Senior Research and Development Engineer

Barrday Inc.; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance with

401(k) matching

Life insurance and disability

Tuition assistance

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

Barrday Inc. is seeking an Sr. R&D Engineer to develop advanced material solutions for protective and composite applications.

The role leverages expertise in material science and process engineering to drive new product concepts and scale production. Responsibilities include collaborating with customers, aligning with technology roadmaps, leading cross-functional teams, and overseeing the BarrMax UHMWPE tape program and pilot line operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, polymers, or materials science required; advanced degree preferred.
• At least 5 years of industrial R&D or engineering experience.
• Experience with thermoplastic resin chemistry, UHMWPE preferred.
• Solid grasp of material structure–process–property relationships.
• Familiarity with DSC and tensiometry.
• Team-oriented and able to work across cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with customers and sales to capture feedback and translate into product requirements.
• Align with Barrday’s technology roadmaps and design/development procedures.
• Lead or participate in cross-functional teams to develop thermoplastic tapes and prepregs.
• Apply polymer/material knowledge to innovate, scale production, and transfer processes.
• Advance BarrMax UHMWPE tapes, evaluate resins, and optimize processing methods.

Skills

Polymer science

Material processing

Teamwork

Project management

Education

Bachelor's in chemistry or chemical engineering or materials science

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

DSC

Tensiometry

Job description

Barrday is a leading advanced materials solutions company with global operation and sale presence. Our manufacturing facilities and technology centers are in Charlotte, NC and Millbury, MA. Our success is based on developing technologically advanced fiber reinforcement, prepreg and other material solutions for our customers in the aerospace, defense, industrial, energy and protective markets.

Reports To: Head of R&D

SUMMARY

The Sr. R&D Engineer is responsible for developing advanced material solutions for protective and composite applications, leveraging expertise in material science and process engineering.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Collaborate with customers and sales teams to capture customer feedback, identify unmet needs, and translate these insights into product requirements and specifications.
• Align with and implement Barrday’s technology roadmaps while adhering to the company’s procedures for new product design and development.
• Serve as an active participant or leader within cross-functional project teams, including operations, quality, and R&D, to develop thermoplastic tapes and fiber-reinforced prepreg systems.
• Apply expertise in polymeric and fiber materials, processing technologies, analytical techniques, and project management tools to innovate new product concepts, facilitate production scale‑up, and oversee manufacturing transfer.
• Advance the development of next‑generation BarrMax® UHMWPE tapes by evaluating new resin grades, optimizing processing methods, and establishing rigorous quality testing protocols.
• Oversee the BarrMax® R&D laboratory, including installation, maintenance and operation of the pilot line and relating the pilot line data and settings to the production equipment.
• Provide technical support to sales initiatives aimed at capturing short‑term business opportunities through strategic integration of existing Barrday technologies.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Represent Barrday in technical discussions at trade shows and conferences.
• Travel requirements may range from occasional trips up to 10‑20% of the time.

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, polymers, or materials science required; advanced degree preferred.
• At least 5 years of industrial R&D or engineering experience.
• Experience with thermoplastic resin chemistry, especially high‑performance types like UHMWPE preferred.
• Solid grasp of material structure–process–property relationships.
• Familiarity with analytical techniques such as DSC and tensiometry.
• Working well in a team environment.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The Senior Research and Development Engineer position involves both office duties and tasks within a material manufacturing and warehouse setting. This role often requires sitting while performing office work, as well as extended periods of walking and standing when working in laboratories or alongside the operations team in the factory. The position will regularly require travel or split time between the Barrday’s West Pointe Drive site and BarrMax's IBM Drive sites in Charlotte as needed.

VALUES

Barrday is an enterprise built upon teamwork and trust. Excellence, Integrity, Respect and Innovation are our core values and guide our communications and our actions. We respect diversity in ideas and wish to give all employees the opportunity to flourish and grow to the best of their abilities. Our expectation is that each person will, by virtue of their behavior, assist in making everyone successful.

BENEFITS

• Access to medical, dental, vision insurance with wellness incentives.
• 401(k) matching options.
• Free life insurance, disability insurance and more.
• Tuition assistance.
• Paid holidays + paid vacation time.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities.