How to hire a software engineering supervisor

How to hire a software engineering supervisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step software engineering supervisor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a software engineering supervisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new software engineering supervisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a software engineering supervisor, 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 software engineering supervisor 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 software engineering supervisor that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of software engineering supervisors.

   Type of Software Engineering Supervisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Software Engineering Supervisor	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	$44-74
   Software Consultant	A software consultant is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the technological content and system applications of an organization, ensuring its efficiency and optimal performance. Software consultants design software systems, following clients' specifications and business needs... Show more	$32-55
   Software Development Manager	A software development manager is a professional who manages teams of software developers that design and create software applications and web services for clients. Software development managers should delegate duties and establish development standards for the development team as well as create a budget and timeline for the project... Show more	$48-86

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Software Development
   • C++
   • Java
   • Linux
   • Architecture
   • Software Applications
   • Development Environment
   • Debugging
   • SQL Server
   • MVC
   • Technical Leadership
   • GIT
   • Development Life
   • Software Quality

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead team in development of a custom reservoir simulation data mining and visualization tool.
   • Provide support with debugging issues.
   • Execute test automation with PERL and shell scripting.
   • Work closely with product management, QA, and product support.
   • Review BMS software codes, propose how to rebuild new software architecture for BMS.3.
   • Work extensively with PHP developers in making changes to PHP scripts on all Linux servers.

   More software engineering supervisor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, software engineering supervisors' average salary in arkansas is 37% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level software engineering supervisors 40% less than senior-level software engineering supervisors.
   • Certifications. A software engineering supervisor 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 software engineering supervisor's salary.

   Average software engineering supervisor salary

   $120,581yearly

   $57.97 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level software engineering supervisor salary

   $93,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average software engineering supervisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$147,716	$71
   2	Washington	$142,757	$69
   3	Oklahoma	$125,298	$60
   4	New York	$123,761	$60
   5	Maryland	$120,824	$58
   6	Florida	$120,239	$58
   7	Utah	$113,575	$55
   8	Illinois	$113,129	$54
   9	Texas	$112,987	$54
   10	Georgia	$112,892	$54
   11	Michigan	$111,913	$54
   12	Iowa	$111,537	$54
   13	District of Columbia	$110,084	$53
   14	Minnesota	$109,690	$53
   15	Pennsylvania	$108,953	$52
   16	North Dakota	$105,557	$51
   17	Ohio	$104,849	$50
   18	Colorado	$103,847	$50
   19	Indiana	$100,003	$48
   20	South Dakota	$95,810	$46

   Average software engineering supervisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mattel	$145,530	$69.97
   2	Ford Motor	$143,757	$69.11	619
   3	BorgWarner	$143,339	$68.91	5
   4	Nexteer Automotive	$141,499	$68.03
   5	ServiceNow	$138,008	$66.35	92
   6	Cirrus Aircraft	$136,410	$65.58	5
   7	Allison Transmission	$132,421	$63.66	15
   8	Paycom	$131,574	$63.26	2
   9	TRW Automotive Holdings	$130,116	$62.56
   10	FCA US LLC	$130,010	$62.50	11
   11	Aetna	$129,884	$62.44
   12	Haas Automation	$129,750	$62.38
   13	Randstad North America, Inc.	$127,107	$61.11	15
   14	BD	$124,352	$59.78	5
   15	Honeywell	$124,295	$59.76	116
   16	Maryland Transportation Authority	$124,010	$59.62
   17	Mando America Corporation	$123,967	$59.60
   18	Cannon Technologies	$123,967	$59.60
   19	Guardian Life Insurance Company Of America - Central Ohio Agency	$123,635	$59.44	3
   20	HCSS	$123,083	$59.17

4. Writing a software engineering supervisor job description

   A software engineering supervisor 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 software engineering supervisor job description:

   Software engineering supervisor job description example

   BorgWarner DriveTrain Systems is currently looking for a “dynamic, results driven” individual to join as a Software Supervisor in our Application Engineering organization at our Propulsion Technical Center (PTC) in Auburn Hills, MI.
   
   In this role, the Software Supervisor will lead a team of software engineers in the development of embedded software for our drivetrain electronic systems (such as AWD systems) for production customer projects. This role combines technical leadership in embedded software engineering, coordination and prioritization of the team resources, and embedded software development.
   Key Accountabilities:
   Lead a team of embedded software engineers to achieve established business goals and objectives Plan, manage, and support embedded software development through the software product lifecyle, from quotation through start of production and maintenance.Coordinate and prioritize projects and activities within the team.Provide a first line of escalation for project or team issues.Ensure team resources, skills and knowledge are available to meet project needs.Be a technical leader in the field embedded software engineering.Ensure and support the development of the team's and individual's objectives and providing feedback against those objectives.Develop team's career growth and development needs, with training and job-assignment opportunities.Facilitate clear and open communication within the team.Drive knowledge of, and adherence to, the company's processes and procedures.Drive best practices and continuous improvement in process and tools.Ensure compliance to BW SW Development Process and ASPICE.
   
   Requirements:
   Bachelors Degree in Engineering required, Masters preferred8+ years of experience in embedded software required2+ years of experience in team or project leadership roles preferred Automotive Experience strongly preferred, drivetrain and all-wheel drive systems preferred Familiarity with automotive electrical systems (brush/brushless DC motors, solenoids, relays, electromagnetic coils, switches, indicators, etc.) preferred Strong working knowledge of C programming language for embedded systems Highly capable when working with Model-Based Development tools and autocode generation. Matlab Simulink/Stateflow preferred. dSPACE Targetlink preferred Excellent model and source code debugging skills Experience with verification and testing of embedded software Strong working knowledge of AUTOSAR. Preferred Vector MicroSARExperience developing software for Functional Safety (ISO 26262) compliant products preferred Experience developing software for Cybersecurity compliant products preferred Experience developing embedded software for MCAL, HWIO Abstraction, CDD, AUTOSAR BSW, device drivers, and application layer preferred Experience with Software Configuration, Release, and Change Management required Experience of working within an ASPICE based process environment (or similar) Knowledge of SW Project Management, AGILE methodology / SCRUM preferred Excellent oral and written communication skills Excellent organizational, time management and interpersonal skills.
   
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   #LI-Hybrid
   
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5. Post your job

   To find the right software engineering supervisor 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 software engineering supervisors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit software engineering supervisors 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.

   To find software engineering supervisor candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with software engineering supervisor 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview software engineering supervisor candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • 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 software engineering supervisor

   Once you've selected the best software engineering supervisor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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 software engineering supervisor. 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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