Senior R&D Laboratory Technician

Job Description

Seeking a Senior R&D Laboratory Technician, Formulation in El Segundo, CA for an advanced materials manufacturer serving the defense and aerospace industries.

The Senior R&D Laboratory Technician will hands-on alongside research scientists and engineers to formulate, mix, cure, and characterize new high-temperature composite resin formulations. As part of a true R&D environment, the work rarely repeats more than a few times and spans multiple chemistries and product areas.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepare resin formulations by precisely weighing and mixing ingredients, following written and verbal instructions with close attention to detail.
• Cure resin samples in a vacuum oven and prepare samples for analytical testing.
• Track time-sensitive foam process steps (cream, rise, gel, and cure) and record relevant observations.
• Document laboratory methods and observations clearly and reproducibly.
• Manage multiple test methods and sample sets in parallel while maintaining full traceability.
• Identify and communicate issues with assigned work, and propose solutions based on prior experience in collaboration with the assigning scientist.
• Participate in a wide range of R&D problem-solving activities alongside research scientists and engineers.
• Support the product demonstration and engineering teams.
• Follow all safety protocols and contribute to a strong laboratory safety culture.
• Wash chemistry glassware and maintain a clean laboratory space.

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma
• 8–15 years of experience as a laboratory technician in an R&D materials or chemistry laboratory
• Experience handling chemicals and working in a fume hood
• Hands-on experience with common laboratory procedures, including weighing chemicals and using hot/stir plates, vacuum pumps, and ovens
• Strong written laboratory documentation skills
• Ability to complete complex tasks independently and on schedule while tracking multiple test methods in parallel
• U.S. citizenship required due to the nature of the work

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience mixing and handling thermosetting resins and polymer composites
• Experience producing polymer foams (e.g., polyurethane, phenolic, polyimide, epoxy, or other thermoset foams)
• Experience scaling formulations from benchtop to pilot scale (up to approximately 50 liters)
• Experience operating industrial mixing equipment
• Experience with resin, composite, or foam testing
• Experience in a polymer R&D laboratory or other chemical, advanced materials, or aerospace laboratory environment (e.g., composites, carbon fiber, oils)
• Experience with analytical equipment such as DMA, DSC, TGA, SEM, NMR, FTIR, HPLC, rheometers, or thermal conductivity testing
• Comfort working with high-temperature cure schedules and reactive resin systems

Real People. Real Connections. Real Results.

That's the Messina Talent Advantage.

For more than 40 years, Messina's Talent practice has continuously evolved to meet the needs of our clients. We not only help our clients fill roles and build their teams, but we also help them better understand their workforce and develop strategic talent initiatives that drive value for their organizations.

Messina Talent Advisors, a Messina Group Company, has the network, proven processes, and all the latest technologies to connect the right candidates with the right jobs - faster.

Real People. Real Connections. Real Results. That's the Messina Talent Advantage. For more than 40 years, Messina's Talent practice has continuously evolved to meet the needs of our clients. We not only help our clients fill roles and build their teams, but we also help them better understand their workforce and develop strategic talent initiatives that drive value for their organizations.

Messina Talent Advisors, a Messina Group Company, has the network, proven processes, and all the latest technologies to connect the right candidates with the right jobs - faster.