R&D Engineer

• Employee Type Exempt

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R&D Engineer

Exempt

Claremore, Oklahoma

Research and Development

Industrial Engineer

Hayden Industrial, a leading manufacturer of industrial cooling systems, is seeking a R&D Engineer to join our team. In this position, you will lead assigned product lines across customer application, product strategy, manufacturing readiness, and cross-functional product release.

• Provide technical expertise in the application of air-cooled heat exchangers, dry coolers, CRAHs, and related air-cooled systems across core market sectors.
• Support sales and business development teams with product selection, sizing, customization, and proposal generation.
• Develop and maintain application tools, selection software, and technical documentation.
• Serve as a technical liaison with customers, consultants, and contractors to ensure solutions meet project requirements.
• Take direct ownership of selected application engineering activities for the CRAH product line, including system selection, configuration support, and application guidance.
• Own and manage the product lifecycle for assigned product lines, from concept through launch, market support, and ongoing improvement.
• Gather and prioritize product requirements through customer feedback, competitive analysis, market research, and internal operational input.
• Define product specifications, feature enhancements, and performance targets in alignment with business goals.
• Lead pricing, value positioning, and target margin logic for assigned product lines in coordination with Sales and leadership.
• Maintain clear ownership of roadmap priorities, product direction, and cross-functional decision-making.
• Act as the primary interface between the product line and Engineering / R&D teams for assigned products.
• Translate customer needs, market requirements, and product-line priorities into clear engineering and development requirements.
• Work with Engineering / R&D to define validation priorities, performance targets, and release criteria for new products and product enhancements.
• Review development progress and ensure proposed solutions align with application needs, manufacturability, cost targets, and product strategy.
• Coordinate engineering sign-off and cross-functional readiness prior to manufacturing release.
• Support product change management and continuous improvement by ensuring field feedback, manufacturing input, and customer requirements are reflected in development priorities.

• Partner with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality to ensure products are designed and released with manufacturability, repeatability, and cost-effective delivery in mind.
• Review product designs and proposed changes for manufacturability, production feasibility, and operational readiness prior to release.
• Support the transition from development to production by identifying and resolving product-readiness risks early.
• Balance customization, standardization, cost, and delivery performance across the product line.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives based on manufacturing feedback, field experience, and customer application learnings.
• Support ownership and coordination of product approvals and certifications, including UL, CE, EMC, and other applicable requirements.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in HVAC, heat exchangers, mission-critical cooling systems, or related thermal equipment.
• Solid understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and air / fluid dynamics.
• Experience with product development, cross-functional release processes, and product-line support in a technical manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of manufacturability, production readiness, and practical engineering trade-offs in a manufacturing setting.
• Familiarity with product-line management, lifecycle ownership, or product strategy in a technical environment.
• Proficient with thermal modelling, selection software, and CAD…