Research And Development Engineer

Belcan; Carson City (NV); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Tuition assistance

Retirement plan

Job summary

Belcan is seeking an experienced R&D Engineer III for a direct-hire opportunity to lead front-end research and product development in adhesive bonding, coatings, and advanced materials. You will turn difficult technical problems into validated solutions, from concept through testing and qualification, with hands-on prototyping and test execution.

The role emphasizes ownership, collaboration across disciplines, and delivering measurable results for aerospace, defense, and high-reliability

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, materials science, chemistry, or related field.
• 5+ years in applied R&D, product development, or materials development.
• Ownership of a new product or technology from concept to validated result.
• Hands-on experience with adhesives, coatings, polymers, composites, or advanced materials.
• Ability to write clear requirements and reports.

Responsibilities

• Lead applied R&D projects on aerospace fasteners, adhesive bonding, coatings, and advanced materials.
• Translate customer needs into product requirements and project plans.
• Research materials and emerging technologies for feasibility.
• Design and prototype new concepts and test articles.
• Develop test plans, collect data, and perform statistical analysis.
• Analyze results, investigate failures, and drive design improvements.
• Create technical documentation and qualification support.
• Support validation activities for aerospace/high-reliability use cases.
• Manage multiple R&D projects with priorities and milestones.
• Collaborate across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, suppliers, and labs.
• Present findings to technical and nontechnical audiences.

Skills

Adhesives

Coatings

Polymers

Composites

Surface preparation

Joining methods

Advanced materials

Test planning

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelors degree in engineering or related field

Tools

CAD

FEA

Simulation software

PLM

Job description

Job Description:

Belcan is seeking an experienced R&D Engineer III for a direct-hire opportunity with a leading designer and manufacturer of adhesive-bonded fastening and assembly solutions used across aerospace, defense, space, marine, and other high-performance industries.

This is an opportunity to do genuine front-end research and product development-not simply support an established manufacturing process. You will turn difficult technical problems into new products, material systems, joining technologies, test methods, and validated solutions. Your work may involve structural adhesives, engineered coatings, polymers, composites, thermoplastics, surface preparation, bonded fasteners, laser-based processes, and automated assembly technologies.

The ideal candidate is naturally curious, comfortable working hands-on, and able to move from an early idea through research, experimentation, prototyping, testing, analysis, iteration, and qualification. If you enjoy building something that has not existed before-and can explain how your technical decisions produced a successful result-this role offers meaningful ownership and variety.

What You"ll Do

• Lead applied research and development projects involving aerospace fasteners, adhesive bonding, coatings, advanced materials, surface preparation, joining methods, and automated assembly solutions.
• Translate customer needs and open-ended technical challenges into product requirements, hypotheses, project plans, risks, and measurable success criteria.
• Research materials, specifications, technical literature, industry standards, and emerging technologies to assess feasibility and select promising approaches.
• Design and build prototypes, material systems, test articles, proof-of-concept hardware, and new product or process concepts.
• Develop and execute test plans, including variables, controls, sample strategies, acceptance criteria, data collection, and statistical analysis.
• Analyze mechanical, material, durability, environmental, and application-test results; investigate failures and use the findings to improve the design.
• Develop product requirements, specifications, test procedures, technical reports, and other documentation that preserves engineering knowledge.
• Support validation and qualification activities for aerospace and other high-reliability applications.
• Manage multiple R&D projects while tracking priorities, milestones, technical risks, decisions, and results.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Configuration Management, suppliers, customers, and outside laboratories.
• Present findings and recommendations clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor"s degree in engineering, materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• Approximately five or more years of experience in applied R&D, research engineering, product development, materials development, or advanced technology development.
• Demonstrated ownership of at least one new product, material, coating, adhesive system, joining method, test method, or technology from early concept through testing and a validated result.
• Hands-on experience with one or more relevant areas: adhesives, coatings, polymers, composites, thermoplastics, surface preparation or treatment, bonding, joining, fastening systems, or advanced materials.
• Experience developing test plans, analyzing data, investigating failures, and making evidence-based design or material changes.
• Ability to write clear requirements, procedures, test reports, specifications, and technical recommendations.
• Ability to manage several technical projects and work independently with limited supervision.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and technical presentation skills.
• U.S. citizenship required. No active security clearance is required.
• Ability to work fully onsite in Carson City, Nevada.

Preferred Experience

• Aerospace, defense, space, UAV/AAM, marine, automotive advanced materials, or another regulated/high-reliability product environment.
• Coatings synthesis, characterization, and application testing.
• Structural adhesives, bonded fasteners, composite structures, polymers, thermoplastics, corrosion prevention, or surface science.
• Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical analysis, Minitab, JMP, or comparable data-analysis tools.
• Material characterization, mechanical testing, environmental testing, failure analysis, microscopy, or nondestructive testing.
• Experience moving technology from feasibility through validation, qualification, customer approval, patent/IP, or production readiness.
• CAD, FEA, simulation, PLM, or engineering-documentation systems.

What Makes This Opportunity Different

• Own meaningful technical work from the earliest research stage through a usable solution.
• Work across materials, mechanical design, testing, automation, and product development rather than being limited to one narrow task.
• Contribute to technologies used on demanding aerospace, defense, space, and marine platforms.
• Join a collaborative culture that values curiosity, thoughtful experimentation, technical responsibility, and learning from unsuccessful trials.
• Access a competitive direct-hire compensation range and comprehensive employee benefits, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, tuition-assistance, disability, and professional-development programs.

Belcan is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.