How to hire a materials development engineer

How to hire a materials development engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step materials development engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a materials development engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new materials development engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a materials development engineer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A materials development engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, materials development engineers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of materials development engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Materials Development Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Materials Development Engineer	Materials engineers develop, process, and test materials used to create a wide range of products, from computer chips and aircraft wings to golf clubs and biomedical devices. They study the properties and structures of metals, ceramics, plastics, composites, nanomaterials (extremely small substances), and other substances to create new materials that meet certain mechanical, electrical, and chemical requirements.	$31-52
   Metallurgist	A metallurgist is responsible for producing metal items and resources to create components used for large manufacturing and industrial production. Metallurgists operate various machine tools and equipment, requiring them to have a strict adherence to the workplace's safety protocols and regulations to prevent potential hazards and operational delays... Show more	$29-55
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Product Development
   • Quality Standards
   • Mechanical Properties
   • R
   • Material Suppliers
   • Test Methods
   • DSC
   • Failure Analysis
   • Extrusion
   • Prototyping
   • Material Properties
   • Production Processes
   • SEM
   • DOE

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and successfully complete carbon/epoxy material qualification and gain approval from FAA to use in manufacturing of composite aircraft parts.
   • Evaluate epoxy formulations and adhesive tapes used to encapsulate all plastic film capacitors, including UL and ASTM material/flammability testing.
   • Develop basic extrusion procedures and temperature profiles for polyurethane extrusion.
   • Optimize polymer extrusion processes from development to implementation to the plant floor to product commercialization and subsequent continual improvement.
   • Provide production support including developing LabVIEW base testing system, working procedure analysis/optimization and documentation, assembler training and equipment trouble-shooting.
   • Synthesize cobalt nanoparticles and evaluate the tuning of magnetic properties for applications in biomedicine and data storage.

   More materials development engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your materials development engineer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A materials development engineer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, materials development engineers' average salary in nebraska is 41% less than in new hampshire.
   • Seniority. Entry-level materials development engineers earn 40% less than senior-level materials development engineers.
   • Certifications. A materials development engineer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a materials development engineer's salary.

   Average materials development engineer salary

   $85,952yearly

   $41.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level materials development engineer salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average materials development engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$102,100	$49
   2	Massachusetts	$101,067	$49
   3	California	$100,021	$48
   4	Florida	$96,853	$47
   5	New York	$93,580	$45
   6	Oregon	$92,706	$45
   7	North Carolina	$79,739	$38
   8	Colorado	$78,834	$38
   9	Indiana	$75,174	$36

   Average materials development engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Schrödinger Inc	$108,490	$52.16
   2	Argonne National Laboratory	$106,302	$51.11	7
   3	Amazon	$103,518	$49.77	297
   4	Micron Technology	$97,756	$47.00	55
   5	Nike	$95,568	$45.95	11
   6	Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.	$92,611	$44.52
   7	Adidas North America Inc	$90,869	$43.69
   8	The Haartz	$88,172	$42.39
   9	Chase	$87,824	$42.22
   10	VF	$87,442	$42.04	4
   11	First Solar	$87,061	$41.86	35
   12	Relativity	$84,953	$40.84	32
   13	Michelin	$82,693	$39.76	3
   14	Sandvik Coromant	$81,243	$39.06	13
   15	Prysmian Group	$81,189	$39.03	30
   16	Under Armour	$80,597	$38.75	6
   17	Raytheon Technologies	$77,468	$37.24	97
   18	Perry Ellis International	$76,541	$36.80
   19	Brooks Running	$72,960	$35.08

4. Writing a materials development engineer job description

   A job description for a materials development engineer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a materials development engineer job description:

   Materials development engineer job description example

   Who We Are:
   
   At Brooks, we believe a run can change a day, a life, the world. Everyone who works here is a key part of our obsession to make the best running gear on the planet. We want our business - which also happens to be our passion - to be a place where everyone feels welcome and comfortable being themselves. Our company culture defines us, bonds us together, and drives our success. We live this culture daily through our brand values: Runner First, Word is Bond, Champion Heart, There is no “I” in Run, and Keep Moving. This means we always solve for the runner, do what we say we will, give it our all, are generous with our humanity, and find a way to keep moving every day, because joy is kinetic.
   
   Are you ready to help create something extraordinary?
   
