Senior R&D Innovation Engineer

This is a unique opportunity for someone who enjoys exploring emerging technologies, identifying unmet customer needs, and turning innovative concepts into commercially viable products. Unlike traditional engineering management roles, this position is heavily focused on research, innovation, market intelligence, and future product strategy, with no direct people management responsibilities.

Client Details

Our client is a well-established, employee-owned electronics manufacturer with a strong reputation for engineering excellence, product quality, and innovation. The company serves a diverse customer base across multiple industrial and technology markets and continues to invest in future growth through research, product development, and emerging technologies.

With a collaborative culture and long-term strategic vision, the organization empowers employees to influence business direction, develop innovative solutions, and contribute directly to company success. This role offers significant visibility and the opportunity to help define the next generation of products and technologies.

Description

• Research emerging technologies, market trends, and adjacent industries.
• Identify new market opportunities and future product concepts.
• Conduct customer discovery, competitive analysis, and technology scouting.
• Attend industry trade shows, conferences, and customer meetings.
• Assess technical feasibility and manufacturability of new product ideas.
• Support prototyping, proof-of-concept development, and commercialization efforts.
• Collaborate with product management, manufacturing, engineering, sales, and marketing teams.
• Present innovation recommendations and business cases to leadership.

Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Photonics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in R&D, product development, innovation engineering, or advanced technology development.
• Experience bringing products from concept through commercialization.
• Strong understanding of design, prototyping, testing, and product development processes.
• Customer-facing experience and ability to gather market insights.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes and design-for-manufacturing principles.
• Experience within LED, optics, photonics, fiber optics, electronic components, industrial electronics, or related industries is highly preferred.

Job Offer

• Salary: $130,000 - $150,000
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Employee ownership participation
• Opportunity to shape future technologies and product strategy

The salary range for this role is $130,000-$150,000. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, any collective bargaining agreements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate may be eligible for an annual bonus.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including [Examples can include Paid Time Off, medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k), life and AD&D insurance, and short- and long-term disability coverage to eligible employees.

MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants.