Friction Development Engineer

This Friction Development Engineer position is an ideal role for a technical professional with a solid foundation in friction chemistry who is looking to take the next step in their career by owning the development and commercialization of new materials.

Reporting to the Director of R&D, you will join one of the brake industry’s most established technical teams, focusing on the innovation of semi-metallic and non-asbestos organic (NAO) materials.

What You’ll Do

• Formulate & Develop: Act as a hands-on formulator developing dry and metallic friction products for diverse applications including off-highway (mining, construction, agriculture), aircraft, heavy truck, and industrial markets.
• Project Ownership: Drive product development through APQP, stage-gate, and phased launch processes (NPD/NPI).
• Testing & Validation: Design and manage testing plans and DVP&Rs across various formulas, processes, and customer requirements.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Interface with sales, manufacturing engineering, quality, and sourcing to support the full product lifecycle from concept to launch.
• Technical Reporting: Present technical data, test results, and failure analyses to internal stakeholders and customers.
• Plant Support: Supervise pilot production runs and the fabrication of test materials within the manufacturing environment.

What You Bring

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required in Chemistry, Materials Science, Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering.
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in compounding/formulating, product development, and testing of friction materials.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of physical properties and materials science, specifically regarding friction material composites, polymers, and non-ferrous powder metallurgy.
• Process Familiarity: Experience with composite mixing, molding, curing, and finishing of dry friction products.
• Analytical Skills: Familiarity with methods such as DSC, TGA, FTIR, and electron microscopy.
• Quality Tools: Working knowledge of Six Sigma concepts, including DOE and DFMEA.
• Mindset: A motivated self-starter who is comfortable working independently while contributing to a global, cross-functional team.

Additional Details

• Reports To: Director of R&D
• Travel: Up to 25%