Materials R&D Engineer: Deposition, Devices & Testing

The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 92,100 - 200,808; Full time

Job summary

The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University is seeking a Materials Research and Development Engineer to support EMDD in growth/deposition, device fabrication, and materials characterization for next‑generation semiconductor materials.

The role involves operating furnaces, maintaining vacuum systems, analyzing data, writing technical reports, and collaborating on proposals. On‑site in State College, PA with DoD ties; remote/hybrid work not guaranteed.

Qualifications

• Experience with vacuum systems and hardware.
• Experience with materials growth/deposition methods (CVD, PVD, crystal growth).
• Experience with materials characterization methods.
• Knowledge of laboratory safety practices.
• Ability to maintain organized, detailed notes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint).
• Ability to express ideas clearly to drive understanding.
• Willingness to work in a fast-paced team environment.
• Active security clearance at the Secret level or higher.

Responsibilities

• Research materials growth and deposition methods.
• Run furnaces and reactors and monitor growth/deposition processes.
• Configure furnaces/reactors and hardware for vacuum systems.
• Perform equipment maintenance and troubleshooting.
• Characterize materials and devices (e.g., microscopy, spectroscopy, XRD, electrical testing).
• Analyze characterization and testing data.
• Create project summaries and write technical reports.
• Plan project tasks and provide instructions to staff and students.
• Collaborate with engineers and faculty to write proposals, develop budgets, and prepare SOWs.
• Conduct independent and collaborative R&D to solve complex challenges for DoD and national security missions.
• Investigate and apply engineering principles and emerging technologies to develop solutions.
• Plan and lead analytical studies, modeling, experiments, and prototype demonstrations to validate concepts.
• Design and evaluate hardware, software, embedded systems, or sensors within technical domains.
• Apply systems engineering across project lifecycles, including requirements, architecture, verification, and risk management.
• Develop experimental plans, data collection methodologies, and performance metrics; analyze results to improve designs.

Skills

Vacuum systems/hardware

Materials growth/deposition methods

Materials characterization methods

Laboratory safety practices

Notes/documentation

Microsoft Office

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Security clearance (Secret level+)

Education

Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science

Tools

MPCVD equipment

Job description

The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University is seeking a Materials Research and Development Engineer to support EMDD in growth/deposition, device fabrication, and materials characterization for next‑generation semiconductor materials.

The role involves operating furnaces, maintaining vacuum systems, analyzing data, writing technical reports, and collaborating on proposals. On‑site in State College, PA with DoD ties; remote/hybrid work not guaranteed.