R D Engineer Jobs
R D Engineer jobs are open across aerospace, automotive, biotechnology, electronics, and energy sectors, from entry-level to principal and distinguished engineer, with specializations in materials science, systems integration, and product development. Find a role that fits from the openings below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 1,242+ R D Engineer jobs
Work Schedule
Environmental Conditions
Job Description
Niche Diagnostics within the Clinical Diagnostics Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific, is seeking a highly motivated and innovative professional to join our R&D department in Fremont, California.
As a Scientist in Product Development team, you will drive technical execution across the full In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) product lifecycle - from concept and feasibility through verification, validation, and commercialization. This role focuses on product development, requiring a skilled experimenter to lead projects independently, collaborate cross-functional teams, and advance products toward successful market launch.
Main Responsibilities:
End-to-End Assay Development: Execute technical activities across the product development core phases: Concept, Feasibility, Planning/Development, Verification, and Validation/Transfer.
Design Control Proficiency: Apply rigorous design control and risk management processes; ensure the relationship between design inputs and outputs is maintained so all assay specifications conform to user needs.
Material Selection & Optimization: Select and optimize critical components (antibodies, enzymes/conjugates, buffer/matrix composition, stabilizer etc). Develop and refine formulations to meet targeted assay performance characteristics and rigorous stability requirements.
Verification & Validation Execution: Design and conduct rigorous studies following recognized standards such as CLSI guidelines for accuracy, precision, sensitivity, linearity, specificity/interference, stability etc.
Process Development & Scale-up: Develop, optimize, and characterize robust manufacturing processes for bioconjugates, ensuring scalability and lot-to-lot consistency.
Design Transfer Support: Establish preliminary manufacturing/QC processes and specifications for intermediate and finished goods, collaborating cross-functionally to finalize transfer to production.
Experimental Design: Translate high-level technical requirements into actionable experimental plans, developing structured protocols with clear evaluation criteria.
Analytical Problem Solving: Proactively identify data anomalies, lead comprehensive Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and independently determine and implement effective corrective actions.
Lab & Data Management: Utilize advanced laboratory skills to analyze complex datasets, providing data-driven recommendations and strategically planning follow-up testing to meet project milestones.
Technical Documentation: Author comprehensive technical reports summarizing study methodologies, data analysis, and scientific conclusions for all development phases. Provide the foundational documentation necessary to support global regulatory filings and successful product registrations.
Keys to Success:
This is a hands-on bench scientist position. The ideal candidate possesses a wide range of specialized experimental techniques, exercises independent judgment in developing new methods, and demonstrates a strong capability for resolving technical issues creatively. You must be an advocate for quality and compliance and possess the interpersonal skills necessary to cultivate high-efficiency collaborations.
Education:
BA/BS or equivalent in a life science discipline with 5 or more years of related experience. MS degree with 3-4 years of related experience. PhD with 2-4 years of experience.
Experience:
- Assay Development: Proven hands-on experience driving the full lifecycle of IVD assay development, from initial concept through commercialization. Prior experience with Drugs of Abuse (DoA) and/or Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) is highly preferred.
- Technical Expertise: Mastery of antigen-antibody interaction-based immunoassay techniques and the analytical methods for antibody characterization and selection is preferred.
- Regulatory & Quality Compliance: Familiarity with FDA/ISO design controls and global regulatory frameworks, including the U.S. 510(k) pathway and EU IVDR requirements, is preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
The following technical laboratory skills are highly preferred:
- Protein Engineering & Production: Upstream processes, including bacterial transformation, expression optimization, and high-yield harvesting techniques.
- Protein Purification: Demonstrated skills in developing and executing purification strategies using various chromatography methods to achieve the high-purity standards required for diagnostic reagents.
- Bioconjugation Chemistry: Chemical conjugation techniques, including the design and execution of enzyme-labeling, hapten-carrier protein coupling, or microsphere coating
- Scientific Storytelling: Good oral and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical data in a clear, concise manner to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Data Analysis & Digital Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and statistical software; ability to perform robust data analysis to support data-driven decision-making.
- Biosafety & Compliance: Experience working safely and effectively with biological materials and hazardous chemicals in a regulated laboratory environment.
- Team Collaboration & Leadership: Ability to work constructively within cross-functional teams, fostering a collaborative environment to achieve shared project milestones.
- Operational Excellence: Organizational and time-management skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced R&D setting.
- Communication Excellence: Proactively communicates with peers, supervisors, and cross-functional partners; pushes "group learning" by sharing technical insights and follow-up.
Physical Requirements / Work Environment
- Controlled Substance Handling: This role involves the handling, management, and oversight of controlled substances. The role will be responsible for ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations and guidelines on controlled substances.