   Your Job:
   
   As a Footwear Material Developer at Brooks, you will be an integral part of the Footwear Development Team driving the execution of the seasonal materials agenda through all phases of materials development. You will regularly partner with Product Developers, Designers, Product Line Managers, and material vendors to achieve a common goal - making the best running footwear on the planet. You are responsible for the timely, profitable, and quality delivery of materials for Brooks Footwear. You'll bring new materials to the team and work closely with vendors to ensure that Brooks' footwear product goals are achieved. In this role, you'll partner closely with the Materials Design team to create seasonal palettes that meet the needs of our growing footwear brand. You'll be involved in the overall process of product creation from idea generation, product design, prototype development, and physical testing through commercialization and production.
   
   In this role, you'll work across the supply chain to create materials, validate them and ensure that products can be made and commercialized with all footwear materials. As a key member of the materials team, you'll explore, research, and develop various materials including knits, woven, non-woven, synthetics, and all other materials used in footwear.
   Your Responsibilities: Collaborate with product teams to develop materials specifications for product functionality, durability, and aesthetics, including identifying needs and researching solutions.Drive the creation of new materials through materials calendar including pre-development. Partner on calendar creation with Materials Manager.Coordinate and oversee the review of materials with the Asia materials testing team to ensure that all materials pass Brooks standards. Act as liaison as needed for Footwear Developers and review together as needed.Develop and maintain an organized materials library, complete with up-to-date materials, testing history, and specifications; either within FLEX system or physical Continuously build advanced materials expertise and make recommendations for our products; create and build a network of contacts within the industry.Evaluate the risk factors associated with all material developments and communicate them to the product teams.Assist with advanced materials R&D projects (when needed).Work cross-functionally to drive goals, uncover opportunities, and move materials forward within the footwear creation process.Manage multiple projects at a time across multiple timelines including validating materials both on and off products.Contribute ideas for product design, construction, materials, and components to enhance functionality, aesthetics, fit, and profit margins.Serve as the technical material resource for members of the project teams Evaluate new product /materials applications to improve cost, reduce environmental impact or improve the quality of Brooks' products.Stays abreast of new technology and competitive products by attending material and machine shows and providing recommendations from the materials perspective.Generate technical product creation packages to communicate intended construction and aesthetic details for each project and ensure alignment across teams. Ensure the final product has a paper trail.Work with Wear Testing and Human Performance Lab on the testing and validation of all performance characteristics of materials from early prototypes to final confirmation. Collaborate with materials design to research and source materials and trims to meet all business objectives and ensure delivery of seasonal market palette.Partner with Asia Materials team to support as needed.Other responsibilities as required.
   Qualifications: BS in Textile Engineering, Textile Design, Materials Engineering, Textile Chemistry or related field; may be substituted with relevant work experience5+ years of experience in footwear materials; bonus if experienced in footwear warp/ weft knit methods Solid understanding of footwear construction methods, materials, testing & evaluation techniques. Ability to understand how materials play a part in the fit and feel of performance footwear.Ability to analyze test information and provide subjective feedback in a concise and understandable manner Excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrating effective listening through concise, clear verbal and written communication Excellent interpersonal skills that encourage and build trust resulting in effective working relationships across the company Keen attention to detail in planning, organization, and execution of tasks, all the while observing the big picture and understanding how everything fits. Willingness to dive into the details.Ability to work professionally and effectively within the team and across departments while being able to balance multiple tasks within cross-seasonal deadlines.Ability to anticipate how a decision made can affect our customers, our partners, our product, or other departments' operations - the ability to “connect the dots”Work independently and with Manager to achieve materials strategy goals.Curious and open-minded - be open to a challenge and always looking to improve our products and processes.Computer proficiency with office software, MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint. Adobe Illustrator and FlexPLMAbility to travel domestically and internationally as needed (15-25% travel time) Embraces and lives the Brooks values Passionate participation in Brooks' sports activities is a plus, overridden by the ability to understand and empathize with the runner in order to develop loyal, engaging relationships with our customers and the Brooks community.Unwavering demonstration of Brooks' corporate values: Serve People, Lead Thought, Compete as a Team, Have Integrity, Be Active, Have Fun!
   At Brooks, we celebrate diversity & equity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment, and encourage people of all backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills to apply. Brooks is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, the presence of a sensory, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military status, marital status, pregnancy or child birth, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, political ideology, or any other non-merit based factors.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right materials development engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with materials development engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit materials development engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your materials development engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit materials development engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit materials development engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new materials development engineer

   Once you've found the materials development engineer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new materials development engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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