Principal R&D Engineer

Energy Recovery, Inc.

. Serve as R&D technical lead on New Technology and New Product development projects involving fluid machines such as pressure exchangers, centrifugal and reciprocating pumps, turbines, and turbochargers .

Posted 11/11/2026full-timeIndiaLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in the development and validation of fluid machines, including pressure exchangers and pumps, while applying advanced design and analysis techniques such as FEA and CFD. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and mentor engineers in a multinational environment.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Fluid Machine DevelopmentFEA ExpertiseCFD ExpertiseMechanical DesignCross-Functional Team Leadership

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Mechanical Engineering1-D System ModelingTesting and ExperimentationMaterials SelectionGD&T FundamentalsAnalytical ModelingComputational ModelingRotodynamic DesignReciprocating Machine DesignAI Tools Proficiency

Soft Skills

Excellent Communication SkillsMentoring EngineersIndependent Technical LeadershipProject PrioritizationSound Engineering Decision-Making

Tools & Technologies

SolidWorksOnshapeCreoNXCATIAANSYS MechanicalCFX/FluentSTAR-CCM+Sensors/TransducersControls/Data Acquisition

Industry Keywords

Fluid MachinesHigh-Pressure Fluid EquipmentPhase-Gated Development ProcessDesalination TechnologyWastewater TechnologyEngineering StandardsHIASMEAPIISO

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as R&D technical lead on New Technology and New Product development projects involving fluid machines such as pressure exchangers, centrifugal and reciprocating pumps, turbines, and turbochargers
Lead or participate in the full development cycle of fluid machines, including 1-D sizing, engineering analyses, detailed design and layout, rotor-bearing systems, seals and secondary flow paths, materials selection, validation test rig development, experimental validation, and release to manufacturing
Apply design, FEA, CFD, 1-D system modeling, testing, and materials expertise to solve complex technical problems and make engineering trade-offs
Define validation test plans and work with US- and India-based teams to obtain data, confirm model predictions, and refine designs
Collaborate with multinational, cross-functional teams across time zones, including R&D, product engineering, manufacturing, quality, and business units
Provide technical guidance and design review leadership to India-based engineers and establish engineering best practices
Follow ERI’s phase-gated development process, leading design reviews and documentation at each phase
Contribute to the R&D technology roadmap and identify opportunities to expand ERI's product lines
Work on technologies and products for desalination, wastewater, and other industrial processes based on proprietary isobaric pressure exchangers
Perform other duties and projects as assigned

Requirements

What you’ll need

Master's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline
10+ years of relevant industry experience
Demonstrated track record developing fluid machines or other high-pressure fluid equipment and taking at least two products from concept through validation and release to manufacturing
Experience working with multi-national teams across geographies and time zones
Experience mentoring engineers or leading technical work of others
Proficiency in CAD packages such as SolidWorks, Onshape, Creo, NX, or CATIA
Expertise in commercial FEA and/or CFD tools such as ANSYS Mechanical, CFX/Fluent, or STAR-CCM+
Expertise in mechanical design, GD&T fundamentals, stack-up analysis, analytical and computational modeling, testing and experimentation, and materials strongly preferred
Proficiency in using AI tools to accelerate engineering work is a plus
Experience with design and validation of rotodynamic and reciprocating fluid machines highly desirable
Hands-on experience with testing and experimentation, sensors/transducers, controls/data acquisition highly desirable
Familiarity with HI, ASME, API, ANSI, and ISO engineering standards
Ability to lead technical work independently, prioritize across multiple projects, and make sound engineering decisions with limited direct supervision
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Must be willing to work from ERI's India office once it is established
Regular overlap with US Pacific time, typically 2–4 hours in the IST evening
Position requires up to 10% travel, including international travel

Benefits

Comp & perks

Generous health plans
Extensive time off
Paid family leave
Subsidized lunches
Company events
Opportunities for charitable giving and volunteering in the community
Diverse, collaborative work culture