Research Engineer I, II, III or Senior

MSU Jobs•Starkville, MS

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Composites Institute (ACI) at Mississippi State University (MSU) is seeking a Research Engineer. ACI pioneers transformational composite technologies for critical sectors like aerospace, civil, military, energy, and automotive. This role was established at MSU with a donation of a revolutionary stitched composite process and equipment originally developed at NASA. The position is classified as 'Unclassified' and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department. This role is contingent upon the continued availability of funding.

Requirements

B.S. Engineering
Less than one year in a related area (for Research Engineer I)
Two years professional experience in a related area (for Research Engineer II)
Four years professional experience in a related area (for Research Engineer III)
Six or more years professional experience in a related area (for Senior Research Engineer)
Knows and effectively uses the fundamental concepts, practices, and procedures of a particular field of specialization.
Continues development of technical expertise and knowledge through experience and application.
Has established technical expertise.
Serves as a resource to research unit/department/college.
Possesses and applies a comprehensive knowledge of a particular field of specialization to the completion of complex assignments.
Advances state-of-the-art research in field of specialization.
Recognized as a national or international authority.
Applies extensive and advanced principles, theories, and concepts.
Contributes to the development of solutions to complex problems that require innovation and ingenuity.

Nice To Haves

Equivalent experience related to area of specialization for M.S. graduates at Research Engineer II level.
Equivalent experience related to area of specialization for PhD graduates at Research Engineer III level.
Promotion requires two years at previous level or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Solves well-defined problems and performs specific and limited portions of broader projects under technical guidance.
Applies standard practices and techniques, adjusts and correlates data, recognizes discrepancies, and follows detailed steps or processes.
Defines and improves practices from experiences on small projects.
Conducts experiments/tests, takes measurements, records observations, and collects, compiles, and processes data.
Contributes data/findings for reports, documents, or presentations.
Interacts collaboratively with team members to accomplish organizational goals and may provide ideas to improve efficiency.
Networks primarily within own technical peer group.
Learns methods for planning, including assessment of cost, scope, and schedule against plan.
Performs related duties as required.
Performs work involving conventional types of plans, investigations, systems, structures, or equipment with relatively few complex features or for which there are precedents.
Performs tasks/projects of a larger scope.
May lead specific tasks within the project scope.
Scopes task and develops approaches for moderately difficult tasks.
Takes responsibility for assuring quality, cost effectiveness, and timeliness for small projects.
Assists in preparation of reports, papers, presentations, new proposals, and may collaborate on some proposals.
Presents papers at technical meetings.
Continues to enhance capabilities for project planning, including assessment of cost, scope, and schedule against plan.
Implements new systems/approaches for moderately difficult tasks/projects.
Establishes networks in internal peer group and starts becoming part of an identifiable external peer network.
Participates in procurement of additional/new funding through contributions to technical proposal preparation and/or presentations.
Contributes to positive co-worker/customer/investigator relationships through efficient interaction on current grants/projects.
Manages multiple or significant projects which may require the use of sophisticated project planning techniques.
Plans, schedules, conducts, or coordinates detailed phases of the work of a major project or in a total project of moderate scope.
Makes substantial contributions to determining feasibility of goals/objectives.
May evaluate proposed or ongoing projects.
Interfaces with client/customer project managers and MSU research/engineering management for existing or proposed projects.
Creates opportunities to enhance technical methodology or content through expansion of existing, or development of, new efforts.
May extend technology into new application areas.
Contributes or leads major intellectual development activities.
Chairs sessions at technical meetings; gives invited papers; participates in external seminars, workshops, professional societies and committees.
Provides innovative problem-solving approaches to enhance organizational capabilities.
Uses peer network to expand technical capabilities and identify new research opportunities.
Understands broad strategic objectives and contributes to them.
Nurtures and maintains relationships with major customers/grantors of external research and development grant funding.
Identifies grant/project extensions and persuades customers/grantors to fund; impacts customer decisions and strategies.
May initiate new project concepts and seek funding; develops technical proposals and makes presentations to potential customers/grant sponsors.
As an individual contributor, conceives, plans and conducts research in problem areas of considerable scope and complexity.
Problems must be thoroughly approached through a series of complete and conceptually related studies, are difficult to define, require unconventional or novel approaches, and require sophisticated research techniques.
Demonstrates superior scope and breadth of research through the creation of new concepts, applications, processes, designs or the identification of new areas of research.
Available guides and precedents contain critical gaps, are only partially related to the problem, or may be largely lacking due to the novel character of the project.
Contributed inventions, new designs, or techniques that are of mutual significance in the solution of important problems.
In a supervisory capacity, plans, develops, coordinates, and directs a number of large and significant projects or a project of major scope.
Supervisory responsibilities usually encompasses subordinate supervisors or team leaders (3-5) with at least one in a position comparable to the Research Engineer Level III.
As a staff specialist, serves as the technical lead for the unit in the application of advanced theories, concepts, principles, and processes for an assigned area of responsibility.
Stays abreast of new technical methods and developments affecting the unit for the purpose of recommending changes in emphasis of programs or new programs warranted by such developments.
Proposes and leads new initiatives; guides programs of national or international significance.
Primary resource to MSU and customers in identifying future problems, research trends, and opportunities.
Presents papers, leads symposia and chairs committees.
Participates on advisory/policy boards, journals and societies.
Serves as peer reviewer of major technical programs; networks nationally and internationally.
Contributions enhance Department/MSU staff, business volume, and facilities/equipment.
Plays a lead role in the development and implementation of new and/or expanded technical capabilities that will impact future research projects.
Reputation leads to ability to attract major funding.
Typically would direct and/or participate in major proposal preparation and presentation.