Aerospace R&D Research Engineer – Coatings & Thin Films

PPG Industries; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Paid vacation

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

PPG Aerospace sits in Huntsville, AL and seeks an R&D Engineer to lead development of advanced research programs, applying inorganic coating technologies, and translating concepts into production-ready tech. You’ll collaborate across Science & Technology, Engineering, and Manufacturing teams, driving growth and delivering new aerospace solutions.

Responsibilities include process development, materials analysis, writing procedures, ensuring safety and quality, and supporting customers and

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Physics, Materials Science, Engineering or related field preferred.
• Master’s degree plus 1+ year relevant experience required.
• Experience with thin film coatings and vacuum coating processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of new materials and coating processes for transparency manufacturing.
• Translate research concepts into production-ready technologies.
• Collaborate with customers, government agencies, and partners.
• Perform quality control testing and data analysis per procedures.
• Maintain lab equipment and safety practices (EH&S).
• Prepare procedures and reports, input data into databases.

Skills

Thin film coatings

Vacuum coatings

Python

6S process

Safety in lab

Data interpretation

Education

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

Master’s degree in Physics, Materials Science, or Engineering

Tools

SEM

FTIR

Spectrophotometer

Profilometer

PLC

SharePoint

Office Suite

Job description

PPG Aerospace sits in Huntsville, AL and seeks an R&D Engineer to lead development of advanced research programs, applying inorganic coating technologies, and translating concepts into production-ready tech. You’ll collaborate across Science & Technology, Engineering, and Manufacturing teams, driving growth and delivering new aerospace solutions.

Responsibilities include process development, materials analysis, writing procedures, ensuring safety and quality, and supporting customers and