Position: R&D Engineer I

Toray Performance Materials Corporation (TPMC) is seeking a hands-on, detail-oriented R&D Engineer I to design and develop advanced thermoplastic composite solutions for industries such as sports and recreation, consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, robotics, defense, and infrastructure. This role focuses on composite layup design and manufacturing development, helping bring new products from concept to production readiness.

Company Overview: As a leader in the development and manufacturing of thermoplastic composites technology and products, TPMC, a part of the Toray Advanced Composites (TAC) Group, is at the forefront of innovation. With a strong presence in consumer recreation, medical, electronics, and other industrial sectors, we're committed to growth and expanding into new markets.

Position Overview:

R&D Engineer I primary role is to design and develop thermoplastic composites, with a particular focus on the composites layup design and manufacturing for industries such as sports/recreation, consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, robotics, defense, and infrastructure etc. with production readiness in 2 years and beyond.

Major Duties and Requirements (focusing on assisting production manager and learning):

• Develop composite manufacture processes, evaluate material properties, and support qualify supply chains for Continuous fiber reinforced polymeric composites and UD prepreg tapes.
• Drive and manage R&D platforms and New Product Introduction (NPI) efforts to meet technology roadmap and customer demands.
• Work in partnerships with global process engineers, production, and sales teams to develop technologies and mature them to Manufacturing readiness level (MRL) for transfer to production, providing support throughout the New Product Introduction (NPI) process.
• Own, plan, manage, and execute multiple projects simultaneously with critical focus on specifications, delivery timelines, and budget under guidance of senior members.
• Support drive company's sustainability and zero waste strategy, conduct research in thermoplastic composites recycling and deliver viable recycled material solutions to customers.
• Deliver presentations and reports to effectively communicate research results. Maintain complete and accurate documentation of all work, adhering to company policies and procedures.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest research and technology in the field of composite materials, attend industry conferences and seminars.
• Collaborate closely with global technical and non-technical functions and build strong working relationship.
• Jointly work with other team members to maintain a safe lab work environment and implement safe operating procedures to ensure an accident-free record and maintenance of compliance.

Experience, Education Requirements, and Language Skills:

Bachelor’s (or advanced) degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Materials, Chemical, or related field preferred)

• A bachelor's degree in engineering, preferably in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace (advanced degree preferred).
• 0-3 years of experience working with composites is necessary.
• Solid understanding of Design of Experiments (DOE) principal.
• Excellent project management skills, with a strong attention to detail and ability to multitask effectively.
• Knowledge of composites manufacturing technologies such as compression molding, hand layup, resin transfer molding, vacuum infusion, pultrusion, filament winding, etc .
• Knowledge of composites manufacturing equipment such as molds, presses, mandrels, resin injection system, vacuum pumps, ovens, autoclaves, etc.
• Experience with designing and setting up new processing and testing equipment is required.
• Knowledge of composite materials characterization and testing techniques such as microscopy, ultrasonic testing, X-ray computed tomography, infrared thermography, mechanical testing, etc,
• Experience with composites design and analysis software such as ANSYS, SolidWorks, CATIA, Abaqus, FiberSIM, CES Seletor, etc.
• Flexibility in working hours is required due to the global team nature of the job, with the ability to communicate effectively between teams in the USA and Asia.
• Up to 10% travel domestically and overseas (Asia pacific)

Soft Skills:

• Strong curiosity and passion for learning, with a genuine interest in composite materials and emerging technologies
• Demonstrates a research-oriented mindset—asks questions, explores alternatives, and seeks to understand underlying principles
• Shows creativity and willingness to think beyond conventional approaches (“out-of-the-box” thinking)
• Resourceful in problem solving—able to leverage available tools, data, and guidance to overcome challenges
• Self-motivated with a strong sense of ownership for learning and task execution
• High attention to detail with disciplined approach to experimentation and documentation

Compensation: A competitive compensation package including base salary, potential for bonus based on performance, health insurance, and 401k will be available to the qualified applicant.

Salary Information

$85,000 – $110,000

The pay range above represents the expected offer range for the position. Factors that may be used to determine where newly hired employees will be placed in the pay range include the employee specific skills and qualifications, relevant years of experience and comparison to internal equity.

Toray Performance Materials Corporation employment practices offer equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate against its employees or applicants because of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by law. Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all aspects of the employer/employee relationship, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, layoff, recall, and termination.