Senior Materials Engineer, Paint and Plating

Job Overview

The Process Development and Efficiency section of the Materials and Process Engineering Department seeks an engineer with expertise in corrosion, paint, plating, and metal finishing to support all phases of product design and production for military and defense applications.

• Support product design and manufacturing for military/defense applications.
• Design for corrosion prevention and manufacturability.
• Select and optimize processes, assess supplier capability, and conduct failure analysis.
• Develop painting procedures for various base materials and surface treatments.
• Establish inspection processes and criteria, and train operators and inspectors.
• Evaluate and approve paint, coatings, and surface finishing for in‑house and supplier partners.

• University degree (or equivalent experience) with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, or an advanced degree with a minimum of 3 years of experience.
• Experience in painting, coatings, plating, and surface finishing, including procedure development, operator/inspector training, fabrication problem solving, and inspection.
• Experience in metallurgy, galvanic corrosion, and/or protective corrosion coatings.

• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Chemical Engineering.
• Experience as a technical liaison between engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams.
• Proficiency in interpreting engineering drawings, defense specifications, and converting technical material into practical procedural instructions.
• Hands‑on painting experience of commercial or military hardware.
• Knowledge of military and commercial paint/plating specifications and European (ISO) specifications.
• Self‑motivated with strong communication skills and ability to work in a team.
• Adaptable to work through all project phases from design to manufacturing.
• Practical knowledge of metal processing operations and surface treatments.
• Problem‑solving skills with root‑cause identification and corrective/preventive actions.
• Experience developing finishing processes for aluminum, structural carbon steel, stainless steel, titanium, and nickel alloys.
• Knowledge of Design of Experiments, Six Sigma, and statistical techniques.
• Experience auditing coating processes and collaborating with suppliers.
• Demonstrated mentoring and teamwork skills.
• Foreign language conversational skills are a plus.

• Salary range: $86,800 – $165,200 USD.
• Benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short‑term and long‑term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, employee assistance program, employee scholar program, parental leave, paid time off, holidays, and others dependent on the business unit and collective bargaining agreement.
• Annual incentive compensation programs may be offered for eligible positions, contingent on individual, business, and company performance.

• Position requires up to 50% travel, domestic and international.
• Requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain a DoD Secret clearance.

RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.