Description
Design, develop, and qualify ceramic materials, components, and manufacturing processes to meet specific design and performance requirements. Create new compositions and ceramic-matrix composites, optimize forming, sintering, glazing, and joining methods, and scale processes for reliable, cost-effective production in electronics, aerospace, energy, biomedical, and industrial applications.
- • Analyze ceramic failure data and laboratory test results to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
- • Monitor ceramic performance in service and evaluate wear, corrosion, creep, and thermal degradation.
- • Supervise technologists, technicians, and other engineers in ceramic labs and pilot or production settings.
- • Design and direct testing and process control for powder preparation, forming, drying, firing, and finishing.
- • Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors to meet ceramic product and process objectives.
- • Conduct or supervise tests on ceramic powders, slips, green bodies, and fired parts to ensure quality.
- • Prepare proposals and budgets, analyze costs, and write technical and management reports.
- • Collaborate across mechanical, chemical, electrical, and manufacturing disciplines to solve ceramic application challenges.
- • Plan and evaluate new ceramic development projects with stakeholders and leadership.
- • Review new product plans and recommend ceramic materials and processes based on strength, toughness, dielectric properties, thermal stability, and cost.
- • Design or specify ceramic processing equipment, kilns, furnaces, tooling, and environmental controls.
- • Tailor ceramic microstructures and properties through composition, particle engineering, forming, and sintering profiles.
- • Guide technical staff in developing ceramics for specific products and devices.
- • Plan and implement laboratory operations to develop ceramic fabrication procedures that meet cost, specification, and performance standards.
- • Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining ceramics, including tape casting, isostatic pressing, injection molding, brazing, and glass seals.
- • Conduct training sessions on ceramic products, applications, and manufacturing methods for customers and employees.
- • Supervise production and testing in ceramic manufacturing operations such as kilns, glazing lines, refractory, or glass plants.
- • Publish technical findings in ceramic engineering journals and trade publications.
- • Model ceramic behavior and processing using computational tools such as finite element analysis, phase equilibria, and sintering models.
- • Provide technical training or guest lectures on ceramic materials and processes.
- • Present technical information at industry and academic conferences.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
