How to hire a senior research coordinator

How to hire a senior research coordinator, step by step

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

What does a senior research coordinator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior research coordinator 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 coordinator 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a senior research coordinator to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a senior research coordinator that fits the bill.

   This list presents senior research coordinator salaries for various positions.

   Type of Senior Research Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Research Coordinator	Natural sciences managers supervise the work of scientists, including chemists, physicists, and biologists. They direct activities related to research and development, and coordinate activities such as testing, quality control, and production.	$20-46
   Study Director	Technically, a study director carries out scientific responsibilities for protocol design or study plan and approval. Study directors supervise the gathering, analysis, interpretation, documentation, and reporting of data results... Show more	$26-56
   Clinical Project Manager	A clinical project manager specializes in developing and organizing clinical trials. Their responsibilities revolve around planning and coordinating with all necessary personnel and experts, scheduling meetings, and preparing necessary documentation, ensuring compliance with all laws and regulations... Show more	$35-65

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Data Collection
   • IRB
   • Research Projects
   • Data Analysis
   • Informed Consent
   • Clinical Trials
   • Data Management
   • Data Entry
   • Research Data
   • Consent Forms
   • Study Protocols
   • Principal Investigators
   • Research Assistants

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Perform insightful data analyses and adequately manage IRB protocol.
   • Collect, manage and analyze preliminary data using SPSS statistical software.
   • Coordinate patient screening and intake as well as educated patients about inform consent and drug accountability.
   • Create and present PowerPoint slides for training webinars, meetings, and conferences.
   • Oversee research program and ensure all elements of the program are in compliance with FDA regulations.
   • Create a process for FDA hold import shipments, in order so items will not be used.

   More senior research coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, senior research coordinators' average salary in iowa is 44% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior research coordinators 56% less than senior-level senior research coordinators.
   • Certifications. A senior research coordinator 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 research coordinator's salary.

   Average senior research coordinator salary

   $65,316yearly

   $31.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior research coordinator salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 11, 2025

   Average senior research coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$99,516	$48
   2	Washington	$91,412	$44
   3	New York	$82,527	$40
   4	District of Columbia	$82,069	$39
   5	Massachusetts	$80,738	$39
   6	Oregon	$75,916	$37
   7	Florida	$75,436	$36
   8	Illinois	$73,745	$35
   9	Minnesota	$71,079	$34
   10	Georgia	$70,036	$34
   11	Virginia	$69,750	$34
   12	Texas	$69,313	$33
   13	Maryland	$68,127	$33
   14	Michigan	$66,242	$32
   15	North Carolina	$64,230	$31
   16	Ohio	$63,258	$30
   17	Arizona	$62,590	$30
   18	Louisiana	$61,854	$30
   19	Pennsylvania	$61,824	$30
   20	Tennessee	$59,587	$29

   Average senior research coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$135,471	$65.13	50
   2	VMware	$131,948	$63.44
   3	Microsoft	$131,901	$63.41	250
   4	Mayo Clinic	$125,665	$60.42	181
   5	Algolia	$121,889	$58.60
   6	Amazon	$118,402	$56.92	96
   7	ServiceNow	$116,208	$55.87	6
   8	Salesforce	$110,692	$53.22	8
   9	AbbVie	$109,668	$52.73	46
   10	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$108,879	$52.35	139
   11	Abbott	$102,818	$49.43	24
   12	Florida Power and Light	$99,811	$47.99	2
   13	USG	$98,723	$47.46	1
   14	Trend Micro	$98,214	$47.22
   15	EPAM Systems	$95,907	$46.11
   16	Walmart	$93,569	$44.99	6
   17	Mathematica	$92,946	$44.69	8
   18	Eisai	$89,142	$42.86
   19	BlackBerry	$86,421	$41.55
   20	Edward Jones	$86,322	$41.50	2

4. Writing a senior research coordinator job description

   A senior research coordinator 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 coordinator job description:

   Senior research coordinator job description example

   The Senior Research Coordinator will be responsible for the implementation of a research and program portfolio funded by UNC as well as potential future federal, state and private funders at the Montefiore Adolescent and Youth Sexual-health Clinic (MAYS). Skills include IRB, staff management, implementation of research protocols including recruitment, visits and documentation and management of grant deliverables.
   Responsibilities include but are not limited to: • Coordinate all aspects of UNC and future funded research at the Montefiore Adolescent and Youth Sexual-health Clinic: medical and behavioral for population of HIV+ and at-risk as well as LGBT youth ages 13-24 years. Newer studies will involve Long-Acting Injectibe PrEP.
   • Supervise all aspects of research visits including recruitment, eligibility, informed consent and chart reviews and collaborate with other members of team as needed for specimen collection and physical exams. Initiate and maintain IRB protocol.
   • Supervision of clinical and non-clinical staff implementing studies. Staff supervision includes but is not limited to one research associate and one data entry person as well as several interns and exempt staff on specific projects.
   • Participate in the writing of new and renewal grants as well as overseeing progress report creation for funders.
   • Coordinate communication between MAYS and research funders and all relevant departments at Einstein and Montefiore.
   • Coordinate site visits for all funders and monitors including the FDA. Prepare for site visits by leading all-staff reviews.
   • Collaborates with MP medical, mental health and community staff to ensure research is well integrated with ongoing care and work.
   • Participate in program-wide data collection, analysis and reporting a using Excel and SPSS or other statistical programs.
   • Oversee expenditures for all aspects of research including laboratory, consultants and subject reimbursements. Albert Einstein College of Medicine offers flexible work schedules and a hybrid remote work arrangements for our professional and administrative staff with supervisory approval. The incumbent for this position is eligible for consideration and applicants should inquire. QUALIFICATIONS • Requires Bachelor's degree and 5 years of prior clinical/research and/or administrative experience, preferably with youth who are HIV+ or at risk and LGBT.
   • Excellent communication skills including the ability to present to individuals and groups
   • Strong organizational and project management skills
   • Excellent interpersonal skills ABOUT US

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior research coordinators 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 coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit senior research coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior research coordinators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 coordinator

   Once you've found the senior research coordinator 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior research coordinator. 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a senior research coordinator?