How to hire natural sciences managers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Confer with scientists, engineers, regulators, or others to plan or review projects or to provide technical assistance. • Design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing. • Determine scientific or technical goals within broad outlines provided by top management and make detailed plans to accomplish these goals. • Develop client relationships and communicate with clients to explain proposals, present research findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status. • Hire, supervise, or evaluate engineers, technicians, researchers, or other staff. • Plan or direct research, development, or production activities. • Prepare project proposals. • Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong science, active listening, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension and speaking skills • Working knowledge of engineering and technology, customer and personal service, mathematics and biology • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $80.39 an hour ($167,220 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for natural sciences managers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with scientists, engineers, regulators, or others to plan or review projects or to provide technical assistance. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to determine scientific or technical goals within broad outlines provided by top management and make detailed plans to accomplish these goals. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to develop client relationships and communicate with clients to explain proposals, present research findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you used scientific or technical knowledge to solve a work problem.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What natural sciences managers do
- Confer with scientists, engineers, regulators, or others to plan or review projects or to provide technical assistance.
- Design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing.
- Determine scientific or technical goals within broad outlines provided by top management and make detailed plans to accomplish these goals.
- Develop client relationships and communicate with clients to explain proposals, present research findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status.
- Hire, supervise, or evaluate engineers, technicians, researchers, or other staff.
- Plan or direct research, development, or production activities.
- Prepare project proposals.
- Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for natural sciences managers
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Experience usually needed to start: 5 years or more (BLS)
- Job outlook: +8.2% over ten years, much faster than average · about 9,200 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay natural sciences managers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $267,290 |
| Connecticut | $210,670 |
| California | $210,230 |
| New Jersey | $207,030 |
| Washington | $182,480 |
| Iowa | $109,760 |
| Indiana | $108,250 |
| Hawaii | $107,810 |
See natural sciences managers pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.