How to hire a senior software engineer lead

How to hire a senior software engineer lead, step by step

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

What does a senior software engineer lead do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior software engineer lead you need to hire. Certain senior software engineer lead roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior software engineer lead's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior software engineers lead 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 presents senior software engineer lead salaries for various positions.

   Type of Senior Software Engineer Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Software Engineer Lead	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$46-83
   Software Architect	A Software Architect develops new programs for a variety of technological devices for businesses, computer games, mobile networks, and/or operating systems. They ensure architectural integrity and consistency across the entire product and work closely with executives to explain the benefits of the software.	$39-75
   Lead Engineer	A lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly... Show more	$28-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Architecture
   • Software Development
   • Python
   • API
   • Database
   • Scrum
   • Web Services
   • Object Oriented Programming
   • Web Application
   • Spring Boot
   • Jenkins
   • Code Reviews
   • Linux

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a team of developers responsible for development, testing debugging, and maintenance of the PBUSE software application.
   • Lead all aspects of application development, including requirements gathering, application and database design and implementation, and user-interface design.
   • Convert Html pages to portlets.
   • Port driver on different platforms and Linux kernels.
   • Used SVN, JIRA for configuration management and problem reporting
   • Participate in daily scrum meetings and design discussions with team members.

   More senior software engineer lead duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average senior software engineer lead salary

   $129,060yearly

   $62.05 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior software engineer lead salary

   $96,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average senior software engineer lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$159,475	$77
   2	California	$157,002	$75
   3	Oregon	$132,789	$64
   4	Connecticut	$121,180	$58
   5	Massachusetts	$117,296	$56
   6	District of Columbia	$116,598	$56
   7	Arizona	$115,566	$56
   8	New York	$112,767	$54
   9	Maryland	$112,761	$54
   10	Texas	$112,355	$54
   11	Virginia	$109,706	$53
   12	Georgia	$104,909	$50
   13	Wisconsin	$104,539	$50
   14	Missouri	$103,728	$50
   15	New Jersey	$103,616	$50
   16	South Carolina	$102,862	$49
   17	Colorado	$102,651	$49
   18	North Carolina	$102,068	$49
   19	Illinois	$100,857	$48
   20	Ohio	$100,326	$48

   Average senior software engineer lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PitchBook Data	$175,096	$84.18	7
   2	Microsoft	$166,082	$79.85	831
   3	Vista Equity Partners	$160,235	$77.04	5
   4	Adobe	$155,586	$74.80	119
   5	Upwork	$152,253	$73.20	2
   6	RingCentral	$152,251	$73.20	1
   7	Citi	$149,854	$72.05	16
   8	Kidaptive	$149,794	$72.02
   9	Santander Private Banking International	$149,112	$71.69	5
   10	Amazon	$147,994	$71.15	1,079
   11	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$146,053	$70.22	1,205
   12	Glassdoor	$145,907	$70.15
   13	Arista Networks	$145,789	$70.09	18
   14	Sittercity	$145,596	$70.00
   15	Lifesize	$145,487	$69.95
   16	Navistar	$145,183	$69.80
   17	Univision Communications	$144,546	$69.49	2
   18	CyberCoders	$142,614	$68.56
   19	Santander Bank	$141,604	$68.08	1
   20	Telecom	$140,913	$67.75

4. Writing a senior software engineer lead job description

   A senior software engineer lead 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 software engineer lead job description:

   Senior software engineer lead job description example

   As a member of our Software Engineering team, we look first and foremost for people who are passionate around solving business problems through innovation and engineering practices while championing for best practices and standards. We embrace a culture of experimentation and constantly strive for improvement and learning. You'll work in a collaborative, trusting, thought-provoking environment-one that encourages diversity of thought and creative solutions that are in the best interests of our customers globally. You will work with cross-functional teams on software engineering projects understanding requirements, providing technical leadership, architecting and developing software solutions to deliver business value, while adhering to best practices and coding standards.
   Qualifications, Technical Skills, Business Knowledge
   Bachelor's degree or the equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering 10+ years of experience in designing large scale, highly-available software systems 8+ software development experience in modern programming languages (Java, Python, React, JavaScript) Deep understanding and hands-on experience with the microservices architecture and development Experience in Messaging System - Kafka, JMS/ MQ Experience in creating and consuming REST APIs, JSON Deep understanding and experience with Private/Public cloud (AWS) Good knowledge of relational databases(Oracle) as well as No-SQL databases Working experience with CI/CD environments and their associated toolchain (e.g., BitBucket, Git,Jenkins, JMeter, Cucumber, etc) Experience with API development frameworks like APIGEE Experience with Kubernetes is preferred Follow and promote Agile development practices Experience in developing solutions with 3rd-party solutions, both internally and externally hosted applications. Technical depth and ability to rapidly understand and communicate the impact of solutions and technology Experience collaborating with Product teams to understand requirements, value, and priortization Excellent verbal and written communication skills Ability to work independently as a self-starter, and within a team environment. Comfortable in a fast dynamic environment with an ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Perform code reviews for the teams and test newer technologies, engineering practices by developing POCs Mentor junior developers in coding standards and best practices Excellent work ethics Experience working with Mainframes and COBOL will be a plus.
   
   JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the oldest financial institutions, offers innovative financial solutions to millions of consumers, small businesses and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Our history spans over 200 years and today we are a leader in investment banking, consumer and small business banking, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management.
   
   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 the right senior software engineer lead for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior software engineers lead they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior software engineers lead who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior software engineer lead job on Zippia to find and recruit senior software engineer lead candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior software engineer lead 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.

   If your interviews with senior software engineer lead applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 software engineer lead

   Once you have selected a candidate for the senior software engineer lead 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior software engineer lead. 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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