Temporary R&D Engineer

Ro•Chicago, IL

2d•$103,700 - $128,500•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Temporary R&D Engineer on Ro’s Product Development team, you will help design, optimize, validate, and document processes for bringing new products from development through launch and into repeatable pharmacy operations. You will work across Product Development and Pharmacy Operations, partnering with Pharmacy, Pharmacy Compliance, Quality/Regulatory, Supply Chain, and other teams to translate product requirements into scalable, reliable, and controlled compounding processes. The role focuses on process development, scale-up, process optimization, and technical documentation. You will assess current and proposed workflows, identify risks and improvement opportunities, develop standardized processes, and support pilot and production activities so products can be produced consistently and efficiently to required quality standards. As a temporary team member, you will ramp quickly, independently drive defined workstreams, and leave behind robust processes, documentation, and tools for ongoing operations. Ro is a direct-to-patient healthcare company offering nationwide telehealth, labs, and pharmacy services through a vertically integrated platform. The role supports flexible work anywhere in the United States, with in-person collaboration at the New York-area headquarters on Tuesdays and Thursdays for tri-state employees and periodic in-person collaborations for employees elsewhere. Travel may be needed to Ro pharmacy locations, suppliers, manufacturers, or other partners.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or a related technical field.
At least 3 years of experience in process engineering, manufacturing engineering, process development, technical operations, or a related role.
Hands-on experience developing and scaling processes, including pilot activities, production trials, process qualification, technology transfer, or new product introduction.
Strong process-engineering fundamentals, including defining process parameters, evaluating process capability, identifying sources of variability, and designing robust production workflows.
Experience with structured problem solving and continuous improvement, such as root-cause analysis, process mapping, FMEA, Lean/Six Sigma, DOE, or similar methodologies.
Strong analytical skills and ability to use data to evaluate process performance, identify trends, and make recommendations.
Experience creating technical documentation, including SOPs, work instructions, process flows, specifications, protocols, and technical reports.
Excellent project and timeline management skills, including the ability to independently manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Strong communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to explain technical information to cross-functional audiences and work with technical and operational teams.
Hands-on, detail-oriented approach and willingness to observe and test processes directly in pharmacy or production environments.
Experience in a regulated environment and understanding of process controls, documentation, quality systems, and compliance.

Nice To Haves

Experience in pharmaceuticals, compounding, consumer health, medical devices, cosmetics, food, or another regulated manufacturing environment.
Knowledge of compounding pharmacy operations and guidelines.
Experience supporting automation, equipment selection, or process/equipment qualification.

Responsibilities

Develop and optimize processes for new and existing products, translating product and formulation requirements into repeatable pharmacy compounding workflows.
Lead process scale-up and technology transfer from lab or pilot development into production and pharmacy compounding.
Map and assess current processes to identify bottlenecks, variability, operational risks, and opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, and scalability.
Design future-state processes and establish process parameters, controls, equipment requirements, material flows, and operating procedures.
Plan and execute process trials, pilot runs, engineering batches, and first production runs; evaluate performance and resolve technical issues.
Analyze process performance, troubleshoot issues, identify root causes, and implement corrective or preventive improvements.
Develop and maintain process maps, SOPs, work instructions, process specifications, batch documentation, equipment requirements, and other technical materials.
Identify critical process parameters and risks, and partner with Quality, Compliance, and Pharmacy stakeholders to establish controls and acceptance criteria.
Evaluate equipment and compounding capabilities and recommend improvements to reliability, throughput, ergonomics, quality, or scalability.
Support product launches by developing process-readiness plans, identifying dependencies and risks, and addressing operational requirements.
Partner with Product Development, Pharmacy Operations, Pharmacy Compliance, Quality/Regulatory, Supply Chain, and external partners to drive projects from development through implementation.
Manage multiple workstreams and timelines, communicating risks, dependencies, decisions, and progress to stakeholders.
Drive continuous improvement to simplify workflows, reduce variability and waste, improve cycle time, and increase process capability.
Transfer knowledge to operational teams through documentation, training, and structured handoffs.
Stay informed about relevant compounding, pharmacy, manufacturing, automation, and process-engineering technologies and capabilities.
Travel as needed to support development, testing, scale-up, and implementation at pharmacy locations, suppliers, manufacturers, or other partners.