Materials Engineer

Blachford Acoustics Group; West Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm located in West Chicago seeks a Materials Engineer to support research and product development by testing and validating material solutions. Responsibilities include engaging with suppliers, conducting material evaluations, and addressing supply issues. The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor’s degree in material science or engineering and have strong project management skills. The role requires hands-on experience with materials and the ability to manage multiple projects effectively. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (BS) in relevant fields with formal training in material testing required.
• Minimum of one year's work experience in a relevant field.
• Hands-on experience with material testing and analyzing experimental data.

Responsibilities

• Engage with suppliers to identify new materials or technologies.
• Conduct material testing and collaborate on product development.
• Provide support for customer complaints and product issues.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously and drive them to completion.

Skills

Material testing

Project management

Data analysis

Strong computer skills

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in material science/engineering

Tools

3DCAD

Automation/machine programming

Job description

The Materials Engineer works within the Acoustics Laboratory group at our West Chicago location. This role supports research and new product development activities by identifying, testing and validating material solutions for our customers’ applications and working with our engineering/operations teams to manufacture at scale. The Materials Engineer will advise teams across our acoustic business units regarding materials and process technologies needed to deliver a competitive advantage and deliver innovative solutions for our customers. The ideal candidate will be hands‑on with a practical understanding of materials, material science & engineering. They will also have a creative, innovative and inherently curious, growth mindset along with a demonstrated ability to deliver results quickly and efficiently.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Engage with external suppliers and identify new materials and/or process technologies to develop new product development and support existing products/applications.
• Conduct material testing, application/production evaluation studies to support new product development collaborating with staff in the Acoustics Laboratory, Sales, Engineering, Production and Purchasing departments.
• Provide support to address raw material supply issues and validate materials from alternate suppliers.
• Perform cost-benefit analysis for current/alternate materials and process technology.
• Compile data from multiple sources, identify new material trends that provide competitive advantage.
• Provide support to address customer complaints, analyze product issues, conduct root cause analysis, propose and implement solutions.
• Preparation of technical data sheets to support new and current products, technical reports and presentations for internal and external customers.
• Communicate technical knowledge/experimental findings in written and verbal formats to peers, management, and customers in a concise and clear manner.
• Develop new methods or implement existing standard test methods to determine/validate performance properties for customer applications.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, create/maintain project timelines, elevate roadblocks, and drive projects to completion.
• Fulfill duties required by the Blachford Quality Management System (ISO/TS 16949, ISO 9001;2000) and Environmental Management System (ISO 14001) and Lab Management System ISO 17025).
• Travel may be required to visit suppliers, customers, trade shows, conferences and Blachford manufacturing facilities.
• Perform other miscellaneous duties as required or requested.

Qualifications Required:

• Bachelor’s degree (BS) in material science/engineering, mechanical/chemical/industrial engineering or related fields, with coursework and formal training in material testing and evaluation.
• Minimum of one (1) year's work experience in engineering, research/product development or related field.
• Hands‑on experience testing, assessing materials and analyzing experimental data (e.g. tensile/adhesion, thermal/flammability, developing prototypes, troubleshooting and implementing solutions, coordinating and conducting material testing/evaluation activities, conducting production trials, scale up activities resulting in effective solutions is a plus)
• Strong computer skills, with ability to learn new software and hardware systems.
• Strong project management, organizational skills track record of successful multitasking.
• Automotive or off-highway transportation manufacturing experience is a plus.
• Composite, lamination and materials manufacturing experience is a plus.
• Practical experience processing materials using die/waterjet or other cutting techniques is a plus.
• 3DCAD, automation/machine programming (e.g. waterjet) experience is a plus.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

If this sounds like the perfect role for you, apply today and be part of a team driving innovation and technical excellence!