Job Description

About this role

The Innovation Center of Excellence is seeking a motivated, results-oriented and experienced engineer to join our team based in East Syracuse, NY. As a Staff Research Engineer, you will serve as a technical leader driving the development of novel systems and technologies from concept through validation. You will play a key role in shaping and executing high-impact innovation programs that enable step-change improvements in performance, cost, sustainability, and digital capabilities. This includes advancing both near-to-mid-term differentiated solutions and longer-term disruptive innovations that may redefine system architectures and customer value.

You will work at the intersection of research and product realization, collaborating with cross-functional teams across COEs, platform organizations, and external partners to mature technologies and define clear transition paths into Carrier’s product and technology roadmaps. Your role will require translating ambiguity into structured learning, reducing technical risk, and ensuring that only validated, high-value opportunities progress toward commercialization.

This position is ideal for a technically deep, forward-thinking leader who thrives in an innovation environment, navigates uncertainty with confidence, and is passionate about enhancing lives and shaping the world we share.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the technical development of novel systems and technologies from concept through proof-of-concept and validation
• Translate ambiguous problem statements into structured technical approaches, experiments, and learning plans
• Define system architectures, requirements, and key technical tradeoffs for early-stage concepts
• Drive rapid prototyping, modeling, and experimental validation to reduce technical risk
• Identify, evaluate, and mature emerging technologies, including assessing technical feasibility and defining integration paths into future products and value propositions
• Develop IP strategies to enable freedom to operate and protect key innovations
• Identify and lead the development of externally funded research proposals, including government-sponsored programs, aligned with strategic technology priorities, and, if awarded, lead programs through technical execution and delivery
• Collaborate cross-functionally with COEs, platform teams, and business units to ensure alignment and enable successful technology transition
• Partner with external stakeholders, including universities, startups, and industry collaborators, to accelerate innovation
• Communicate progress, risks, and insights to technical and executive leadership
• Mentor and guide engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, technical excellence, and accountability

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Mechanical, Thermal, Aerospace or Systems engineering with 5+ years of hands-on engineering experience or PhD with 3+ years of hands-on engineering experience.
• 3+ years of experience in heat transfer, thermodynamic cycles, fluid dynamics, or related engineering domains
• 3+ years of experience with physics-based modeling and simulation tools (e.g., CFD, FEA, or system-level modeling)
• 3+ years of experience designing, executing, and analyzing system- and component-level testing for technology validation

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Engineering or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in HVAC&R or related industrial applications
• Deep understanding of HVAC&R systems, thermodynamic cycles, and psychrometric analysis
• Proven experience leading early-stage innovation, research, or advanced development programs from concept through validation
• Demonstrated ability to translate emerging technologies into differentiated solutions aligned with product and customer value
• Experience with system architecture development and multidisciplinary engineering integration
• Experience developing intellectual property, including invention disclosures and patents
• Experience identifying, developing, and securing externally funded research programs (e.g., DOE, NSF, ARPA-E)
• Familiarity with technology development processes, including Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) (e.g., NASA, ISO 16290)
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive alignment without direct authority
• Experience collaborating with external partners, including universities, startups, and research institutions
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in ambiguous, fast-paced innovation environments