Marine Coatings Engineer

N4 Solutions, LLC; Greenbelt (MD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

N4 Solutions, LLC is seeking a Marine Coatings Engineer to join our team in the Washington, DC area. The role focuses on coating formulation, surface treatments, testing, and evaluation of protective coatings for Navy ships and maritime platforms.

The candidate will design experiments, analyze data, and collaborate with cross‑functional teams to advance coating technologies and field demonstrations. A strong background in marine coatings and DoD standards is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering or physical science field.
• Minimum 5 years of marine coatings, protective coatings, or related RDT&E experience.
• Hands-on experience with coating systems, resins, and surface treatments.
• Active Secret security clearance required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on marine coating systems and surface treatments for Navy platforms.
• Develop and evaluate coating systems for underwater hulls, topside surfaces, and Navy applications.
• Design and execute test plans to evaluate coating properties under seawater and Navy‑relevant conditions.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data to support engineering conclusions and recommendations.
• Prepare technical reports, specifications, and performance summaries.

Skills

Coating formulation

Surface preparation

Coating application

Coating inspection

Coating removal

Materials compatibility

Environmental exposure

Protective coating performance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Corrosion Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

N4 Solutions, LLC offers our public and private sector clients the collective intellectual knowledge, expertise, and experience of our company and associates to help our customers evaluate, collaborate, innovate, and create business, technology, and scientific solutions that enable them to accomplish their mission and achieve organizational objectives. With the growth of the company, we are seeking a highly motivated and hard‑working coatings engineering professional to join our team. The successful candidate will work in a high‑paced and rewarding work environment.

JOB DESCRIPTION/DUTIES:

The Marine Coatings Engineer will perform hands‑on scientific and engineering work supporting NRL marine coatings science and technology research. The position focuses on coating formulation, surface‑treatment development, laboratory and environmental testing, surface preparation, application and removal processes, thermal spray, coating inspection, data analysis, and field evaluation of protective coating systems for Navy and maritime platforms.

• Conduct fundamental and applied research on marine coating systems and surface treatments for Navy ships, submarines, marine structures, aircraft, and related warfighting platforms.
• Formulate, refine, and evaluate coating systems using resins, pigments, and other coating constituents for underwater hulls, topside surfaces, non‑skid areas, bilges, rudders, tanks, voids, and other Navy applications.
• Develop and evaluate multifunctional coatings, including surface‑tolerant, antifouling, rapid‑cure, solvent‑free, self‑inspecting, high‑durability, and low‑solar‑absorbance coating technologies.
• Develop and test surface treatments, including thermal spray and other surface‑modification or enhancement approaches, to improve corrosion resistance, durability, maintainability, and service life.
• Design and execute laboratory test plans and experimental procedures to evaluate coating physical properties and performance under natural seawater exposure, atmospheric conditions, environmental chambers, simulated flow environments, and other Navy‑relevant conditions.
• Evaluate coating performance under controlled variations in temperature, humidity, solar exposure, wear, durability, coefficient of friction, acoustic damping, and other application‑specific performance conditions identified by the test plan.
• Prepare test specimens, panels, substrates, and representative components for coating and surface‑treatment evaluation using defined surface‑preparation and application procedures.
• Develop, evaluate, and improve techniques, equipment, and processes for surface preparation, coating application, coating inspection, coating removal, and related maintenance activities.
• Investigate and test technologies that improve autonomy or automation in the application and removal of hull treatments, including process control, sensing, inspection, repeatability, and performance verification.
• Design and execute comparative studies of candidate coating systems and surface treatments to quantify degradation, durability, adhesion/performance trends, and environmental response over time.
• Collect, manage, analyze, and interpret experimental data to compare candidate technologies, identify degradation mechanisms and performance trends, and support technically defensible conclusions.
• Use analytical, statistical, modeling, and data‑visualization tools to evaluate coating performance and translate test data into engineering findings, plots, reports, and recommendations.
• Perform or support coating inspections, surface‑condition assessments, and post‑exposure examinations to document coating condition, defects, wear, degradation, and failure characteristics.
• Support development and evaluation of test fixtures, environmental exposure setups, simulated‑flow systems, application/removal equipment, and other experimental hardware needed for marine coatings RDT&E.
• Apply applicable Navy, DoD, and other technical standards, specifications, procedures, and acceptance criteria when preparing tests, evaluating coatings, and documenting results.
• Support waterfront, shipboard, shipyard, and field demonstrations of marine coatings, surface treatments, application/removal technologies, and related corrosion‑control solutions.
• Prepare test plans, laboratory procedures, data packages, technical reports, performance summaries, specifications, guidance documents, graphs, and presentations that document methods, results, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Maintain rigorous test documentation, sample traceability, configuration records, data integrity, quality records, and Objective Quality Evidence needed to support repeatability and technical defensibility of research results.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/EXPERTISE:

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Corrosion Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science, or a closely related engineering/physical‑science discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5+ years of relevant experience in marine coatings, protective coatings, surface treatments, materials science, corrosion control, or related RDT&E activities in laboratory, field, shipboard, or industrial environments.
• Strong working knowledge of coating formulation, surface preparation, coating application, coating inspection, coating removal, materials compatibility, environmental exposure, and protective coating performance.
• Hands‑on experience developing or evaluating coating systems, resins, pigments, surface treatments, thermal spray, or comparable protective‑material technologies is highly desirable.
• Experience developing and executing technically rigorous test plans, environmental exposure studies, comparative coating evaluations, and data‑analysis methods for complex engineering experiments.
• Experience evaluating coatings under natural seawater, atmospheric, controlled environmental, simulated‑flow, or other Navy‑relevant exposure conditions is highly desirable.
• Experience with coating application/removal equipment, inspection methods, surface‑preparation processes, automation or autonomous maintenance technologies, or related experimental systems is preferred.
• Ability to troubleshoot test setups, coating application processes, experimental hardware, inspection issues, and data anomalies during high‑tempo test execution.
• Ability to perform laboratory and fieldwork in waterfront, shipboard, shipyard, and other industrial environments as required.
• Excellent technical writing skills with the ability to prepare clear test plans, engineering analyses, technical reports, specifications, and recommendations based on experimental evidence.
• Active Secret security clearance required.

LOCATION:

• Washington, DC

The N4 Solutions Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy is to provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all employees and job applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability. N4 Solutions hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications and achievements for the job to be filled.