- Exposure to Controlled Substances: The role may be exposed to controlled substances during their duties. Proper safety protocols and protective measures will be provided and must be strictly followed.
- Safety Protocols: Ability to adhere to strict safety protocols and procedures to ensure a safe working environment.
- Background Check: Successful completion of a background check, including screening for any history related to controlled substances.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range estimated for this position based in California is $100,000.00–$133,300.00.This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:
A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs
Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement
At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy
Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan
Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount
For more information on our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.thermofisher.com/global/en/total-rewards
Work Schedule
Environmental Conditions
Job Description
Niche Diagnostics within the Clinical Diagnostics Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific, is seeking a highly motivated and innovative professional to join our R&D department in Fremont, California.
As a Scientist in Product Development team, you will drive technical execution across the full In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) product lifecycle - from concept and feasibility through verification, validation, and commercialization. This role focuses on product development, requiring a skilled experimenter to lead projects independently, collaborate cross-functional teams, and advance products toward successful market launch.
Main Responsibilities:
End-to-End Assay Development: Execute technical activities across the product development core phases: Concept, Feasibility, Planning/Development, Verification, and Validation/Transfer.
Design Control Proficiency: Apply rigorous design control and risk management processes; ensure the relationship between design inputs and outputs is maintained so all assay specifications conform to user needs.
Material Selection & Optimization: Select and optimize critical components (antibodies, enzymes/conjugates, buffer/matrix composition, stabilizer etc). Develop and refine formulations to meet targeted assay performance characteristics and rigorous stability requirements.
Verification & Validation Execution: Design and conduct rigorous studies following recognized standards such as CLSI guidelines for accuracy, precision, sensitivity, linearity, specificity/interference, stability etc.
Process Development & Scale-up: Develop, optimize, and characterize robust manufacturing processes for bioconjugates, ensuring scalability and lot-to-lot consistency.
Design Transfer Support: Establish preliminary manufacturing/QC processes and specifications for intermediate and finished goods, collaborating cross-functionally to finalize transfer to production.
Experimental Design: Translate high-level technical requirements into actionable experimental plans, developing structured protocols with clear evaluation criteria.
Analytical Problem Solving: Proactively identify data anomalies, lead comprehensive Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and independently determine and implement effective corrective actions.
Lab & Data Management: Utilize advanced laboratory skills to analyze complex datasets, providing data-driven recommendations and strategically planning follow-up testing to meet project milestones.
Technical Documentation: Author comprehensive technical reports summarizing study methodologies, data analysis, and scientific conclusions for all development phases. Provide the foundational documentation necessary to support global regulatory filings and successful product registrations.
Keys to Success:
This is a hands-on bench scientist position. The ideal candidate possesses a wide range of specialized experimental techniques, exercises independent judgment in developing new methods, and demonstrates a strong capability for resolving technical issues creatively. You must be an advocate for quality and compliance and possess the interpersonal skills necessary to cultivate high-efficiency collaborations.
Education:
BA/BS or equivalent in a life science discipline with 5 or more years of related experience. MS degree with 3-4 years of related experience. PhD with 2-4 years of experience.
Experience:
- Assay Development: Proven hands-on experience driving the full lifecycle of IVD assay development, from initial concept through commercialization. Prior experience with Drugs of Abuse (DoA) and/or Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) is highly preferred.
- Technical Expertise: Mastery of antigen-antibody interaction-based immunoassay techniques and the analytical methods for antibody characterization and selection is preferred.
- Regulatory & Quality Compliance: Familiarity with FDA/ISO design controls and global regulatory frameworks, including the U.S. 510(k) pathway and EU IVDR requirements, is preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
The following technical laboratory skills are highly preferred:
- Protein Engineering & Production: Upstream processes, including bacterial transformation, expression optimization, and high-yield harvesting techniques.
- Protein Purification: Demonstrated skills in developing and executing purification strategies using various chromatography methods to achieve the high-purity standards required for diagnostic reagents.
- Bioconjugation Chemistry: Chemical conjugation techniques, including the design and execution of enzyme-labeling, hapten-carrier protein coupling, or microsphere coating
- Scientific Storytelling: Good oral and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical data in a clear, concise manner to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Data Analysis & Digital Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and statistical software; ability to perform robust data analysis to support data-driven decision-making.
- Biosafety & Compliance: Experience working safely and effectively with biological materials and hazardous chemicals in a regulated laboratory environment.
- Team Collaboration & Leadership: Ability to work constructively within cross-functional teams, fostering a collaborative environment to achieve shared project milestones.
- Operational Excellence: Organizational and time-management skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced R&D setting.
