How to hire a system test engineer lead

How to hire a system test engineer lead, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a system test engineer lead, 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

   Hiring the perfect system test engineer lead also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents system test engineer lead salaries for various positions.

   Type of System Test Engineer Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   System Test Engineer Lead		$33-56
   Quality Assurance Analyst	Quality Administrators are responsible for managing the quality processes of an organization. Their duties include creating data collection processes, conducting data cleansing, tracks quality milestones, and develop training programs for internal teams... Show more	$27-44
   Quality Assurance Lead	A quality assurance lead, also known as QA Lead, is responsible for conducting necessary quality tests and analyses for software program and development. As a quality assurance lead, they must take the lead in ensuring quality during development by proactively performing critical evaluations, troubleshooting, and providing precise documentation... Show more	$34-59

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • System Integration
   • System Test
   • Test Automation
   • Test Cases
   • RF
   • Management System
   • Regression
   • Test Equipment
   • DOD
   • Software Development
   • Java
   • Technical Direction
   • Test Execution
   • Architecture

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Conceive, design and develop a tool to automate regression testing for location base services for mobile apps.
   • Construct and manage a complete VMware environment for testing multiple Openstack instances of different configurations.
   • Perform and refine regression test, review problem reports, verify baseline fixes.
   • Implement automated test suites in Java to maximize code coverage and reduce cost overhead.
   • Administer the final stages of installation, testing, and debugging for the IBM s OpenDoc product line.
   • Review compliance map and provide feedback regarding applicable IEC, ISO standards for obtaining FDA and CE approval.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your system test engineer lead job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A system test engineer lead salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, system test engineers lead' average salary in alabama is 36% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level system test engineers lead earn 42% less than senior-level system test engineers lead.
   • Certifications. A system test engineer lead with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a system test engineer lead's salary.

   Average system test engineer lead salary

   $90,901yearly

   $43.70 hourly rate

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   Entry-level system test engineer lead salary

   $69,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

4. Writing a system test engineer lead job description

   A system test 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. Below, you can find an example of a system test engineer lead job description:

   System test engineer lead job description example

   Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) is looking for an Principal Systems Integration and Test (I&T) Lead Engineer. The candidate will provide engineering support to the overall system and will have experience working on large software systems with an emphasis on troubleshooting issues. They also must have integration and test expertise, and be capable of developing a strong rapport within the program and the customer community. They will lead system level integration, Checkout, and other Test activities after deployments. They will manage, direct, and clarify system-level I&T activities; attend technical interchange meetings with other program personnel and customer representatives, and support the organization in matters pertaining to I&T of the system. The candidate will lead the team in efforts to automate both regression/integration testing.
   
   Location: Aurora, CO Relocation assistance available provided final candidate meets eligibility requirements.
   
   Security Clearance: An Active and In-Scope TS/SCI U.S. Security ClearanceThis position is eligible for a sign on bonus of up to $15,000 for a candidate with an Active TS/SCI clearance that can be verified when hired at RI&S.
   
   Required Skills: • Experience leading engineering teams • Understanding of the System Engineering lifecycle and change management process • Experience with integration ground systems • Experience automating tests • Experience estimating I&T impacts, technical approach, and costs for customer requested engineering proposals • Experience in systems engineering functions including large scale system integration, large scale system test and verification • Demonstrated ability to effectively work with and communicate with all levels of customer, management, and individual contributors • Excellent written and oral communication skills, including presentation skills • Experience with Microsoft Office suite of tools
   
   Desired Skills: • Experience in Cucumber/Gherkin/Python • Familiar with Agile and Water Fall development • Domain experience preferred
   
   Education and Experience Requirements: 8 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree (Typically STEM focused - Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics); OR6 years of relevant experience with a Master's degree (Typically STEM focused - Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics)
   
   Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid Time Off, and Holidays. "In compliance with Colorado's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the salary range for this role is $89,000 to $189,000; however, Raytheon Technologies considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills."
   
   Employee Referral Award Eligibility: Only employees currently within RMD and RI&S have the potential to receive a Referral Award for submitting a referral to RMD and RI&S roles. ALL eligibility requirements must be met to receive the Referral Awarding.
   
   Raytheon Technologies is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.
   Raytheon Technologies is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right system test 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 system test engineers lead they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit system test 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.

   To find system test engineer lead 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

   To successfully recruit system test engineers lead, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up 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.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a system test engineer lead applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and 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 system test engineer lead

   Once you've selected the best system test engineer lead 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 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new system test 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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