Want to become a research and development engineer?
This is an exciting, cutting-edge role; research and development engineers are predominantly involved with creating new business opportunities for companies by researching new materials or material formulations, conducting engineering investigations into current manufacturing technologies and identifying solutions to potential problems in bringing an idea or innovation to the marketplace.
Often, work will be conducted in teams from the product design, technical and laboratory departments within a company, or in close co-operation with a client’s development team. The confidential nature of the role results in many product and process ‘patents’ being taken out. The exact nature of the work will depend on the size of the employing organisation, but would typically include customer liaison to establish product design and application briefs, research, developing design concepts and pre-production models, conducting tests on models, developing new material, and investigating improvements in the design or engineering capability of existing products.
Research skills, analytical and diagnostic skills, good communication, presentation and written skills, project management skills, CAD/CAE skills and attention to detail are some of the skills required for a job in this sector.