How to hire a senior research and development technician

How to hire a senior research and development technician, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior research and development technician 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 research and development technician 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 research and development technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior research and development technicians 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 research and development technicians.

   Type of Senior Research And Development Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Research And Development Technician	Electrical and electronics engineering technicians help engineers design and develop computers, communications equipment, medical monitoring devices, navigational equipment, and other electrical and electronic equipment. They often work in product evaluation and testing, using measuring and diagnostic devices to adjust, test, and repair equipment... Show more	$37-65
   Engineering Technician Lead	Engineering technician leads are technical professionals who lead a team to design and build prototypes of a planned product or equipment. These technician leads are required to provide advice and technical support to the engineering team to resolve technical issues as well as oversee system maintenance and enhancement... Show more	$38-68
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Prototype
   • Product Development
   • Lab Notebook
   • Solidworks
   • Test Procedures
   • Troubleshoot
   • Data Collection
   • Laboratory Equipment
   • Catheter
   • Medical Devices
   • GMP
   • Data Analysis
   • FDA
   • Test Fixtures

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage preliminary assembly and debugging of new products.
   • Design basic test fixtures or document exist fixtures using Solidworks.
   • Design device mask layout of RF, microwave and millimeter-wave InP devices and circuits.
   • Design and write protocols for new product testing and characterization using ASTM and ISO standards.
   • Design mechanical and electronic devices for low-volume blood pumps, keeping to all applicable FDA regulations.
   • Design and detail components and assemblies with SolidWorks for fabrication.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, senior research and development technicians' average salary in tennessee is 39% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior research and development technicians earn 42% less than senior-level senior research and development technicians.
   • Certifications. A senior research and development technician 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 research and development technician's salary.

   Average senior research and development technician salary

   $104,850yearly

   $50.41 hourly rate

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   Entry-level senior research and development technician salary

   $79,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a senior research and development technician job description

   A senior research and development technician 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 research and development technician job description:

   Senior research and development technician 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 a hands-on individual to help us develop our core technology by contributing to our prototype assembly of huge batteries. In this role, individuals will work directly with our Battery Module Development and Systems Engineering teams to spend time in the laboratory machining, building, or troubleshooting massive grid-scale cell builds. The ideal candidate will be familiar with typical battery designs and failure modes in order to best inform our initial efforts to build batteries of this size. This position offers an excellent opportunity for an individual to apply their existing experience with electrochemical devices to directly impact the development of a breakthrough technology.
   What you'll do:Build Form's largest battery test vehicles and systems Inspect, organize and prepare device components and hardware Document and organize device assembly notes for performance traceability Monitor and offer recommendations for keeping Battery Module Assembly SOPs up to date Facilitate installation and assembly of new equipment Lead workshop and laboratory continuous improvement efforts Help train and mentor a growing team of technicians, engineers, and scientists
   What you'll bring:7+ years of experience relating to mechanical or electrochemical lab work Familiarity working with tools ranging from delicate laboratory instruments to machinery such as hydraulic presses, wrenches, power washers, or powered hand tools Experience with laboratory waste streams and general chemical hygiene Written and oral communication skills within a group of peers and broader organization Comfort using digital tools. We use Asana, Slack, Confluence, and GSuite among others
   #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 research and development technicians 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 research and development technician job on Zippia to find and recruit senior research and development technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior research and development technician 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 research and development technician

   Once you've found the senior research and development technician 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 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior research and development technician. 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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