Aerospace R&D Coatings Engineer

PPG Industries, Inc; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Disability/Leave

Family Leave

Job summary

PPG Industries, Inc. seeks an Research and Development Engineer to drive advanced coating technologies for aerospace transparencies and armor. You will lead materials development, collaborate across disciplines, and translate research concepts into scalable manufacturing solutions.

You will engage with customers and government partners, manage technical communications, and strive for safety, quality, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced lab environment at the Huntsville site.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master’s with relevant industry/research experience.
• Knowledge in thin film coatings of conductive materials.
• Experience with materials characterization tools and lab safety.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of new materials, processes, and coating technologies for aerospace transparencies and armor.
• Collaborate with Science & Technology, Engineering, and Manufacturing teams; translate concepts to production-ready tech.
• Support customers, government agencies, and partners; contribute to safety and quality improvements.
• Prepare procedures, reports, and data records; maintain lab notebooks and test records.
• Perform quality control testing per ASTM and company specs.

Skills

Thin film coatings

Materials characterization

Laboratory skills

Python

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Ph.D. in Physics, Materials Science, Engineering, or related field

Master's degree in Physics, Materials Science, or Engineering with 1+ years of experience

Tools

SEM

FTIR

Spectrophotometer

Profilometer

Vacuum coatings

PLC

Job description

PPG Industries, Inc. seeks an Research and Development Engineer to drive advanced coating technologies for aerospace transparencies and armor. You will lead materials development, collaborate across disciplines, and translate research concepts into scalable manufacturing solutions.

You will engage with customers and government partners, manage technical communications, and strive for safety, quality, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced lab environment at the Huntsville site.