Senior Research and Development Engineer

About the role

The Sr. R&D Engineer reports to the Head of R&D and is responsible for developing advanced material solutions for protective and composite applications, leveraging expertise in material science and process engineering.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with customers and sales teams to capture customer feedback, identify unmet needs, and translate these insights into product requirements and specifications.
• Align with and implement Barrday’s technology roadmaps while adhering to the company’s procedures for new product design and development.
• Serve as an active participant or leader within cross-functional project teams, including operations, quality, and R&D, to develop thermoplastic tapes and fiber-reinforced prepreg systems.
• Apply expertise in polymeric and fiber materials, processing technologies, analytical techniques, and project management tools to innovate new product concepts, facilitate production scale-up, and oversee manufacturing transfer.
• Advance the development of next-generation BarrMax® UHMWPE tapes by evaluating new resin grades, optimizing processing methods, and establishing rigorous quality testing protocols.
• Oversee the BarrMax® R&D laboratory, including installation, maintenance and operation of the pilot line and relating the pilot line data and settings to the production equipment.
• Provide technical support to sales initiatives aimed at capturing short-term business opportunities through strategic integration of existing Barrday technologies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, polymers, or materials science required; advanced degree preferred.
• At least 5 years of industrial R&D or engineering experience.
• Experience with thermoplastic resin chemistry, especially high-performance types like UHMWPE preferred.
• Solid grasp of material structure–process–property relationships.
• Familiarity with analytical techniques such as DSC and tensiometry.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Working well in a team environment.

Qualifications

Knowledge and experience in material science, polymer chemistry, and process engineering are essential. Familiarity with polymeric materials, analytical techniques, and project management tools is also required.

Skills

• Technical writing and presentation skills.
• Project management and leadership skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision insurance with wellness incentives.
• 401(k) matching options.
• Free life insurance, disability insurance, and more.
• Tuition assistance.
• Paid holidays + paid vacation time.

Pay

Compensation is commensurate with experience.

Schedule

The position offers flexible scheduling to accommodate travel and work requirements.