Innovation Engineer - R&D

We are working with an industry leader within the HVAC industry seeking an Innovation Engineer in their Redmond, OR location. This is a crucial, high-impact role centered within their Research and Development (R&D) department. This position serves as the critical link between emerging technology and market reality, tasked with identifying, prototyping, and deploying disruptive innovations—from sustainable refrigerants and advanced thermal solutions to IoT integration and smart manufacturing techniques. The ideal candidate blends deep technical expertise in HVAC systems with a relentless drive for novelty to ensure our product portfolio remains competitive, efficient, and compliant with evolving industry standards.

Key Responsibilities

• R&D Leadership & Technology Scouting :
• Lead R&D efforts to identify and evaluate emerging technologies (e.g., sustainable refrigerants, high-efficiency heat pumps, advanced controls, IoT integration) relevant to the future of HVAC.
• Initiate and manage research projects focused on enhancing system performance, energy efficiency, and cost reduction.
• Design & Validation :
• Apply core expertise in thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics to design novel HVAC components and systems.
• Rapidly develop and build proof-of-concept prototypes .
• Conduct rigorous testing, simulation (CFD / FEA), and analysis to validate new designs, ensuring alignment with performance goals and regulatory standards (e.g., AHRI, Energy Star).
• NPI & Manufacturing Integration :
• Act as the critical link between R&D and Manufacturing Operations , driving the smooth transition of innovations from lab to production floor.
• Ensure Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and scalability, collaborating closely with production engineering and supply chain teams.
• Intellectual Property (IP) :
• Generate comprehensive technical documentation and actively pursue the creation and protection of Intellectual Property (patents) resulting from innovation projects.

Qualifications