How to hire a senior validation specialist

How to hire a senior validation specialist, step by step

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

Post a senior validation specialist job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior validation specialist you need to hire. Certain senior validation specialist 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 validation specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior validation specialists 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of senior validation specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Validation Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Validation Specialist		$34-60
   Validation Engineer	A validation engineer is a professional responsible for managing, inspecting, testing, and modifying the instrumentation, equipment, mechanics, and procedures for the production of high-quality products. The professional's tasks include analyzing test results, preparing compliance reports, and keeping updated with industry standards and regulations... Show more	$29-51
   System Validation Engineer	The pioneering person to manage, inspect, calibrate, test, and modify an operating system is referred to as a System Validation Engineer. Such a person does ensure all systems are running smoothly.	$33-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GMP
   • FDA
   • QC
   • Laboratory Equipment
   • QA
   • Validation Studies
   • HVAC
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Process Validation
   • WFI
   • Cleaning Validation
   • Delta
   • Microbiology
   • IQ/OQ/PQ

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work with end users from different departments, possess strong analytical and risk assessment skills and managing multiple GLP system projects.
   • Perform internal GMP audits for QC lab functions including reagents, solutions and standards
   • Define requirements for site CSV trainings.
   • Develop and write IQ/OQ/PQ protocols and validation plans.
   • Conduct IQ/OQ/PQ protocols for manufacturing, packaging and utility systems.
   • Provide validation packages for the orchestration of GMP facilities, equipment, process & product entering commercialization.

   More senior validation specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average senior validation specialist salary

   $94,914yearly

   $45.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior validation specialist salary

   $71,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average senior validation specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$115,021	$55
   2	Arizona	$101,814	$49
   3	New Jersey	$101,112	$49
   4	Texas	$99,704	$48
   5	Massachusetts	$97,754	$47
   6	Maryland	$91,188	$44
   7	Washington	$90,611	$44
   8	Rhode Island	$87,969	$42
   9	Pennsylvania	$84,677	$41
   10	Virginia	$83,628	$40
   11	Delaware	$82,709	$40
   12	Florida	$82,072	$39
   13	North Carolina	$80,592	$39
   14	New York	$78,040	$38
   15	South Carolina	$75,633	$36
   16	Missouri	$73,357	$35
   17	Michigan	$72,764	$35
   18	Puerto Rico	$58,741	$28

   Average senior validation specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$105,566	$50.75	3
   2	BNY Mellon	$105,480	$50.71
   3	Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group	$101,540	$48.82
   4	Nitto Avecia	$97,110	$46.69
   5	SBP Holdings	$96,177	$46.24
   6	CAMRIS International, Inc.	$94,742	$45.55
   7	Bank of America	$94,389	$45.38
   8	Cook Children's Medical Center	$94,241	$45.31
   9	AAIPharma Services Corp	$94,213	$45.29
   10	Cambrex	$93,247	$44.83
   11	DFS Corporate Services LLC	$92,924	$44.67
   12	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	$92,458	$44.45	4
   13	Merck	$91,314	$43.90	1
   14	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$89,616	$43.08
   15	Nostrum Laboratories	$89,467	$43.01
   16	Mentor	$89,096	$42.83	3
   17	Ishpi Information Technologies, Inc. (dba Ishpi)	$88,581	$42.59	3
   18	Jacobs Engineering Group	$86,595	$41.63
   19	Hyde Engineering + Consulting	$85,567	$41.14	1
   20	Fits Inc	$84,191	$40.48

4. Writing a senior validation specialist job description

   A good senior validation specialist 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 validation specialist job description:

   Senior validation specialist job description example

   With us, you ll do meaningful work from Day 1. Our collaborative culture is built on three core behaviors: We Play to Win, We Get Better Every Day & We Succeed Together. And we mean it we want you to grow and make a difference at one of the world's leading digital banking and payments companies. We value what makes you unique so that you have an opportunity to shine.

   Come build your future, while being the reason millions of people find a brighter financial future with Discover.

   Job Description What You'll Do

   Responsible for conducting validation activities such as financial models, acquisition and portfolio management scorecards, anti-money laundering models, and anti-fraud tools. Provides recommendations for model enhancements.

   How You ll Do It

   • Performs independent validations on statistical, financial and machine learning, models across different business areas models from areas of finance, treasury, acquisitions, marketing, fraud, loss forecast, PPNR forecast, risk and collections in different lines of businesses like credit cards, network, payments, loans and banking.

   • Write and present model validation reports and provide value-added recommendations to model owners and developers.

   • Query data from multiple sources and platforms (SAS, Teradata, Essbase, Excel, and others) to find the right information to help address problems.

   • Interpret model-validation test results and establish required action plans with model owners and developers.

   • Maintain and enhance the enterprise-wide model inventory.

   • Maintain working papers and records of model validation results.

   • Reads model documentation, research modeling methodology and framework, and dig deeply into data, asks the right question to learn about the modeling process and techniques, identifies model limitations and recommend future action.

   • Build benchmark models when necessary, using the best-practice approach in the appropriate areas.

   Qualifications You ll Need

   The Basics

   • Master's degree in Statistics, Economics, Engineering, Business, or other quantitative field

   • 2+ years of experience in model development and/or validation in a financial services industry, or related field

   Bonus Points If You Have

   • 4+ years of experience in model development and/or validation (especially for CCAR or CECL purposes) in a financial services industry, or related field

   • FRM or PRM certification

   #LI-CR1

   What are you waiting for? Apply today!

   The same way we treat our employees is how we treat all applicants with respect. Discover Financial Services is an equal opportunity employer (EEO is the law). We thrive on diversity & inclusion. You will be treated fairly throughout our recruiting process and without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status in consideration for a career at Discover.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior validation specialists 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 validation specialist

   Once you've found the senior validation specialist 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a senior validation specialist?