Corrosion Engineer

N4 Solutions•Key West, WA

About The Position

N4 Solutions, LLC is seeking a highly motivated corrosion engineering professional to serve as a Research and Development (R&D) technical leader supporting NRL. The role focuses on preventing and controlling corrosion in Navy maritime assets through applied research, physical and numerical modeling, cathodic protection system development, instrumentation, testing and evaluation, and technology transition. The successful candidate will lead complex corrosion R&D activities from test-plan development through execution, data analysis, reporting, and fleet-relevant application, ensuring technical integrity, Objective Quality Evidence (OQE), and alignment with Navy mission and sponsored-program objectives. The engineer will provide senior R&D management and technical leadership for corrosion science and engineering programs supporting Navy ships, submarines, marine structures, and other warfighting platforms. Work may take place in laboratories, seawater and waterfront settings, aboard ships, and other Navy-relevant environments. The role also involves project tracking, technical stakeholder coordination, preparation of technical deliverables, field demonstrations, technology transition, and mentoring technical staff. The position is located in Washington, DC, or Key West, FL, and may involve occasional travel to Navy, DoD, shipyard, or other test locations.

Requirements

Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degree in Engineering, Physical Science, or equivalent from an accredited university.
At least 8 years of demonstrated experience supporting a research environment, with relevant knowledge of corrosion science and engineering and the overall Statement of Work.
Demonstrated experience serving as a senior R&D technical lead for complex scientific or engineering programs.
Strong science and engineering credentials, expertise in applied and industrial Navy environments, and proven ability to administer programs sponsored by the Department of the Navy and Department of War (DON and DOW).
Advanced knowledge of corrosion science, electrochemistry, cathodic protection, corrosion monitoring, materials degradation, marine environments, and corrosion prevention and control technologies.
Demonstrated experience designing, constructing, testing, or evaluating cathodic protection systems for maritime or Navy applications.
Experience developing and vetting experimental test plans, executing complex test events, analyzing technical data, and preparing defensible technical reports and recommendations.
Excellent technical writing, analytical, leadership, communication, and stakeholder-coordination skills.
Ability to support laboratory, waterfront, shipboard, and field activities and occasional travel to Navy, DoD, shipyard, or other test locations.
Active Secret security clearance required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Physical Scale Modeling (PSM), scaled ship or submarine models, or comparable experimental platforms.
Hands-on experience validating instrumentation, data-acquisition systems, control systems, sensors, and other equipment used in corrosion or electrochemical testing.
Experience with analytical and modeling tools used in corrosion R&D, such as MATLAB, LabVIEW, COMSOL, Python, or comparable engineering software.

Responsibilities

Provide senior R&D management and technical leadership for corrosion science and engineering programs supporting Navy ships, submarines, marine structures, and other warfighting platforms.
Plan, coordinate, and oversee fundamental and applied studies to identify, assess, measure, monitor, and mitigate corrosion and materials degradation in laboratory, seawater, waterfront, shipboard, and other Navy-relevant environments.
Lead the design, construction, evaluation, and testing of cathodic protection systems, including impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems, sacrificial anodes, reference cells, electrical isolation, monitoring, and control components.
Develop, review, and vet Physical Scale Modeling (PSM) test plans, including test objectives, configurations, instrumentation, controls, data requirements, and acceptance criteria.
Participate in PSM test execution, including setup, system checkout, data collection, troubleshooting, test monitoring, data analysis, interpretation, and preparation of technical reports and recommendations.
Validate instrumentation before and during intensive test periods, including corrosion sensors, data-logging equipment, monitoring and control instrumentation, spectrum analyzers, potentiostat/galvanostats, and associated measurement systems.
Stress-test control systems, instrumentation interfaces, data-acquisition systems, and experimental configurations to identify vulnerabilities and ensure test integrity, repeatability, and reliable data capture.
Develop and apply physical and numerical models to evaluate corrosion behavior, cathodic protection performance, underwater electromagnetic properties, prognostics, and corrosion-control system effectiveness.
Design and oversee experiments characterizing corrosion mechanisms and rates, durability, material properties, calcareous deposits, hydrogen effects, degradation mechanisms, and related electrochemical or mechanical behavior.
Support design and prototyping of corrosion assessment and mitigation technologies, including sensors, monitoring systems, tank inspection systems, wireless devices, test platforms, and associated software or analytical tools.
Evaluate corrosion performance of metallic alloys, composites, ceramics, polymers, organic and inorganic coatings, and other materials used in Navy systems and operational environments.
Use analytical, statistical, modeling, and data-visualization tools to interpret test results, identify trends, evaluate uncertainty, and develop actionable technical recommendations.
Ensure scientific and engineering work follows approved test, quality assurance, safety, and data-management plans and is supported by reliable OQE.
Track technical progress, labor and costs by subtask, risks, assigned actions, milestones, and project plans; communicate status to NRL and program sponsors.
Participate in technical reviews, progress meetings, and Integrated Product Team activities; provide corrosion science and engineering expertise to NRL, NAVSEA, Department of the Navy, Department of War, shipyards, fleet organizations, and industry stakeholders.
Prepare, review, and contribute to technical reports, test reports, performance specifications, standards, procedures, guidance documents, presentations, and other deliverables supporting corrosion-control implementation and technology transition.
Support field demonstrations, waterfront testing, shipboard evaluations, and fleet-transition activities for corrosion sensors, cathodic protection technologies, coatings, materials, and other corrosion-control solutions.
Mentor technical staff, promote disciplined scientific methods, and support knowledge transfer across multidisciplinary teams performing corrosion science and engineering RDT&E.