Sr. R&D Engineer - Materials

What are we looking for in our Sr. R&D Engineer - Materials?

Russell Tobin is seeking a Sr. R&D Engineer in Rochelle, Illinois! This is a direct-hire opportunity working in the materials sector!

Compensation: $145,000-$150,00/year+ bonus

This position does require up to 20% travel/year.

The Sr. R&D Engineer is responsible for developing new product offerings for U.S. Industrial and Specialty Products Division. More specifically, the individual will apply their engineering background and experience working in an R&D environment to develop performance-enhancing materials from a range of raw materials including diatomaceous earth, perlite, clay, and industrial sand. This position will plan and conduct research projects in the lab, lead scale-up/pilot projects, generate intellectual property, and lead the progression of R&D projects through innovation pipeline.

• Conduct market-driven research to deliver new mineral product offerings. Lead the progression of product development from benchtop to pilot to full scale manufacturing.
• Serve as the technical lead for qualifying new products with select customers.
• Provide technical support to the company’s Operations, Sales, and Technical Service groups.
• Prepare presentations for the executive, commercial and engineering teams on research projects
• Prepare invention disclosures and support the patent filing process
• Prepare weekly reports to highlight progress on current projects
• Support and mentor less-experienced colleagues. Direct the work of technicians.
• Represent the company at major technical forums.

Qualifications:

• Experience in minerals characterization methods
• Hands-on experience manufacturing diatomaceous earth-based products
• Strong understanding of the relationship between the physical/chemical properties of inorganic materials and their impact on the final application
• Industrial mineral processing experience including thermal processing/calcination, milling, and classification
• Experience developing novel methods to qualify new product application performance
• Track-record of product development and commercialization
• Masters or Doctorate in Minerals Engineering, Material Science, Ceramic Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
• Strong working knowledge of industrial minerals processing and experience working in R&D groups
• High level of knowledge of powder processing technology
• Experience conducting trials in a laboratory, pilot plant, and production plant environment
• Demonstrated creativity and strong problem-solving expertise using innovative approaches
• Demonstrated product/process development working directly with customers
• Demonstrated product/process development experience from ideation to commercialization is highly desired.
• Strong cross-functional team experience (e.g. working with other scientists, operations, sales and marketing, etc.)
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Self-directed and able to work both independently and as a team member

Preferred Qualifications:

• The ideal candidate will possess either a Master’s Degree or Doctorate with a minimum of 9 years of relevant industrial experience in the mining and industrial minerals sector.

Rate/Salary: 150,000