Principal Engineer - Materials Discovery Research Institute

UL Research Institutes • Skokie, IL

8d • Onsite

About The Position

We have an exciting opportunity for a Principal Research Engineer at UL Materials Discovery Research Institute (MDRI) based in our Skokie, Illinois, facilities. The Principal Research Engineer partners with researchers and engineers to apply advanced scientific and engineering expertise in materials discovery and development. This role focuses on demonstrating the performance, scalability, and real-world impact of novel materials—from laboratory concepts through prototype and demonstration scale—to advance global safety and sustainability. UL Research Institutes: At UL Research Institutes (ULRI), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge. Build a safer, more secure, and sustainable future with us. Join us and work with our Materials Discovery Research Institute team who conduct the research required to produce that knowledge and put into practice. Materials Discovery Research Institute: The Materials Discovery Research Institute (MDRI) works to develop and deploy new materials with the potential to address current global safety challenges. Pursuing materials that will help produce transformational safety breakthroughs, MDRI harnesses the power of advanced computing and high-throughput experimental methods to create innovative materials that will produce resilience for a sustainable future and protect individual and societal health. We focus on today’s critical challenges, working to create new and better materials that will support renewable energy and environmental sustainability. Among our top priorities is research into materials capable of carbon capture and energy storage, with an eye toward reducing the adverse impacts of humanity’s reliance upon fossil fuel resources and enabling a transition to renewable energy sources. Above all, our research builds on our commitment to a safer, more sustainable future.

Requirements

• Collaborative, inclusive, and positive work ethic.
• Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and operational levels, with strong attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills enabling productive collaboration with researchers, engineers, and cross-functional partners.
• Intellectual curiosity and commitment to advancing the materials discovery and research mission.
• Proven problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis and development of practical, scalable solutions.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Adaptability, responsiveness, and a sense of urgency, with a balanced focus on near-term results and long-term improvement.
• Willingness to travel occasionally (less than 10% annually) for training, conferences, and project-related activities.
• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a related technical discipline plus 10 years post Ph.D. degree of relevant experience, or Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering or a related technical discipline plus 12 years post master's degree of relevant experience, or, Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering or a related technical discipline plus 15 years post bachelor's degree of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated hands-on success in safely and efficiently conducting research and analyzing data to discover, develop, and advance new materials through TRL 8.
• Proven practical expertise in scaling and testing materials (e.g., catalysts, adsorbents) at laboratory, pilot, and/or demonstration scale.
• High proficiency in using Plant Information (PI) software or systems for data collection, analysis, and visualization.
• Strong track record of leading and delivering complex, team-based research projects.
• Expert proficiency with MS Excel to create calculations, visualizations, and tools; high proficiency with MS Office applications, including PowerPoint and Teams.

Nice To Haves

• Preferred experience with programming languages used for data acquisition, analysis, and report development.
• Experience with Git and Python is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Leverage deep expertise in materials development, scale-up, and testing to plan, design, and execute engineering experiments that transition materials from lab-scale to demonstration-scale prototypes.
• Lead complex research initiatives through effective planning, execution, and oversight, ensuring project objectives, quality standards, timelines, and budgets are met; serve as Principal Investigator (PI) for large research programs.
• Contribute to strategic and long-range planning by identifying emerging growth areas, evaluating technical and market opportunities, and developing techno-economic models and assessment tools.
• Mentor, coach, and develop team members, fostering technical excellence, leadership capability, and professional growth.
• Ensure accurate and timely collection, analysis, documentation, and archiving of research data within LIMS or designated data repositories; actively support data science initiatives and cross-functional data efforts.
• Expand the institute’s visibility and influence through national and international presentations, publications, and active leadership or participation in external professional organizations.
• Leverage strong technical judgment, scientific creativity, independent thinking, and effective collaboration across disciplines.
• Comply with the Underwriters Laboratories Code of Conduct and all laboratory safety, physical security, and digital security requirements.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Benefits

• All employees at UL Research Institutes are eligible for bonus compensation.
• We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay.
• Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment.
• Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager.
• We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree