How to hire a senior scientific associate

How to hire a senior scientific associate, step by step

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

What does a senior scientific associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a senior scientific associate, 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a senior scientific associate 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 scientific associate that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior scientific associates.

   Type of Senior Scientific Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Scientific Associate	Chemists and materials scientists study substances at the atomic and molecular levels and the ways in which the substances interact with one another. They use their knowledge to develop new and improved products and to test the quality of manufactured goods.	$24-62
   Research Chemist	A research chemist specializes in conducting studies and experiments to develop new products. Their duties primarily focus on conducting research and assessments, gathering and analyzing chemical samples, developing ideas, conducting tests to study chemical reactions, maintaining records of all procedures, and utilizing previous studies... Show more	$25-51
   Chemist	Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter... Show more	$22-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Analysis
   • Assays
   • FDA
   • IND
   • GLP
   • Cell Culture
   • ICH
   • QC
   • Analytical Methods
   • Study Reports
   • Technical Support
   • Cell-Based Assays
   • Technical Reports
   • Cell Lines

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead strategic sourcing effort for preparative HPLC with budget USD 100K.
   • Process, analyze and upload HTS data that lead to the discovery of new structural classes of small molecules.
   • Aid in preparations for audits by both EMA and FDA.
   • Provide appropriately characterize GLP grade material for NHP studies perform at NIH.
   • Train and guide new Temps/Interns to perform analytical measurements according to GLP.
   • Design and execute HPLC in-process control (IPC) protocols for detecting api-relate impurities.

   More senior scientific associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the senior scientific associate job description is a good way to get more applicants. A senior scientific associate 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 scientific associate in Arkansas may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level senior scientific associate. Additionally, a senior scientific associate with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average senior scientific associate salary

   $81,712yearly

   $39.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior scientific associate salary

   $51,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average senior scientific associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$100,768	$48
   2	California	$100,440	$48
   3	Massachusetts	$93,869	$45
   4	New Jersey	$90,328	$43
   5	Maryland	$87,743	$42
   6	New York	$83,821	$40
   7	Indiana	$75,939	$37
   8	Texas	$73,908	$36
   9	Georgia	$72,966	$35
   10	Minnesota	$69,662	$33
   11	Illinois	$69,046	$33
   12	Pennsylvania	$65,039	$31
   13	North Carolina	$59,587	$29
   14	Florida	$51,121	$25

   Average senior scientific associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Chevron	$140,336	$67.47
   2	Regeneron	$107,863	$51.86	13
   3	Argonne National Laboratory	$106,844	$51.37
   4	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$105,455	$50.70
   5	Novartis	$104,878	$50.42
   6	Eli Lilly and Company	$104,746	$50.36	28
   7	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$103,861	$49.93	1
   8	Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory	$99,940	$48.05	1
   9	U.S. Pharmacopeia	$96,824	$46.55	1
   10	BioMarin	$96,708	$46.49
   11	Medtronic	$95,391	$45.86
   12	Charles River Labs	$90,131	$43.33	8
   13	Glaxosmithkline	$88,633	$42.61
   14	Partners Healthcare Solutions Inc	$87,505	$42.07
   15	Brookhaven Science Associates LLC	$87,318	$41.98
   16	Flatiron Health	$87,199	$41.92	1
   17	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	$86,151	$41.42
   18	Kelly Services	$85,399	$41.06	6
   19	Wpp Us Holdings Inc	$85,385	$41.05
   20	Sulder & Hennessey	$83,208	$40.00

4. Writing a senior scientific associate job description

   A good senior scientific associate job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a senior scientific associate job description:

   Senior scientific associate job description example

   Provides technical support and operation assistance to the Microscopy group. Provides mechanical, electronic, controls, and software support for beamline operation. Assists scientific and engineering staff with installation and commissioning of new instruments, as well as the design and development of advanced instrumentation. Acts as the primary technical interface with other APS support and engineering groups. Provides repairs and maintenance as part of beamline development and operations as well as user experiments. In support of beamline operations, prepares fabrication and assembly procedures, prepares and monitors procurement of system components, and coordinates assembly and testing of components and systems.
   **Position Requirements**
   
   + Bachelor's Degree and 5+ years of experience, or Master's Degree and 3+ years of experience, or a Doctorate.
   
   + Experience in design, development, support and operation of complex and large-scale instrumentation in a scientific user environment.
   
   + Knowledge of equipment and techniques for maintenance and diagnostics relating to beamline operations, precision motion control, custom electronics, and computer systems.
   
   + Experience with CAD programs for basic measurement and design such as Solidworks.
   
   + Knowledge of interactions with scientific staff and research groups.
   
   + Knowledge of mechanical designs, vacuum technology, motion controls, and electronic components, as well as computer control systems.
   
   + Skills in troubleshooting, diagnostics, and independent judgments in technical problem-solving.
   
   + Knowledge of linux based operating systems, EPICS, ca QtDM, and python scripting is desirable.
   
   + Knowledge of complex motion control systems and laser interferometry used for encoded motion control is desirable.
   
   **Job Family**
   
   Research Development (RD)
   
   **Job Profile**
   
   Systems and Design Engineering 2
   
   **Worker Type**
   
   Regular
   
   **Time Type**
   
   Full time
   
   _As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. In support of this commitment, Argonne encourages minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities to apply for employment. Argonne considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law._
   
   _Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department._
   
   _All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment._
   
   _Please note that all Argonne employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. All successful applicants will be required to provide their COVID-19 vaccination verification as a condition of employment, subject to limited legally recognized exemptions to COVID-19 vaccination._

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find senior scientific associates 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 scientific associates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level senior scientific associates 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 scientific associate job on Zippia to find and recruit senior scientific associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior scientific associate 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 scientific associate

   Once you have selected a candidate for the senior scientific associate 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior scientific associate. 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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