How to hire a senior materials engineer

How to hire a senior materials engineer, step by step

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

What does a senior materials engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior materials engineer 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 senior materials engineer 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 senior materials engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior materials engineers 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 shows salaries for various types of senior materials engineers.

   Type of Senior Materials Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Materials Engineer	Materials engineers develop, process, and test materials used to create a wide range of products, from computer chips and aircraft wings to golf clubs and biomedical devices. They study the properties and structures of metals, ceramics, plastics, composites, nanomaterials (extremely small substances), and other substances to create new materials that meet certain mechanical, electrical, and chemical requirements.	$39-66
   Metallurgist	A metallurgist is responsible for producing metal items and resources to create components used for large manufacturing and industrial production. Metallurgists operate various machine tools and equipment, requiring them to have a strict adherence to the workplace's safety protocols and regulations to prevent potential hazards and operational delays... Show more	$29-55
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Failure Analysis
   • Aerospace
   • Project Management
   • Polymer
   • ASTM
   • R
   • Development Projects
   • Product Design
   • Technical Support
   • ISO
   • Sigma
   • FTIR
   • Cost Reduction
   • NDT

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and successfully complete carbon/epoxy material qualification and gain approval from FAA to use in manufacturing of composite aircraft parts.
   • Use API, ASME and ASTM standards as guideline for repair and future design.
   • Develop welding programs, direct welders and work with NDT inspectors to solve production problems.
   • Counsele the ASTM fire safety board in developing potential safety standards for home d cor products.
   • Develop work instructions for implementing control limits and to monitor SPC system effectiveness.
   • Improve consistency of hard aluminum tool/jig plate milling operation through implementation of SPC, resulting in improve customer satisfaction and sales.

   More senior materials engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior materials engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A senior materials engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a senior materials engineer in Idaho may be lower than in Texas, and an entry-level senior materials engineer usually earns less than a senior-level senior materials engineer. Additionally, a senior materials engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average senior materials engineer salary

   $107,546yearly

   $51.70 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior materials engineer salary

   $82,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 17, 2026

   Average senior materials engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Texas	$129,352	$62
   2	California	$125,679	$60
   3	New Hampshire	$121,450	$58
   4	Washington	$118,270	$57
   5	Massachusetts	$117,540	$57
   6	Arizona	$114,191	$55
   7	Minnesota	$111,717	$54
   8	Nevada	$111,389	$54
   9	Virginia	$110,960	$53
   10	New York	$109,386	$53
   11	Pennsylvania	$105,975	$51
   12	North Carolina	$100,319	$48
   13	Illinois	$98,198	$47
   14	Michigan	$97,085	$47
   15	Utah	$94,398	$45
   16	Arkansas	$79,848	$38

   Average senior materials engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$138,116	$66.40	91
   2	JCPenney	$129,379	$62.20
   3	Amazon	$126,257	$60.70	137
   4	Rivian	$120,641	$58.00	17
   5	Technip USA Corporation	$120,439	$57.90
   6	Tesla	$116,702	$56.11	22
   7	Micron Technology	$115,874	$55.71	37
   8	Lam Research	$115,098	$55.34	13
   9	Corning Incorporated	$114,818	$55.20	45
   10	Seagate Technology	$114,758	$55.17	5
   11	Qualcomm	$114,721	$55.15	20
   12	Lucid Motors	$114,439	$55.02	40
   13	BD	$113,563	$54.60	10
   14	CTG	$113,073	$54.36	2
   15	TRW Automotive Holdings	$111,940	$53.82
   16	Idaho National Lab	$111,863	$53.78
   17	Kulicke & Soffa	$111,701	$53.70
   18	CPG International Holdings LP	$111,352	$53.53
   19	Jacobs Engineering Group	$109,564	$52.67
   20	Nokia	$108,971	$52.39	8

4. Writing a senior materials engineer job description

   A senior materials engineer 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 materials engineer job description:

   Senior materials engineer job description example

   Are you ready to rise to the challenge of climate change with the team that will deliver? Form Energy is a U.S. technology and manufacturing company that is developing and commercializing pioneering energy storage technologies to enable the electric grid to run on 100% renewable energy, every day of the year.
   
   Supported by leading investors such as Breakthrough Energy Ventures, ArcelorMittal, TPG Rise, MIT's The Engine, and others, we share a common belief that low-cost, multi-day energy storage is the key to enable tomorrow's zero carbon electric grid. Driven by our core values of humanity, excellence, and creativity, we are deeply motivated and inspired to create a better world. We need talented, hardworking individuals who share our goal of tackling the challenge of climate change. Do you want to work with us today to build a better tomorrow?
   Role Description
   We are looking for an experienced chemical, material or metallurgical engineer to join the Advanced Manufacturing team. This team is responsible for developing the novel processes used for manufacturing iron electrodes to be deployed in Form Energy's first commercial product. In this role, you will lead and execute a variety of process development projects related to producing custom iron materials. As such, the position requires a hands-on engineer willing to operate test equipment, analyze results, propose modifications and occasionally design a test apparatus from the ground up. You will dive into lab work and experimental design for critical mechanistic analysis, including wet chemistry, powder processing, and materials characterization.
   
   This role provides an exciting opportunity to develop novel processing technology while doing your part to help combat climate change! You will collaborate with a diversity of teams inside and outside the company, including supply chain, operations, facilities, and external consultants to achieve overall manufacturing success. As the team works toward a common goal of manufacturing high performance electrodes, expect to become deeply entrenched in the intersection space of equipment design, process engineering, and materials engineering.
   
   Steel/iron industry experience is a plus; battery experience is not required.
   
   This opportunity is based out of Form Energy's Eighty Four, PA location (Greater Pittsburgh Area).
   What You'll Do:Specify, build/buy, commission and operate pilot scale iron processing equipment necessary to de-risk the production of battery-grade iron at large scale.Collaborate with Battery R&D and Process Engineers to design experiments that inform and validate our process models.Own and execute mission-critical experimental test plans. Analyze, summarize, and visualize data; reach sound conclusions and drive decision making.Train technicians, process engineers, and scientists on new manufacturing equipment and processes.Be a lead-by-example champion for safety. Lead hazard analysis sessions for the development of new equipment and processes.
   What You'll Bring:BS in Chemical, Material, or Metallurgical Engineering with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in an industrial or R&D setting. Experience working with combustible gasses and equipment at high temperatures is mandatory.Experience in the operation of bulk material handling and processing equipment, such as hoppers, feeding systems, conveyors, grinding, sieving, blending and metering, and the development of the associated quality measurement systems.A high degree of self-motivation, organization, and attention to detail with the ability to prioritize and multitask.Ability to clearly communicate with cross-functional teams and external partners, from plant operators to executives, both verbally and written.
   #LI-JP1
   
   Besides joining a community of people working to make the world better, Form Energy commits to you equitable compensation, stock options, and offers a generous benefits package to make sure you have the support you need to thrive.
   
   We cover 100% of employee premiums and 80% of dependent premiums for medical, dental, and vision insurance for full time employees. We offer a flexible Paid Time Off program and every employee, regardless of gender identity or expression, is eligible for 12 weeks of paid parental bonding leave. A full listing of our benefits is available on our careers page.
   
   At Form Energy, we are working toward a 100% renewable energy future for everyone in the world. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees and are seeking to build a team that reflects the diversity of the people we hope to serve with our revolutionary products. Form Energy is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior materials engineers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior materials engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit senior materials engineer 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 materials engineers, 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 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 materials engineer

   Once you've found the senior materials engineer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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