Research Engineer (or Sr. Research Engineer)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY

JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$66,000–$86,000 Per Year
SKILLS
Analysis Skills, Automation, Best Practices, Communication Skills, Compensation and Benefits, Computer Skills, Data Analysis, Data Collection, Documentation, Funding, IBM Systems, Knowledge Transfer, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Systems, Problem Solving Skills, Prototyping, Research Protocols, Robotics, Safety Standards, Statistics, Strategic Planning, Technical Research, Time Management
LOCATION
Troy, NY
POSTED
30+ days ago

Back to search results Refer a friend

Research Engineer (or Sr. Research Engineer)

Apply now Job no: 495853

Work type: Full Time

Location: Troy, NY

Categories: Research: Materials & Manufacturing, Researchers and Research Support, CFHE

Job Summary:

The Research Engineer (or Sr. Research Engineer) helps drive applied research, prototyping, and technology translation in collaboration with industry partners of the Center for Smart Convergent Manufacturing Systems. This role bridges hands-on engineering, data-driven experimentation, and industrial problem solving, contributing to high-impact projects and deployments.

Who we are:

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is the first technological research university in the United States. We bring creativity, science, and technology together to address society''s greatest challenges. We cultivate exceptional problem-solvers by immersing them in a culture of rigorous inquiry, disciplined practice, and hands-on application. Our strategic plan, RPI Forward, charts a pioneering course for the next era of RPI. Explore the RPI Forward plan. ︎

Nestled on a beautiful 275-acre campus in upstate NY, RPI is home to five schools, 32 research centers, three makerspaces, an observatory, one of the world's fastest supercomputers, and the IBM Quantum System One - the first university-based quantum computer in the world.

With top notch employee health and retirement benefits, Rensselaer offers its full-time employees a generous paid time off program, tuition remission, and opportunities for career growth.

Minimum Qualifications:

Research Engineer:

  • Master's Degree in Engineering or related field
  • One or more years related experience

Sr. Research Engineer:

  • Master''s Degree in Engineering or related field
  • Two or more years experience in a closely comparable technical role

Relevant combinations of education, training and experience may be considered.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Computer literacy, including ability to use a variety of software packages to analyze data
  • Ability to collect and record data using appropriate field specific systems, equipment and techniques
  • Ability to analyze and interpret statistical data
  • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise manner
  • Ability to maintain accurate and detailed records
  • Analytical reasoning and problem solving skills
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet inflexible deadlines
  • Knowledge of and ability to pay strict attention to research protocol
  • Ability to remain calm and composted when dealing with difficult situations or people

Representative Job Duties:

  • Identify, lead, and execute applied manufacturing research projects aligned with CSCMS strategic initiatives
  • Identify funding opportunities in support of industry and academic partners that align with the Center's strategic mission
  • Develop and operate advanced manufacturing hardware, robotics, sensing, and automation platforms
  • Translate industry needs into experimental plans, prototypes, and validated solutions
  • Support industry-sponsored research with planning, execution, documentation, and partner interactions
  • Collaborate across disciplines with faculty, staff, and students to execute applied manufacturing research projects
  • Contribute to proposals, reports, and knowledge transfer activities
  • Maintain safety, lab standards, and best practices in research environments

Shift:

Business hours; Monday through Friday

Starting Salary/Rate:

  • Research Engineer: $66,000 - $86,000 / yr
  • Sr. Research Engineer: $87,000 - $95,000 / yr

Placement at the Research Engineer or Sr. Research Engineer level will be based on documented qualifications and related experience as determined by the hiring team.

Pay transparency disclosure: The selected candidate's salary will be determined based on factors that include the available budget, internal equity, and the final candidate's qualifications, experience, education and other job-related credentials. This hiring range is provided as Rensselaer's good faith estimate of the expected hiring range at the time of posting.

Application instructions:

Follow the on-screen prompts to create a brief online profile. Please be ready to upload your resume and cover letter.

If you need assistance with the online application process, please contact careers@rpi.edu.

Job Posted Date:

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Total Compensation and Benefits Information:

Rensselaer's Total Compensation Program is designed to provide stable pay growth, a comprehensive and affordable benefits package, and a comprehensive and affordable retiree medical and prescription plan. Our goal is to provide you and your family with a comprehensive health and welfare program as an umbrella of financial security and protection during your employment. For more information, please visit Benefits | Human Resources (rpi.edu).

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is committed to the cultivation of a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and above all values learning. We welcome candidates who bring a variety of perspectives to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute''s work and campus communities. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or other characteristic protected by law.

Advertised: 02 Apr 2026 Eastern Daylight Time

Applications close:

Back to search results Apply now Refer a friend

Whatsapp Facebook LinkedIn Email App

About the Company

R

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Institute programs serve undergraduates, graduate students, and working professionals around the world. Nearly 29 percent of undergraduate students this year are from areas outside of the Northeast. , in addition to the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from countries all around the world.

Rensselaer offers at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Students are encouraged to work in that allow them to combine scholarly work from several departments or schools. The university provides rigorous, engaging, interactive learning environments and campus-wide opportunities for leadership, collaboration, and creativity.

For almost , Rensselaer has maintained its reputation for providing an undergraduate education of undisputed intellectual rigor based on educational innovation in the laboratory, classroom, and studio.

Driven by talented, dedicated, and forward-thinking , Rensselaer has dramatically expanded the by leveraging our existing strengths and focusing on five signature research areas: ; ; ; ; and .

The Institute is especially well-known for its success in the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace so that benefit human life, protect the environment, and strengthen economic development.

Academic Approach and Educational Innovations

Rensselaer is anchored by two vibrant roots:

  • One root, written into the , is the application of science to the common purposes of life. This kept the focus on engineering solutions to national and international needs and challenges. constructed the canals, roads, bridges, skyscrapers, and basic infrastructure of America, which helped to form the basis for 20th century society.
  • The second root, also built into the school's origin, was the employment of unique educational strategies. In the earliest days, after initial instruction, students taught what they knew to each other since teaching reinforces learning. Likewise, students performed scientific experiments rather than watch faculty conduct them, as had been the common practice.

The Rensselaer Plan 2024

Armed with our intellects, our energy, and a bold vision for the future, we launched a process to realize the mission of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in new and tangible ways. We conceived and implemented , to bring new meaning, and new substance, to the question we ask ourselves as the first technological university in the nation: Why not change the world?

We began our journey of transformation where necessity demanded. We have made major investments in our people, programs, platforms, and partnerships; and, together, we have brought about a true Renaissance at Rensselaer. These investments have enabled us to transform Rensselaer into a top-tier technological research university with global reach and global impact. That transformation serves as a solid foundation on which we will build even greater achievements in the future.

Our journey of transformation continues, under . In the same spirit as its precursor, the revised Plan is evergreen, prepared to grow and evolve, as the Institute grows and evolves. In advancing The Rensselaer Plan 2024, we are moving from transforming Rensselaer to Rensselaer being transformative: transformative in our students' lives; transformative in our innovative pedagogy, nationally and internationally; transformative in the global impact of our research.

COMPANY SIZE
100 to 499 employees
INDUSTRY
Education
FOUNDED
1824
WEBSITE
http://www.rpi.edu