Research and Development Engineer 2

Responsibilities: The Research and Development Engineer provides technical leadership for the development and commercialization of innovative, sustainable products by leading multiple research and development initiatives from concept through production. Drives material, process, and tooling innovation while partnering across engineering, manufacturing, operations, and quality to deliver scalable, high-performance solutions. Influences technical direction through data-driven decision making, balances strategic planning with hands-on execution, and exercises significant autonomy in advancing projects that improve product performance, manufacturing capability, operational efficiency, and business growth. You Will Have the Opportunity to Make Great Things Happen!

Innovation & Product Development: Lead multiple material, product, and process development projects from concept through commercialization to deliver innovative, manufacturable solutions. Develop and optimize product designs, materials, tooling, and manufacturing processes that achieve performance, quality, cost, and sustainability objectives. Evaluate emerging materials and technologies to identify opportunities that strengthen product performance and competitive advantage.

Technical Leadership: Design and execute structured laboratory and manufacturing experiments that validate product concepts and process improvements. Apply statistical analysis and Design of Experiments (DOE) methodologies to interpret results, solve complex technical challenges, and guide business decisions. Present technical findings, recommendations, and project updates to cross-functional teams and leadership to support informed decision making.

Manufacturing Partnership: Partner with manufacturing, operations, and quality teams to successfully scale new products and processes into commercial production. Lead process trials and production validations to ensure successful implementation, repeatability, and manufacturability. Drive continuous improvements that enhance operational efficiency, product consistency, process capability, and workplace safety.

Documentation & Knowledge Management: Develop and maintain technical documentation supporting product development, tooling modifications, process parameters, and experimental results to ensure knowledge retention and repeatable outcomes. Establish technical standards and best practices that improve research efficiency and accelerate future innovation efforts.

Education/Experience: RequiredBachelor's degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience to successfully perform the essential functions of the position.2-4 years of experience in manufacturing, product development, or applied research and development.

Preferred: Bachelor's degree preferred. Open to 25% travel.6-8+ years of applicable engineering experience. Project management certification (PMP, CAPM, or equivalent) with experience leading operational, engineering, or manufacturing projects preferred.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Knowledge of polymer materials, processing principles, tooling design, and manufacturing processes. Ability to lead multiple technical projects from concept through commercialization. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex technical data and make sound engineering decisions. Ability to design, execute, and evaluate structured experiments using statistical methodologies. Effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present technical information to diverse audiences. Demonstrated collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement, and project leadership capabilities. Ability to build effective partnerships across research, engineering, manufacturing, quality, and operations functions.

Competencies: Action Oriented – Pursues challenging opportunities with urgency and consistently delivers results through execution. Drives Results – Achieves objectives by maintaining accountability, overcoming obstacles, and focusing on business outcomes. Collaborates – Builds productive partnerships across functions to solve complex technical challenges and achieve shared goals. Decision Quality – Makes timely, data-driven decisions by applying sound engineering judgment and analytical thinking. Optimizes Work Processes – Continuously improves methods, processes, and workflows to increase efficiency, quality, and consistency. Manages Complexity – Effectively navigates technical uncertainty and balances multiple priorities while delivering innovative solutions. RCP affords equal employment opportunities to applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, disability status, sex, marital status, protected veteran status, pregnancy, national origin, genetics, genetic information, parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.