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What is a research and development senior engineer and how to become one
A research and development (R&D;) senior engineer conducts research and development procedures. The engineer meets organizational needs when they effectively manage and direct the research and development programs in their custody. By assessing the sustainability of research projects, they ensure they are timely and cost-effective.
Most R&D; senior engineers work in health care, technology, or manufacturing companies. They summarize research results and inform internal and external bodies about their findings. The engineer is responsible for managing the performance of subordinate staff daily. Also, they must have extensive knowledge of departmental processes.
An R&D; senior engineer must be a good communicator and have analytical skills. A suitable degree and 4 to 7 years of experience in the related area would qualify you for this position. However, the qualifications vary from one employer to another.
What general advice would you give to a research and development senior engineer?
Michael Denn
Instructor, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Avg. Salary $106,636
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 2%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%
Asian 16.64%
Black or African American 3.06%
Hispanic or Latino 7.79%
Unknown 4.51%
White 67.89%
Genderfemale 11.82%
male 88.18%
Age - 39American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 39Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Research and development senior engineer career paths
Key steps to become a research and development senior engineer
Explore research and development senior engineer education requirements
Start to develop specific research and development senior engineer skills
Skills Percentages Medical Devices 8.54% Solidworks 7.56% CAD 5.52% Python 4.12% R 4.09% Complete relevant research and development senior engineer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New research and development senior engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a research and development senior engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real research and development senior engineer resumes.Research research and development senior engineer duties and responsibilities
- Lead creation and testing of initial web infrastructure hosting Java applications.
- Lead S/W design FMEA and participate in H/W design FMEA for a new platform product.
- Manage NSAI and FDA audit control and prep rooms and provide defense strategies to key leadership.
- Create and manage dFMEA, DRD, releases, supplier sourcing and placing parts on contract.
Get research and development senior engineer experience
Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a research and development senior engineer. The most common roles before becoming a research and development senior engineer include research and development engineer, research assistant team lead and process engineer.Prepare your research and development senior engineer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your research and development senior engineer resume.
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Apply for research and development senior engineer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a research and development senior engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
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Average research and development senior engineer salary
The average research and development senior engineer salary in the United States is $106,636 per year or $51 per hour. Research and development senior engineer salaries range between $83,000 and $135,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do research and development senior engineers rate their job?
Research and development senior engineer reviews
Investigation. I love to dig and dig to find hidden gems of information that can be pivtol to the project.
There is tons of reading involved, not everything is interesting so it can be a bit much to read and analyze what seems like endless information. But I still love it.
Ingenuity and the fast paced environment while critical thinking to solve the problems.
Updated January 8, 2025
