Senior Research & Development Engineer

Asurion; Smyrna (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Asurion is seeking a senior Engineer 3 in Smyrna, TN for system-level engineering across product development and R&D initiatives. The role emphasizes architectural influence, scalable solutions, and mentoring engineers within a global engineering setting.

This on-site, full-time position requires strong technical autonomy, ability to drive cross-functional programs, and ownership of complex system-level outcomes across sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline is required.
• Typically 6–9 years of progressive engineering experience.
• Experience influencing system-level outcomes and leading cross-functional initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize system-level engineering solutions across processes, tools, data, and workflows.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives impacting quality, performance, cost, and scalability.
• Establish and refine engineering standards, validation methods, and documentation practices.
• Own system KPIs and drive improvements through structured analysis and corrective actions.
• Mentor junior engineers and partner with global teams and stakeholders.

Skills

System thinking

Root cause analysis

CAPA / FMEA / DOE

Cross-functional communication

Mentorship

Problem solving

Engineering principles

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline

Job description

Research & Development Product Engineer

Asurion

Asurion is the global leader in technology support and protection. Innovation and dedication to delighting customers have made it the preferred provider of technology protection to the world's largest wireless carriers, trusted retailers, and popular device manufacturers. Asurion’s 17,000 global employees support its 280 million consumers with an award-winning experience delivered through products and services that have set the standard in the industry.

Summary of Job

The Engineer 3 role is a senior-level individual contributor within the Global Engineering organization. This position is responsible for designing, optimizing, and influencing system-level engineering solutions that support product development, testing platforms, process innovation, and R&D initiatives across Asurion’s operations. Reporting to an Engineering Manager or Senior Manager, the Engineer 3 operates with strong technical autonomy and broad organizational influence. This role moves beyond feature ownership to system contribution—anticipating cross-functional impacts, improving engineering standards, and ensuring scalable, high-performing solutions across teams and sites. Engineer 3 serves as a trusted technical authority within their domain, guiding solution architecture, improving engineering practices, and mentoring junior engineers. This is a full-time, on-site, exempt position.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Design and optimize system-level engineering solutions that integrate processes, tools, data, and workflows across functions.
• Lead complex cross-functional initiatives that impact quality, performance, cost, scalability, or lifecycle outcomes.
• Establish and refine engineering standards, validation methods, documentation practices, and process controls.
• Own key system KPIs and proactively drive improvements through structured analysis and sustainable countermeasures.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in core technical domains, advising leadership and stakeholders on risk, feasibility, and long-term impact.
• Lead advanced root cause analysis and corrective action strategies across multi-functional systems.
• Support new product introductions, technology deployments, and process transformations with system-level readiness and validation oversight.
• Mentor Engineer 1 and Engineer 2 team members, elevating technical depth and structured problem-solving capability.
• Partner with global teams, suppliers, and stakeholders to align engineering solutions with long-term strategy.
• Communicate technical direction, tradeoffs, and recommendations clearly to leadership.
• Remain adaptable to evolving priorities while maintaining accountability for system performance and reliability.

Skills & Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of engineering principles within assigned discipline.
• Strong system-thinking capability — understands interactions across processes, tools, data, and people.
• Demonstrated ability to design scalable solutions beyond individual features.
• Proficiency in advanced problem-solving methodologies (RCA, CAPA, FMEA, DOE, statistical analysis).
• Ability to influence engineering direction without direct authority.
• Experience driving standardization and engineering best practices.
• Strong analytical, documentation, and cross-functional communication skills.
• Ability to balance short-term operational needs with long-term system optimization.

Behavioral Dimensions

• System Ownership – Thinks beyond individual tasks, accountable for system performance and sustainability.
• Technical Influence – Shapes engineering decisions and standards across teams.
• Strategic Problem-Solving – Anticipates risks and downstream impacts before implementation.
• Mentorship & Capability Building – Elevates team capability through guidance and knowledge transfer.
• Continuous Improvement Leadership – Drives structural improvements, not just reactive fixes.

Engineer 3 - Engineering Specialty

Specialty Focus – Product Engineering

• Owns system-level product performance across lifecycle phases
• Defines and standardizes validation, tooling, and documentation frameworks across sites
• Anticipates downstream operational impacts of product changes
• Leads large-scale cost and performance optimization initiatives
• Serves as domain subject matter expert influencing cross-team decisions

Specialty Focus – Test Engineering

• Designs and optimizes system-level test platform architecture
• Owns enterprise test KPIs across throughput, traceability, and reliability
• Standardizes validation methodologies across regions
• Leads integration strategy for third-party and internal systems
• Anticipates scalability risks before deployment

Specialty Focus – R&D Engineering

• Leads system-level innovation initiatives with multi-team impact
• Defines validation standards for prototypes transitioning to production
• Conducts structured risk modeling and long-term feasibility analysis
• Partners with suppliers to shape capability evolution
• Drives pilot-to-production transitions across sites

Education and Experience Guidelines

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline required.
• Typically, 6–9 years of progressive engineering experience.
• Demonstrated success influencing system-level engineering outcomes.
• Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives preferred.