Research Associate III

The Research Associate III will be primarily responsible for independently designing, executing, and documenting laboratory experiments to validate product performance, reliability, and shelf life. This role collaborates with senior R&D leadership to improve experimental methods, support new product development, and evaluate competitive technologies, while ensuring compliance with established laboratory practices, and quality standards.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Under very limited supervision, designs research experiments in collaboration with department leadership.  Carries out experiments using appropriate equipment, techniques, and protocols. Applies good laboratory practices.
• Primarily independently, carries out experiments that scientifically confirm product performance, reliability, and shelf life.
• Identifies deficiencies and modifies/improves existing procedures.
• Plans a schedule of research activities according to company’s timetable and establish daily or weekly routines necessary to meet project timetable.
• Collaborates with senior R&D personnel, in the design of experiments.
• Based on hypothesis, develops solutions to problems of high complexity.
• Records experimental data and observations. Completes calculations according to established procedures.
• Maintains accurate records of work.
• Applies scientific theory to reach conclusions based on data analysis.
• In collaboration with senior R&D personnel, prepares documentation for New Product Development (NPD) toll-gate and design change activities (i.e. test methods, design verification protocol and report, ECR memo, etc.).
• Maintains in-depth knowledge of the company’s new and existing products and awareness of competitors' products within the assigned category.
• Participates and provides feedback in the evaluation of experiment results, ideas, competition products, and new technologies.
• Complies with all company policies and procedures including quality, complaint handling, and safety.

Incidental Duties: The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed in this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, and indeed additional responsibilities may be assigned, as required, by management.