Research & Development Engineer

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction; Canton (OH); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan

Generous PTO

Work-life balance

Career development

Job summary

Kubota Water and Environment USA seeks an on-site Research & Development Engineer in Canton, OH to advance wastewater and water treatment technologies. The role involves evaluating pilot-scale and full-scale studies, designing experiments, and collaborating with the R&D team across locations.

The candidate should hold a technical engineering degree, have research experience in water treatment, and be willing to travel up to 50% for pilot studies and conferences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Research experience related to wastewater and/or water treatment.
• Knowledge and experience with wastewater/water sample collection and analysis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Ability to travel up to 50% as required for pilot studies, conferences, and treatment plant visits.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Observing and evaluating pilot-scale wastewater and water treatment plant operation and testing according to the company’s experimental plan.
• Collaboration with Kubota Japan Research Department including presentation of data and reports.
• Experimental planning and design, wastewater treatment process design and modeling, data analysis and interpretation.
• Project management: budgeting, capital planning, scheduling, and pilot system design.
• Technical writing: internal reports, papers, conference presentations, white papers, and articles.
• Travel to conferences to present research and represent Kubota in the market.

Skills

Travel up to 50%

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field

Tools

BioWin or similar modeling software

Job description

Salary: $65,000.00 - $90,000.00 Annually

Application Deadline: Sep 1, 2026

Environmental Engineering

Research & Development Engineer

• Company:Kubota Water and Environment USA
• Location:Canton, Ohio
• Job Type:Full-Time, Exempt;On-Site
• Reports To:R&D General Manager
• Industry:Water, Wastewater, and Environmental Services
• Status:Open until Filled

Job Summary

We are seeking aResearch and Development (R&D)Engineertosupport the strategic direction of the company’swastewaterandwatertreatmenttechnologies portfoliofor successfuldevelopmentalimprovementsand deployment into the market.TheR&DEngineerwillreporttothe GeneralManager of R&D.

The primary function of this position isevaluating the performance oflab, pilot,and full-scalewastewater and water treatmentstudiesin municipal and industrialenvironments.This will include industry standardexperiments andanalyses as well as original experimental design.Onsitework withmembrane bioreactor (MBR)pilot treatment plantswhere studies will be conducted at full-scale wastewater treatment facilities across the United States; this will entail working with the pilot plant manufacturer, treatment plant staff, engineeringconsultantsand KWUstaff to ensuresuccessful studies.Many projects will entail work on or at the pilot-scale MBR facility at the R&D Center as well.The R&DEngineerwill write technical papers and make presentations at various conferences.

The ideal candidatehas asoundunderstanding of wastewaterand watertreatment processes/technologiestoproperly conduct related research projects.A high degree of initiative and independent/creative thought is essentialtothe position andour research.An aptitude for learning new skills and venturing into new fields of study is alsonecessary.This is a fullyon-site role based in Canton, OH, supporting a collaborative team in a mission‑driven organization serving the water and environmental sector.

Responsibilities

Thispositionwill focus onwastewater and water treatmentrelatedresearch projects,onsiteand remotepilot-scale MBR plant operation, anddevelopment of new and existing technologies.

• Observing and evaluatingpilot-scalewastewater and water treatmentplantoperation andtestingin accordance withthe company’sexperimentalplan.
• Collaborationwith Kubota Japan Research Departmentincluding presentation of data & reports.
• Experimental planning and design, wastewater treatment process design and modeling,dataanalysisand interpretation.
• Project management: capital planning, budget management,pilot system design, pilot-studylogistics& scheduling.
• Technical writing:internalreports,papers/presentations for conferences,white papers, peer-review publications, magazine articles, etc.
• Traveling to conferences to present research, ensuring Kubota is well-represented and respected in themarket.
• Establish good working relationships and collaborate with engineering companies to conduct research projects; thesewilllikely beheld atother wastewater treatment plantsacross the United States.
• Conduct research projects at wastewater treatment plants with Kubota membranes and/ortheKubota MBRSystem.
• Assist KMU Technical Specialistswith trouble-shooting issues atfull-scale treatment facilities.
• Any other task assigned by either supervisor to be completedin a timely manner.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Research experience related to wastewater and/or water treatment.
• Knowledge and experience with wastewater/water sample collection and analysis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Ability to travel up to 50% as required for pilot studies, conferences, and treatment plant visits.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field such as Chemistry or Biology.
• Emphasis or specialization in wastewater and/or water treatment.
• Direct knowledge of membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems.
• Experience in wastewater treatment plant operations.
• Experience troubleshooting wastewater treatment systems, particularly MBR systems.
• Experience with BioWin or similar wastewater treatment process modeling software.
• Experience presenting technical research at conferences and/or authoring technical papers, peer-reviewed publications, or industry articles.
• Project management experience including budgeting, capital planning, scheduling, and pilot system implementation.
• Experience collaborating with municipalities, engineering consulting firms, or industrial treatment facilities.

The salary range will take into account a wide range of factors that include a candidate’s education; skills; experience, training, and industry knowledge; licensure and certifications. The compensation structure is base salary plus a discretionary annual bonus. We do not typically hire at the top of the salary range.

• Retirementplan with company match
• Generous paid time off and company holidays
• Work-life Balance
• Professional Development and Career Growth Opportunities

Kubota Water and Environment USA is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

Kubota Water and Environment USA is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.