Staff R&D Engineer – Hazardous Area Certification & Compliance

Industrial Robotics & Automation
Location: United States

About the Company

Our client is a global leader in advanced industrial robotics and automation technology, developing cutting-edge robotic systems used across manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and other complex industrial environments.

With a long history of innovation, they are continuing to advance the future of automation through the development of highly reliable robotic platforms designed for demanding real-world applications, including hazardous and explosive environments.

They are seeking an experienced Staff R&D Engineer to provide technical leadership across product certification, regulatory compliance, and hazardous area approvals for next-generation robotic systems.

The Role

As a Staff R&D Engineer, you will take ownership of compliance strategy and certification activities for industrial robotic products operating within hazardous locations and explosive environments.

You will work closely with engineering, manufacturing, external certification agencies, and global stakeholders to ensure products meet international regulatory requirements from development through production.

This is an opportunity to act as a technical authority, influencing product design, certification strategy, and compliance processes for highly complex electromechanical robotic systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead hazardous area product certification activities across new product development and existing platforms
• Develop technical specifications ensuring compliance with global explosive environment standards
• Create and execute certification test plans, procedures, analysis, and supporting documentation
• Manage relationships and approval processes with external certification bodies
• Maintain product certifications and resolve compliance-related technical challenges
• Assess updates to international standards and evaluate impact on current and future products
• Review engineering design changes to ensure ongoing certification compliance
• Lead internal audits and external surveillance audits related to explosion-proof certifications
• Provide technical guidance to electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering teams
• Partner cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and product teams
• Develop and review technical documentation for internal teams, customers, and external partners
• Ensure product information and customer-facing documentation accurately reflects certification requirements

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field
• 10+ years’ experience working with certification and approval agencies (FM, UL, CSA, or similar)
• Experience certifying products for hazardous locations or explosive environments
• Strong understanding of international hazardous area standards and certification frameworks including IECEx, ATEX, JPEx, or KCs
• Experience working across electrical and mechanical systems
• Strong technical problem-solving ability within complex engineering environments
• Experience developing and reviewing technical engineering documentation

Preferred Experience

• Master’s degree in Engineering or related discipline
• Experience working directly with certification bodies such as CSA, DEKRA, FM, Intertek, or similar
• Experience leading product approvals for hazardous area equipment
• Knowledge of quality systems aligned with ISO/IEC 80079-34
• Hazardous area certifications such as CompEx, IECEx, or CoPC
• Experience acting as a technical authority for certification programs
• Experience coordinating witnessed testing with external certification agencies
• Robotics, industrial automation, or complex electromechanical systems experience

Why Join?

• Work on some of the most advanced industrial robotics technology in the world
• Own certification strategy for complex, safety-critical robotic systems
• Collaborate with world-class engineering teams across hardware, software, and manufacturing
• Influence products deployed globally across mission-critical environments
• Join an organization committed to technical excellence, innovation, and continuous development