- Communication Excellence: Proactively communicates with peers, supervisors, and cross-functional partners; pushes "group learning" by sharing technical insights and follow-up.
Physical Requirements / Work Environment
- Controlled Substance Handling: This role involves the handling, management, and oversight of controlled substances. The role will be responsible for ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations and guidelines on controlled substances.
- Exposure to Controlled Substances: The role may be exposed to controlled substances during their duties. Proper safety protocols and protective measures will be provided and must be strictly followed.
- Safety Protocols: Ability to adhere to strict safety protocols and procedures to ensure a safe working environment.
- Background Check: Successful completion of a background check, including screening for any history related to controlled substances.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range estimated for this position based in California is $100,000.00–$133,300.00.This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:
A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs
Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement
At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy
Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan
Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount
For more information on our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.thermofisher.com/global/en/total-rewards
R D Engineer Jobs by Experience Level
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Who's Hiring
- Sandia National Laboratories60
- Los Alamos National Laboratory48
- Kraft Heinz25
- Keysight Technologies24
- Broadcom21
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing53
- Technology & Software46
- Electronics & Hardware43
- Medical Devices41
- Consulting & Professional Services29
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in R D engineer jobs.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, physics, chemistry, or a closely related field
- Proficiency in simulation and modeling tools such as MATLAB, ANSYS, or equivalent software
- Hands-on experience designing and executing experiments and documenting results
- Ability to analyze data, draw engineering conclusions, and communicate findings clearly
- Experience with prototyping, testing, and iterating on physical or software systems
- Familiarity with design of experiments methodology and statistical analysis techniques
Tips for Your R D Engineer Job Search
Quantify your research contributions precisely
R&D hiring managers want to see outcomes, not just activities. Replace vague statements like 'conducted experiments' with measurable results: prototypes built, patents filed, cycle time reduced, or failure rates improved. Numbers tied to research milestones cut through generic resumes fast.
Highlight lab and prototyping tool proficiency
List the specific instruments, simulation software, and testing platforms you've used, such as MATLAB, LabVIEW, SEM, or CAD tools. Many postings filter candidates by software match before a recruiter ever reads a resume, so exact tool names matter more than broad descriptions.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists r d engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target postings by technology readiness stage
R&D roles differ sharply between early-stage research, applied development, and pre-production engineering. Read each posting for TRL language or stage references, then frame your application around experience at that specific phase rather than submitting a one-size-fits-all version.
Prepare a concise project portfolio page
Bring a one-page project summary to every interview: problem statement, your specific contribution, methodology, and outcome. Interviewers in R&D settings often run technical deep-dives and want to trace your individual reasoning, not just team-level results.
Negotiate IP and publication rights upfront
Some r d engineer offers come with broad IP assignment clauses or restrictions on publishing research. Ask about these terms before accepting, because they can affect your ability to build a public portfolio, contribute to open research, or work on side projects in adjacent fields.
R D Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most r d engineers?
The companies hiring the most r d engineers right now include Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Kraft Heinz, with the largest share of openings in California, New Mexico, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Demand is concentrated in industries with active product pipelines, including defense, medical devices, and advanced manufacturing.
How many r d engineer jobs are remote?
About 32% of r d engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of August 2026, though fully remote roles are less common than in software-focused disciplines. Positions involving data analysis, computational modeling, and documentation tend to offer more remote flexibility than those requiring physical lab access or hands-on hardware testing.
How do you become a r d engineer?
Start with a bachelor's degree in an engineering or applied science discipline, then build hands-on experience through internships, co-ops, or university research labs. Develop proficiency in at least one simulation or analysis tool, document your project outcomes clearly, and look for entry-level roles labeled as associate engineer, research engineer, or development engineer to build your foundation.
How do you get hired as a r d engineer with little experience?
Employers filling junior r d engineer roles weight project evidence heavily when work history is limited. Publish or present undergraduate or graduate research, document any prototype or lab project in a one-page summary, and apply to companies with formal new-graduate rotational programs in R&D. Targeting industries with high hiring volume and structured onboarding, such as medical devices or aerospace, improves your odds at the entry level.
What does the r d engineer interview process look like?
Most r d engineer interviews begin with a recruiter screen focused on technical background and role fit, followed by a technical interview covering engineering fundamentals, problem-solving approach, and tool knowledge. Later rounds typically include a project deep-dive where you walk through past research work in detail, and a final panel with engineers and a hiring manager who assess both technical depth and collaboration style.
Where can I find and apply to r d engineer jobs?
You can find and apply to r d engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers across the United States. Search by location, specialization, or experience level, find roles that fit your background, and apply directly to each listing.
See All 1,242+ R D Engineer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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