Materials Research and Development Engineer

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: 1. CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. 2. CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. 3. If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants. Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.For additional information on remote work at Penn State, seeNotice to Out of State Applicants. POSITION SPECIFICS We are searching for a motivated Materials Research and Development Engineer to jointhe Polymer Composite Manufacturing Departmentat the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. We specialize in developing innovative and affordable technology solutions than can be implemented and sustained by our customers. This role willsupport various research activities throughout the Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Engineering (AMME) Division including manufacturing, characterization, and design of polymers and fiber-reinforced polymer composites, elastomers, ceramic matrix composites, and/or multi-material structures. ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply. You will: 1. Support the research, design, development, and fabrication of advanced polymer and composite structures for defense and industrial applications 2. Perform and support fabrication, characterization, testing, and evaluation activities while ensuring technical quality and accuracy 3. Apply sound engineering judgment, critical thinking, and attention to detail to solve technical challenges and support project objectives 4. Contribute to white papers, technical proposals, project plans, customer meetings, and other business development initiatives 5. Lead and manage technical tasks, proposals, and research projects while serving as a Task Lead or Principal Investigator, as appropriate 6. Present technical findings, project updates, and recommendations to sponsors, customers, and other stakeholders 7. Develop and maintain test plans, procedures, bills of materials, technical reports, presentations, and other formal project documentation 8. Execute assigned work in accordance with written and verbal instructions while proactively identifying and communicating technical issues and risks 9. Provide regular project status updates and technical progress reports to Principal Investigators, project leadership, and engineering staff 10. Collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams to achieve project goals and technical milestones 11. Demonstrate initiative by seeking guidance, sharing knowledge, and engaging with supervisors and team members to ensure project success 12. Maintain a safe, organized, and compliant laboratory environment while adhering to established safety procedures and best practice Additional responsibilities for higher-level position includes: 1. Identify technical risks and develop mitigation strategies to improve program execution, system performance, reliability, maintainability, and mission effectiveness 2. Initiate and contribute to business development activities through technical concept development, customer engagement, proposal preparation, Independent Research and Development (IRAD) initiatives, and strategic technology planning 3. Mentor and provide technical leadership to junior engineers, engineering technologists, engineering support personnel, interns, and students 4. Maintain technical expertise through continued professional development, participation in technical working groups, awareness of emerging echnologies, and engagement with the defense research community Required Skills/Experience areas include: 1. Polymer structure-property relationships and the ability to produce new thermoset materials with specific properties 2. Thermoset elastomer development 3. Process development of prototype structures 4. Past success utilizing a wide range of materials characterization techniques including mechanical property testing, dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and chemical analysis 5. Understanding of relationships between composition, microstructure, processing, and material properties 6. Polymer processing and characterization methods 7. Testing and characterization methods for composite materials 8. Project engineering or management 9. Past success providing ideas in written form for clear comprehension 10. Successful collaborations in multi-disciplinary, team-oriented cultures Preferred Skills/Experience areas include: 1. Coatings, adhesives, and fiber-reinforced composites 2. Leading projects and working with customers/sponsors 3. Developing new proposals and projects 4. Past success working on defense projects 5. Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher and may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required Your working location will be fully on-site located in State College, PA. This role requires periodic travel to remote locations. MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS If filled as R&D Engineer - Materials (ARL) - Principal Professional, this position requires:Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science19+ years of relevant experienceRequired Certifications:NoneIf filled as R&D Engineer - Materials (ARL) - Advanced Professional, this position requires:Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science5+ years of relevant experienceRequired Certifications:NoneIf filled as R&D Engineer - Materials (ARL) - Senior Professional, this position requires:Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science14+ years of relevant experienceRequired Certifications:None ARL's purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intel Community (IC).FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our website at www.arl.psu.edu . BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.Notice regarding employme