analysis including regressions and T-tests are a must. Design thinking experience - including planning and group facilitation. Foundational understanding of and experience with ethnographic, contextual inquiry, generative/exploratory research techniques would be strongly favored. Project management and negotiating skills are central to the position. Communication, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills required. Your ability to demonstrate success in these areas should quickly become obvious. Ability to communicate research results, graphically depict data, and justify methods and approaches-both orally and in writing-are an absolute must. Knowledge of survey tools including dScout or Optimal Workshop, and prototyping tools including Keynote, Sketch, or other InVision tools are a plus. Experience with eye tracking research and software are a plus.
   
   Chase is a leading financial services firm, helping nearly half of America's households and small businesses achieve their financial goals through a broad range of financial products. Our mission is to create engaged, lifelong relationships and put our customers at the heart of everything we do. We also help small businesses, nonprofits and cities grow, delivering solutions to solve all their financial needs.
   
   We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.
   
   The health and safety of our colleagues, candidates, clients and communities has been a top priority in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. JPMorgan Chase was awarded the "WELL Health-Safety Rating" for all of our 6,200 locations globally based on our operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19 environment.
   
   As a part of our commitment to health and safety, we have implemented various COVID-related health and safety requirements for our workforce. Employees are expected to follow the Firm's current COVID-19 or other infectious disease health and safety requirements, including local requirements. Requirements include sharing information including your vaccine card in the firm's vaccine record tool, and may include mask wearing. Requirements may change in the future with the evolving public health landscape. JPMorgan Chase will consider accommodation requests as required by applicable law.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veterans

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find senior lead operators for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any senior lead operators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level senior lead operators with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior lead operator job on Zippia to find and recruit senior lead operator 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 senior lead operators, 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 senior lead operator

   Once you have selected a candidate for the senior lead operator 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.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior lead operator. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a senior lead operator?