How to hire a vice president of engineering

How to hire a vice president of engineering, step by step

Here's a step-by-step vice president of engineering hiring guide:

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

What does a vice president of engineering do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your vice president of engineering job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a vice president of engineering for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

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   A vice president of engineering's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, vice presidents of engineering 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 vice president of engineering salaries for various positions.

   Type of Vice President Of Engineering	Description	Hourly rate
   Vice President Of Engineering	Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.	$46-112
   Chief Technology Officer	The job of chief technology officers (CTOs) is to oversee the technological needs and research and development of an organization. The CTOs, who are like chief information officers, make decisions for a company's technology infrastructure that aligns with the organization's business goals... Show more	$50-136
   Director Of Software Development	A director of software development is primarily in charge of overseeing the workflow and the workforce involved in the entire software development process. Their responsibilities also include creating strategies for optimal performance, coordinating with different teams and departments to identify strengths and weaknesses, implementing training and workshop programs, and liaising with external agencies, including key clients... Show more	$52-109

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Architecture
   • Cloud
   • Infrastructure
   • Java
   • Python
   • AWS
   • Software Development
   • Project Management
   • R
   • UL
   • Product Development
   • Customer Service
   • SQL
   • DevOps

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the process engineering group as pertains to BOM entry, time studies, and product routings on the floor.
   • Submit products for agency certification, achieve UL certification.
   • Manage and coordinate all hardware/software engineering, installation, and service of HVAC temperature control system projects.
   • Direct verification of product with OEM products.
   • Provide applications support and leadership to global field applications engineer (FAE) team.
   • Provide technical training to FAE staff worldwide using training conferences organize twice per year.

   More vice president of engineering duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average vice president of engineering salary

   $150,651yearly

   $72.43 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level vice president of engineering salary

   $97,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

   Average vice president of engineering salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$201,315	$97
   2	Oregon	$189,776	$91
   3	Washington	$174,372	$84
   4	Arizona	$167,206	$80
   5	Utah	$150,631	$72
   6	Massachusetts	$150,259	$72
   7	New York	$143,219	$69
   8	Connecticut	$142,536	$69
   9	Pennsylvania	$134,001	$64
   10	Texas	$133,635	$64
   11	Maryland	$133,253	$64
   12	New Jersey	$130,766	$63
   13	District of Columbia	$125,425	$60
   14	Delaware	$124,020	$60
   15	Virginia	$119,839	$58
   16	Colorado	$116,705	$56
   17	Georgia	$108,296	$52
   18	Florida	$107,192	$52
   19	Ohio	$102,473	$49
   20	North Carolina	$100,963	$49

   Average vice president of engineering salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$223,917	$107.65	150
   2	PayPal	$216,605	$104.14	9
   3	Adobe	$213,452	$102.62	73
   4	Venable	$206,867	$99.46
   5	Credit Karma	$205,625	$98.86	1
   6	Gilt	$200,101	$96.20
   7	Point72	$197,217	$94.82	3
   8	The Walt Disney Company	$194,657	$93.59	37
   9	D.R. Horton	$193,839	$93.19	2
   10	Palo Alto Networks	$193,061	$92.82	27
   11	Zendesk	$192,744	$92.67	1
   12	Lionsgate	$190,836	$91.75
   13	Luxe	$190,333	$91.51	1
   14	Conviva	$187,675	$90.23
   15	Twilio	$186,575	$89.70	1
   16	Bank of the Ozarks	$186,226	$89.53	64
   17	Sophos	$185,445	$89.16
   18	Yahoo	$185,420	$89.14
   19	Crown Castle International	$184,616	$88.76
   20	Moody's	$184,249	$88.58	12

4. Writing a vice president of engineering job description

   A vice president of engineering 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 vice president of engineering job description:

   Vice president of engineering job description example

   We are currently seeking a Director of Engineering for our New York office. This is an incredible opportunity for a leader who will be responsible for managing and leading the growth of our transportation infrastructure practice. This role collaborates frequently with Office Executives and Department Management staff to provide oversight of the various transportation departments including Bridge/Structural, Civil, Construction Services, ITS & Traffic, and serve as part of a dynamic leadership team responsible for expanding Michael Baker International's practices currently servicing state, county and municipal clients.
   
   This position will facilitate the ongoing growth of MBI's transportation business in New York, by performing client outreach and providing direction on major transportation pursuits and industry expertise to our clients.
   
   Oversee staff and business growth creating and monitoring department budgets; financial management, client relations.
   
   Provide leadership and direction by mentoring and motivating staff with performance feedback, resolving issues and developing succession planning.
   
   Some evenings will be spent at professional society meetings; where you will work to develop and maintain relationships with key clients, teaming partners, and potential technical staff hires.
   
   Feel a sense of pride in knowing that you are helping to address some of our nation's most critical infrastructure challenges while building the future of our organization!
   PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Master's degree preferred. 20+ years of progressive transportation engineering related design experience. 10+ years of project and staff management experience for design/construction projects for the NYSDOT, NYCDOT and NYC agencies across a spectrum of transportation modes. Professional Engineering license in New York. Leverage existing client relationships/experience working at the leadership and executive level. Understanding of state capital funding and operating budgets, the funding process and how its allocated. Demonstrated strategic planning for long term business plans, including measure goals to achieve engagement, capture planning and leadership of strategic pursuits. Technical excellence with the development of major transportation proposals and pursuits. Strong written and verbal skills, with exceptional presentation leadership skills are required. Knowledge of financial aspects of the engineering business, demonstrated new work added and measured goals to achieve. Progressive demonstrated experience with design bid build; solid client engagement experience related to direct meetings, strategy projects and industry associations. Attract and recruit high end talent to the organization with the ability to retain, develop, and promote. Self-motivated with solid business experience and understanding of cross selling and multi model transportation including highway, bridges, aviation, rail, and transit. MS Office Suite
   COMPENSATION
   
   The salary range for this position is $200,000+. This will be dependent on the experience and expertise of the incoming candidate
   
   MICHAEL BAKER INTERNATIONAL EEO STATEMENT
   
   Michael Baker International is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Michael Baker International provides equal employment opportunity for all persons, in all facets of employment. Michael Baker International maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks. As a covered federal contractor, Michael Baker International is required to comply with Executive Order 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, and its implementing guidelines. If the federal vaccine mandate is found to be valid and enforceable, this will include ensuring that all covered employees are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, except in limited circumstances where there is a legal entitlement to an accommodation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply for any open position for which they feel they are qualified and all will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status or any other legally protected status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find vice presidents of engineering 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 vice presidents of engineering they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level vice presidents of engineering 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 vice president of engineering job on Zippia to find and recruit vice president of engineering candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with vice president of engineering 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 vice president of engineering

   Once you've decided on a perfect vice president of engineering candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 vice president of engineering. 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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